Father-in-Law and Rival (2)
GM
God of Luddera
Was it so displeasing to you, mortal that you are, that I defied the natural order to wander the dimensions in search of my master?! To drag me in by taking her hostage and toy with me in this farce!
The First Emperor, Ahenobarbus, felt rage boiling within him as he unleashed a tremendous surge of energy.
The aura of a transcendent being who had far surpassed the limits of Grand Master and reached the demigod realm.
Having wandered multiple dimensions and even slain gods along the way, GM held no terror for him.
"Here, I shall reclaim my master from you, GM!"
With that, he charged ferociously at GM, swinging his fist—but
Thud!
"Gahk!"
The next instant, he found himself rolling on the ground.
What was that?
I clearly thrust my fist right up to GM's face...?
He couldn't comprehend the situation. It felt utterly alien, as if the time between extending his fist and tumbling on the ground had been erased.
"Ha... so this is a god, after all."
It was different from the gods he'd slain in the past.
An attack that ignored even his hyper-developed perception.
A strength on another dimensional level, befitting a god who oversaw countless dimensions.
Thump
"Then I'll go all out!"
He clenched his fist again and leaped high.
Once he was repelled, the protective barrier shielding GM vanished.
'It's probably not the kind of authority that can be maintained indefinitely.'
It didn't make sense for such a powerful barrier—one capable of deflecting his attacks—to be kept up constantly.
Thinking that, Ahenobarbus unleashed a barrage on GM. In truth, it could have been maintained indefinitely, but Albus had hastily terminated the emergency protocol out of fear that the Labyrinth Tower might be deleted, causing the barrier to disappear—but Ahenobarbus had no way of knowing that.
Kaboom! Kaboom! Kaaa-boom!
Kraka-ka-ka-boom!
Destructive blows from the Martial Emperor that could obliterate space itself rained down, yet GM stood unscathed at the eye of the storm of annihilation, unchanged from the start.
After pouring out attacks for a long while, the First Emperor pulled back from GM.
"......Why."
The god he'd slain in the past had been left in tatters by such assaults, yet GM showed no damage whatsoever.
Even though he'd transcended human limits multiple times and infused his attacks with divinity, GM ignored every punch as if they didn't exist.
"Ha."
Crack
The First Emperor grabbed his opposite trapezius with one hand and rotated his other arm in circles.
'A different league.'
His strongest attacks, infused with divinity.
Their destructive power rivaled that of a god's, yet they couldn't touch GM.
'Can I win?'
Powerlessness.
It felt just like glimpsing the colossal monster from another dimension while dimension-hopping.
Defeat.
An unfamiliar word floated in his mind.
Shake shake
'No.'
From the day he vowed never to lose again after losing her, he hadn't suffered a single defeat.
Not even the god who belittled him as a mortal and tried to crush him for sport could withstand his fists.
Raising his head, the First Emperor spotted Solaris watching him and GM with a worried expression.
'Ah? I wasn't planning to save you specifically? I just cleared out the bandits occupying the village, and you happened to crawl out of the burning basement.'
'Teach me how to fight? Why should I?'
Sudden memories of the past surfaced—memories of her, now irretrievable, yet unforgettable for that very reason.
"I—!"
He clenched his fist tight.
'Looks like swords aren't for you. Want to try fists?'
'That's right! You've got talent!'
'The strongest fist that never backs down... You named your gauntlets yourself? Pfft. Oh, sorry. ...No, I said sorry! Alright, alright! Haha!'
"I cannot back down."
He stepped in front of Solaris as if to shield her from GM, rising to his feet.
He couldn't lose her again—the one who sacrificed herself to protect him—to his own failings.
"Cannot back down, eh. Because of that woman?"
GM spoke, eyeing his stance.
"Didn't you bring her here knowing that?"
Ahenobarbus growled in response.
"Is that so."
'She's a meticulously crafted NPC, but I didn't expect a player to fall in love with her.'
Albus pondered as he gazed down at the First Emperor.
'He was too scared to respond properly until now, but he can't harm me anyway. As long as we're inside Luddera, I'm safe. The problem is his intense hostility toward me.'
With absolute authority in Luddera, nothing could go wrong here. But since his current face matched his real one, who knew what the First Emperor might do to him back in reality once he logged out.
A situation twisted by layer upon layer of misunderstandings.
'He seems to have some paranoia or delusions too.'
Even if he explained the truth, the man—lost to reason—wouldn't listen.
'This guy's the First Emperor?'
His appearance was worlds apart from the great emperor in the history books.
Albus felt a headache coming on.
How to resolve this mess?
Snap
'Object coordinates changed'
With a flick of GM's fingers, Solaris—previously behind Ahenobarbus—suddenly appeared cradled in GM's arms.
"......What?!"
'No choice. Guess I'll play the villain for a bit.'
Holding Solaris, Albus activated his authorities in succession.
