Aurora finished her detailed explanation, and a heavy silence settled once more.
Rory was the first to break it.
"What is the name of the artifact that was stolen?" she asked, brows creased.
Albedo stepped forward; her expression was serious as she retained the atmosphere of the Guardian Overseer.
"Pantheon's Destroyer"
The name made many guardians raise an eyebrow.
Rory swallowed. "And… what exactly is its power?"
Rory was usually all smiles and jolly, but currently she was also wearing a serious atmosphere.
Albedo's voice lowered.
"Its name is its power. A semi-World Item capable of erasing a pantheon…
completely."
Even the battle-hardened and indifferent ones felt the weight of the implication.
A world-level item. An item that has the power to alter the laws of the world. For someone outside of Nazarick, it is something that is near impossible to obtain. Only some pantheon leaders have such items, for example, Odin's Gungnir, Cronus's sickle (previous leader of the Olympics), Shiva's trident, etc. But they all are low-class world-level items. But even with that, the destruction it can cause is immense.
While Pantheon's Destroyer is not a completed world-level item, it is very close to a low-level world-level item. So it's a weapon that could annihilate the divine hierarchy of an entire religion.
Demiurge stepped forward, glasses glinting as he adjusted them—tone sharp and accusing.
"Then why… Was such a dangerous artifact simply resting on the ninth floor? Should it not have been secured in the seventh-floor vault under Aurora's supervision?"
Aurora stiffened—her fists tightening.
The accusation struck deeply. A blow to her pride as co-guardian overseer and guardian of the eleventh floor.
Guarding artifacts was her domain as the Eleventh Floor Overseer.
Before she could find words—
Arthur raised a hand.
Silence swallowed the room instantly.
His voice was calm… too calm.
"Because the artifact was incomplete, Demiurge."
He slowly stood from his throne, his presence alone making the air grow heavier.
"Pantheon's Destroyer was only a semi-World Item. To finalize it, I require something I do not yet possess—a leaf from the World Tree. I was waiting for a world to fall from the world tree."
The Guardians exchanged glances of dread. Anything that required a piece of Yggdrasil—the cosmic spine connecting worlds—was beyond terrifying.
Arthur looked down upon them with hollow, unblinking eyes.
"Understand. Even incomplete… That artifact is capable of altering the balance of every divine realm."
Albedo's voice trembled—ever so slightly.
"My Lord… then Throximus and other intends to…"
Arthur finished for her:
"They intend to complete it, or so I think. But getting a world leaf without my knowledge is near impossible. So currently, their true intentions are blind to us."
A suffocating stillness.
Then Esdeath spoke, in an icy voice:
"If so, what could be their plan?" Then she paused as if she remembered something. "My Lord, since the Pantheon's Destroyer is created using your Demon Golem form, shouldn't you be able to sense where it is?"
Hearing that, all the other guardians looked at him.
"No, I can't find it." Arthur said.
"Oh!" Esdeath exclaimed in disappointment.
The truth is Arthur sensed where it was when it changed to Demon Golem some time back. And it is in the Dimensional Gap. Arthur's demon golem avatar is the weakest of his forms. Its defense and attack are the lowest of any god, devil, or angel that is present in this.
And from instinct he crafted during the millions of years alone, telling that this is a trap Or maybe, just maybe, they didn't know that he has the ability to sense what he created. He can rule out the latter because if they didn't know that, then he can safely say he didn't need to fear them at all. But given their past actions, it's unlikely.
And if he tells the Guardians about this, they will march right into the Dimensional Gap. If the children were present, they would kill them all, without any worry. And Arthur didn't like that.
Friday is working a way out. Of course, he can use a resurrection spell, but even then he didn't want Mother to kill their child. Just previously, Angrboda nearly killed Throximus if not for Aurora stopping her. And the reason he turned to Doppelganger form is just to scare Throximus.
Even though Arthur knows his guardians' stance, he still needs to ask them a question.
Just for a surprise answer or something.
"What do you, Guardians, think we need to do if we capture all of the children?"
"Kill them for defying you, my lord." Albedo was the first to answer.
"I concur," Aurora said. "They are just a waste of space in this world."
"A waste of resources. With only a loss to Nazarick." Demiurge said.
"They are mistaken." Angrboda said. "And I am sorry for giving birth to them."
Shallrear, Rory, Esdeath, Aura, and the rest of the Guardians thought were exactly the same as the previous. Only Tatsumaki didn't say anything; which is unusual, as she was usually very talkative.
Looking at all the Guardians and Co-Guardians. Arthur couldn't help but feel sad.
Loyalty. Such a tricky concept. Arthur knew it was him that made them this loyal. Because of that, till this day, if he asked them to go and die. They would do it gladly and with pride. They won't even question his order.
But because of the same loyalty, they are unable to truly love anyone other than Him.
Arthur didn't even know what he needed them to do. Should they tell him not kill his children, or maybe something else.
"Antares, form a search party and bring every one of my children back. Killing them is strictly forbidden. Take Mara with you; he will help with debuffing the opponent." Hearing Arthur's order, Antares and Mare, who has already grown up, but still his feminine look hasn't changed at all; instead, he has become cuter with time. He looks more female than many women.
"What would you do after capturing them, my lord?" Esdeath asked.
Arthur looked at Esdeath for a bit, then answered.
"I will tell you what I do after Antares Bring them back."
❌❌❌
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