"My purpose in coming to South America to get involved with the Smoke Mirror Company was essentially to gather more power here to deal with Mithra." Hayden rubbed his temples. "But now all of Smoke Mirror's stuff has been blown up, and you, the last remaining fallen angel, are trying to run away. Doesn't this mean I came for nothing? Don't you have any power left for me?"
Quetzalcoatl immediately shook his head: "You jest. I am already half-crippled, what power do I have left to deal with Mithra?"
At this point, Quetzalcoatl looked at Angela not far away with utmost reverence, then said to Hayden, "Chosen child, believe me, as long as you unleash the true power of the messenger, you will absolutely be able to defeat any enemy. Why would you need to seek power elsewhere?"
Ugh
However, Hayden wanted to facepalm when he heard this.
Do you, Quetzalcoatl, need to say that? Hayden already knew! Of course he knew that Angela might be hiding immense power, perhaps even the power to defeat Mithra! But so what?
First of all, even a fool could see that Hayden could not truly control Angela, even though Angela called him master.
Secondly, even ignoring the first question, Hayden still doesn't know what the Outer Gods are. He only knows that Angela might be His messenger, and that Quetzalcoatl is so afraid that he's preparing to run away.
For years, whenever Hayden asked those ancient beings, such as fallen angels, about the Outer Gods, they almost always told him: "When the Outer Gods come, they will severely judge all the sinners in this world, and the karmic fire of punishment will burn the world to ashes."
In this situation, how could Hayden dare to unleash Angela's power? Let alone "draw out the true power of the messenger" to defeat Mithra! What if the Outer God really came and burned everyone to the ground? This is no joke!
Although this matter was old news and had been discussed to death, Hayden simply didn't dare. Besides, he had just witnessed a fresh, national-level example of "using the wrong methods to solve a problem ultimately leading to a backlash." Hayden wasn't about to immediately seize upon the power of the unidentified Outer God as a means to deal with Mithra.
...until now.
Now, even Hayden himself feels that perhaps he needs to change his mind.
Smoke Mirror Company is destroyed, and the plan to unite with South American God and Micket to deal with Mitra has failed. Besides Angela, who is right beside him, where else can Hayden immediately find a source of power? Should he turn around and look for Mars Corporation or Wotan Corporation now?
...Just as Hayden was thinking this, Angela and Quetzalcoatl suddenly raised their heads and looked up at the sky.
Then Quetzalcoatl immediately panicked: "Huh? Why!? What is He doing here?"
Hayden was stunned for a moment, then immediately sensed a very familiar divine power.
The words had barely left his lips when, in the next instant, pure divine power cleaved through space like a sword. The Peacock King created a path through the space and teleported directly there.
For some reason, the Peacock King's expression wasn't very pleasant.
"father."
Karen also descended from the sky, landing beside Hayden. Her expression wasn't good either. As the Peacock King approached, Hayden was surprised to find that the eyes of this most powerful Old God were filled with weariness.
"Don't you know what happened?"
The Peacock King glanced at the Feathered Serpent God, ignored Him for a moment, then approached his daughter and son-in-law and hissed, "The world is in chaos, and you're still standing here like idiots."
ah? what's the situation?
“I know,” Karen replied, her voice filled with bitterness. “I’ve just broken through the blockade and reconnected. But I haven’t had a chance to tell Hayden yet.”
Hayden had no choice but to turn to her: "Now you can tell me. What happened?"
But the Peacock King had already spoken for her: "About an hour ago, the Mithra Group declared war on both the Mars Group and the Wotan Company, and then immediately launched a large-scale attack."
Hayden immediately realized that the timing coincided with the departure of the Mitra Group's representatives from South America, the activation of the smoke mirror's sealing barrier, and the trapping of all the other companies' divine avatars here, just as the internet connection was being cut off.
"This is not just an ordinary corporate military conflict."
The Peacock King said,
"A new world war has begun."
367: The Road to Tomorrow
The world war has begun.
Hayden almost felt dizzy when he heard the news... maybe not that dramatic, but it was definitely bad news.
Mitra Corporation's decisive launch of a full-scale war while the other three major companies were in chaos was clearly a premeditated plan, and Mitra was obviously confident that it could take down the other two companies.