'Map background changed'
Rumble
An infinite cosmic space filled with countless stars—the illusory realm meant to adorn the Labyrinth Tower's final floor—enveloped the First Emperor and GM.
"Then show me. Your true feelings for this woman."
Squeeze
GM tightened his grip on Solaris.
"......You bastard!!!"
'What? Planning to found a kingdom? Didn't you love adventuring with me? Suddenly settling down?'
For her sake, he'd played king despite it not suiting him.
'Whoa~. What happened to you? You became a big shot while I was gone?'
To provide her a safe haven, he'd eliminated all the annoying neighboring nations.
'...Huh? Live together? Protect me? Aigoo. You've grown up, kid. Now you're even saying you'll protect me.'
He'd erased all the filthy nobles and mercenaries who lusted after her.
For her, he could even abandon this kingdom.
'Sorry. I'm grateful you went this far for me, but settling down somewhere doesn't suit my temperament.'
Flick
'And don't get cocky talking about protecting your master. You're my disciple. If anyone's protecting, it's me.'
The day his master rejected him.
'How dare she refuse His Majesty and lay hands on the imperial body! Your Majesty! Shall we drag her here via the knights?'
'......No.'
If only he'd properly restrained his subordinate who wanted to seize her.
'Die, Emperor!'
'No!' Stab
'M-Master! Why?'
If only he hadn't let his guard down, giving the assassin an opening. Or better yet, if he hadn't been so fixated on his master that he allowed the assassin to infiltrate in the first place, things wouldn't have ended that way.
The First Emperor closed his eyes.
This was what the past few hundred years had been for.
For her alone—the one who saved him, raised him, protected him, taught him—his first and last love. The woman who could have been his mother.
Now it was his turn to protect her.
Squeeze
The fist she'd forged for him.
A fist whose only purpose was to protect her.
The fist he'd strengthened for her sake.
If not now, when would he ever use it?
Hummm
Tremendous divinity coalesced around Ahenobarbus.
Kaaa-boom!
Finally, a fierce explosion roared from within him.
You are the first player to acquire divinity. Hidden reward: Class granted.
Numerous system messages floated before his eyes, but he, fully focused, saw none of them.
Whoooosh
The moment the new god—Fist God Ahenobarbus, who attained divinity in a mortal body—was born.
'......Huh? That wasn't supposed to go this far.'
Watching the scene, GM felt a chill run down his spine.
"Very well. As you wish, God of Luddera."
Crunch
"I'll smash you to pieces! And take her back!"
Thud
He kicked off the ground toward GM.
The space between him and GM folded and shrank.
'Master!'
Ahenobarbus's hand reached for GM's grip on Solaris—just as
Grab
"What?!"
GM caught Ahenobarbus's fist with one hand.
Overwhelming waves of domineering divinity swirled around the First Emperor, fresh from attaining godhood, but GM received it nonchalantly.
"Wh-...why."
Meanwhile, the First Emperor's eyes shook violently, his sense of omnipotence crumbling.
Blocked?
My ultimate strike, achieved with godhood?
Overwhelming powerlessness consumed him.
No path to victory came to mind.
Master....
Am I losing you again...?
"Well done, child of man."
Then GM spoke.
"Take good care of this child."
......What?
Shing
Enveloped in sacred light, GM's form vanished.
Plop
As GM disappeared, Solaris dropped from midair—only for him to catch her.
With GM gone, the surroundings reverted to the Demon God's temple.
My full power couldn't even scratch him.
He could have torn me apart.
Yet why did he hand Solaris to me and leave?
Why say to take good care of her?
The First Emperor's mind grew utterly tangled.
"Mm......"
Then Solaris stirred in his arms and opened her eyes.
"M-Master!"
Blank stare
The First Emperor fussed in delight, but Solaris merely gazed at him with clear eyes.
......I see.
"You've forgotten."
She must have lost her memories in the cycle of reincarnation.
No way she'd remember me.
As that bitterness made him bite his lip—
Flick
"Foolish disciple."
!!!!!
Solaris flicked his forehead.
"Doing dangerous things.... Didn't I tell you not to?"
The scolding from his master he'd longed to hear.
A scolding that hadn't registered when she was around, but now pierced his heart with longing in her absence.
"Master......! Don't tell me!"
"Yes, foolish disciple. I remember everything."
"M-Maaaaaster!"
The First Emperor wailed like a child, hugging his long-lost master tightly.
"Waaaaah!"
The cry of a full-grown man—a god—echoed through the vast temple.
Now he understood.
The true reason GM had lured him here.
Why he'd gone so far as to play the villain.
To draw out his true heart, forging divinity,
and revive his master's memories.
"You took on the role of villain... for me and my master."
GM had never looked down on him as a mere mortal.
From the start, it was all to grant him a reunion with his complete master.
"Ahh. GM... why have you...!"
The moment a new faith in GM was born.
"Waaah! I gotta log out quick!"
The very GM in question was hurrying, worried his friends might think it odd he was late.