Chapter 394: Lightning Didn’t Fall From the Sky (13)

“Vampires can never mix with humans. They drink blood after all.”

Considering vampires were currently massacring humans as we spoke, his words felt all the more visceral.

I wasn’t sure if the Lightning Thief was actually aware of the situation outside, but either way, he continued speaking.

“It’s only natural. No matter how much they can communicate with us, who could ever sleep soundly next to a monster that feeds on their blood? It’s like putting sheep and wolves in the same pen. When humans change, they inevitably come into conflict with those who remain the same.”

“Hearing that from someone affiliated with the Sanctum makes it a bit unconvincing.”

“Do you really think the Sanctum is the sole reason vampires are ostracized?”

Well, no.

If someone was after my money, I’d be on edge too, let alone someone who craves my blood.

You won’t die from losing money, but if you lose blood, you will.

“As the so-called King of all Humans, you’d better not be as foolish as the average man. Difference always breeds division. There are only two ways for humans and vampires to coexist: either vampires are rejected everywhere they go, or we become their livestock  like in the Duchy of Mist. Either way, a hierarchy that keeps us separate must exist.”

“Let’s say that’s true. What does that have to do with the Fallen Dominion?”

“The Fallen Dominion was on the verge of creating beings similar to vampires: Homunculi! Alchemically created humans with perfect physical structures.”

I thought back to the homunculi of the Golden Lord.

Normal homunculi lacked self-awareness, and only those crafted in the Primarch’s images with Unique Magic could even hold a conversation.

The ones who awakened Unique Magic through alchemy were restored close to their original selves within the domain of the Golden Lord.

But in the end, the homunculi were artificial creations, not real humans.

I couldn’t read their thoughts.

“The Golden Lord’s power is to dismantle and reassemble the world. Naturally, that includes humans. It is a classified secret, but the Golden Lord can even transmute humans. Fortunately, what he creates is merely a shell, but even that is terrifying. Just imagine it: humans with bodies that are healthy, strong, and functionally flawless.”

Except for one person—the Thunderarch.

She was the only one whose thoughts I could read.

A human who, though composed of the same material as a homunculus, had refined herself over a long period of time.

“Like the Thunderarch?”

“Exactly. If enough of them gathered, they could reign over normal humans like vampires. No—perhaps they would be even worse than vampires. Vampires are limited in number and are despised for their need to drink blood, but these new beings, nearly indistinguishable from ordinary humans, would be admired, just like the Thunderarch. If given the chance, everyone would want to become like her.”

“But isn’t the Thunderarch already admired? Why aren’t you trying to stop her then?”

“That’s fine. Because she’s ‘special.’”

Special, huh?

The Thunderarch firmly believed herself to be unique.

I kept hearing it in her thoughts, an overwhelming sense of self-importance.

But apparently, what she considered “special” was equivalent to what I called “ordinary.”

“She’s allowed to be different because she’s special. Ordinary people convince themselves that they are not lacking—it’s just that she is exceptional. Even the Thunderarch believes in her own uniqueness. That’s why she carefully oversees Claudia, ensuring that no one else like her can emerge. Thanks to that, even though the Fallen Dominion is ruled by a Divine, they have never crossed a certain line.”

“So when they say the Divines must be hidden, this is what they mean?”

“That’s right. Divines reshape the world. Of course, that world includes humans, but… no matter what happens, ‘humans’ must never change. Their dignity and purity must be preserved. The same today must continue tomorrow, endlessly, forevermore. No matter what forbidden knowledge they obtain, they must safeguard their own essence as they move forward.”

The Lightning Thief’s conviction seemed unshakable, as if even a storm of lightning and wind would never bend it.

As the tempest raged around us and bolts of lightning struck ever closer, he held fast to the kite string while warning me.

“Savage, as the King of Beasts, you might accept such change as part of nature, but we are different. We will protect humanity in the truest sense.”

There was an undeniable air of faith in his words.

Though he was a Divine, he was still human.

Perhaps once, he had been a devout believer.

I had met uncooperative people before.

It wasn’t as if everything in the world would always go my way.

But I was the King of Humans.

There was no one I could not understand.

Not even a Divine.

Not even a devout believer.

“But you do realize, don’t you? That as a Divine, you have no right to say such things.”

“That’s nonsense. What was I supposed to do, stop being exceptional? This isn’t about being ‘special’ or not… It was just bad luck. I never wanted this.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Why did someone who longs for a tomorrow that mirrors yesterday take the actions you did?”

The Lightning Thief misinterpreted my question and answered,

“You mean creating Claudia? I had no choice. It was for humanity’s sake. If I hadn’t built a livable city, all of the displaced people of the Fallen Dominion would have eventually turned to the Golden Lord to sustain their lives.”

That’s not it.

It’s true that he built Claudia from the ground up.

He helped the Apostles of the Sanctum establish order.

Back then, the title of Thunderarch probably didn’t even exist, but regardless, the Lightning Thief devoted himself to the Sanctum, just as a Sage should.

But I wasn’t talking about the city he built.

Nor about his faith.

I’m just a mere beast—I have no interest in concepts like order or faith.

I only have one question.

“Why did you fly the kite? That wasn’t something you did yesterday, was it?”

“What? What kind of nonsense is this? What’s wrong with flying a kite?”

Because it’s fun, obviously.

There wouldn’t be much of a reason beyond that.

That’s enough.

The mere fact that something can be done is sometimes reason enough.

“Why did you try to make a kite that could fly even in the rain? If it were just about strong winds, that would make sense, but there was no reason to let it get soaked in the rain. You could have just not flown it.”

“Sometimes you just feel like it. Especially when it’s raining. There are times when you want to stand in the rain for no reason at all.”

“And what about when there’s thunder and lightning?”

The Lightning Thief fell silent.

As if mirroring his thoughts, thunder and lightning raged violently around us.

The bolt had missed this time, but sooner or later, the lightning would strike, and the feeble kite would have no way to escape.

This wasn’t just imagery—it was a scene drawn directly from his memories, like with other Divines.

The Lightning Thief had once gone outside with his kite on a stormy day.

And it hadn’t been just a whim.

Even as he stood in the cold rain and wind, his face had been alight with exhilaration.

“You knew the lightning would strike the kite. You knew it would travel through you. Why didn’t you let go?”

“…I just wanted to.”

“Why did you attempt something you couldn’t do yesterday? What were you trying to achieve by testing the patience of lightning?”

“I did it to help the people of Claudia. If there was a way to avoid lightning, the city could prosper.”

“Nice excuse, but you just wanted to do what you couldn’t do yesterday. You had no hesitation about taking another step forward.”

Humans can deceive even themselves.

They can distort their own memories to justify their actions.

But no one can lie to me.

Even if I’ve lost my power, I am still the King of Humans.

“You call yourself a Sage, but you acted recklessly. The reason today can never be the same as yesterday is because of people like you. Because you push forward every day.”

The Lightning Thief clenched his eyes shut and shouted.

“…Yes! But as a Sage, I did it for the people of the Fallen Dominion! If I could use deadly lightning to save lives, wouldn’t that be the greatest service to humanity?!”

So we’ve finally arrived here.

The justification.

That he meant well.

That his intentions were good.

Once it comes to that, the discussion loses all meaning.

“Who doesn’t know that? I acknowledge it. You contributed plenty. You built the Lightning Tower, water mills powered by lightning, even farmland in this desolate land. No matter how you became a Divine, everything you did with that power was for humanity. Even though you were indoctrinated by the Sanctum, you still chose to hide your existence as a Divine instead of claiming the glory and achievements you rightfully earned.”

“Tch, and yet….”

“But was all of that yours alone? When did kindness become your exclusive property?”

That’s what savagery is.

Intent. Emotion. Will.

Great glory, devout faith, lofty justice, noble morality.

No matter how grand they sound, they’re nothing more than tools for humans to wield as they see fit.

How barbaric is that?

“You had goodwill. I won’t deny that. You may have looked down on others, feeling superior, but your love and care for them were real. What matters is that feeling. If that is true, then the tool itself doesn’t really matter.”

“Tool…?”

“Yes. The Thunderarch stabbed me without hesitation the moment she saw me. She wielded her faith as a weapon. The vampires sensed the touch of the Sky God in her and her subordinates. Thus, they sought to exterminate them. Both are the same. No matter how grand their intentions, no matter how much they try to justify it as common sense—ultimately, they are just using their beliefs as weapons to strike down others. In that sense, the Sky God and vampires are no different.”

“That’s absurd. How can you compare the Sky God, who seeks to preserve humanity, to the vampires, who have forsaken it?”

The Lightning Thief protested, but I had an answer ready.

I pointed at the wound on my abdomen and retorted.

“The Angel of the Sky God, who was supposedly protecting humanity, stabbed me.”

“That’s because you’re a savage, nothing but a barbarian.”

“So, anyone who doesn’t fit their definition of ‘human’ deserves to die? That’s no different from the vampires.”

With me, the victim, standing right in front of him, and my words ringing true, the Lightning Thief could not refute me.

Of course, he probably had more to say.

But I spoke first.

“I’ll show you. In a world where people kill each other for all sorts of reasons, I’ll show you someone who truly stands for humanity.”