The Smoke Mirror Company has already exploded on the spot and has no more power to use.
Now that things have come to this, Hayden could certainly try to unite with the Mars Group and Wotan Corporation against Mitra, and they would likely be interested. But even if they did unite, would they have a chance of defeating Mitra?
Hayden wasn't optimistic. His premonition was terrible. Mitra was probably truly prepared to crush everyone. Even if they joined forces with Mars Group and Wotan Corporation now, it probably wouldn't be of any use.
This was an obvious outcome. Mithra was richer, had more resources, more advanced technology, and was possibly even smarter than Hayden and his group. It was only natural that he would lose in a farming competition against Mithra; he didn't have much of a chance to win anyway.
Farming, production, research, progress—these are all wonderful words. They can fill one with hope—but what's the point of farming when your enemy farms faster, develops technology more rapidly, has higher productivity, and may even advance technology faster than you?
Perhaps Hayden truly has no other power to rely on besides the Outer Gods.
This situation is really terrible.
Meanwhile, Karen had quickly explained to the Peacock King what had happened in South America, what the Smoke Mirror had done, and how Miktikahiva had perished with Him.
Upon hearing how Smoke Mirror had used the sealing barrier to destroy all the gods' avatars, the Peacock King frowned: "No wonder Mars Group and Wotan Company were in chaos just now. Although the power of the God of Capital is strong, it must be constantly flowing. When the power of the avatars is blocked, the main body will also be affected to some extent. Smoke Mirror must have a secret agreement with Mithra, planning to cause trouble at this time."
When Kallen mentioned that Quetzalcoatl planned to launch the Bio-Ark spaceship to Proxima Centauri Beta, the Peacock King glared at him with a murderous look. Quetzalcoatl, in turn, retracted his serpentine head. The Old Gods, especially the fallen angels, were indeed terrified of the Peacock King.
However, Quetzalcoatl still stared at the Peacock King with great displeasure, though he wasn't as afraid as he was of the Outer Gods.
Finally, Karen finished recounting the deaths of Miktikashiva and the Smoke Mirror. The Peacock King listened silently as his daughter recounted the events, overhearing Angela's final conversation with Miktikashiva. For some reason, this caused the Peacock King to glance at the smiling Angela standing not far away, and then fall into deep thought.
Finally, Hela (who had just been searching for her lost Styx Memory in the ruins) came over and asked her husband, "Sasa, hasn't Mitra come looking for trouble with you?"
"Not yet," the Peacock King pondered. "But he's keeping Fudo Myoo in reserve, probably to guard against my intervention."
When the peacock family heard these words, they couldn't help but feel a little worried.
The Mithra Group has eight main Vidyarajas (myō-ō), and several others who are not considered main forces and have relatively little military power, such as the Peacock King himself. In terms of individual combat power, the Peacock King has always been the most powerful deity. In terms of single-target attack power, his close-combat strike is even 1.5 times the level of a standard main deity, so no main deity or bodhisattva is willing to stay in the same room as the Peacock King.
However, in terms of leading a large-scale attack, Fudo Myoo surpasses Peacock King. If Fudo Myoo were to lead an entire army of Vajra Warriors to gang up on Peacock King alone, the outcome would be uncertain.
Moreover, the fact that Mithra has such audacity to attack the rest of the world with only seven Vidyarajas (or perhaps even fewer) makes the situation seem increasingly dire...
“Mitra is no longer playing by the original social rules; rather, he has completely overturned the table and is no longer playing.” Karen frowned. “He has always treated our family as outsiders, and he didn’t even inform us before doing something this big. He hasn’t made a move against us yet, but once Mars Group and Wotan Company fall, it will probably be the turn of us smaller ‘rebels’.”
Then she turned to the Peacock King and said, “Father, move the Peacock Palace to Evergreen State. We will establish a joint defense system centered on New Sprout City. We will start with the entire Evergreen State, and then contact the Mars Group and Wotan Company. No matter how blitzkrieg Mitra uses, it is impossible to destroy two giant corporations with operations all over the world in one fell swoop. There will definitely be an opportunity to launch a joint counterattack.”
Hearing her daughter's words, Hela's eyes widened in surprise: "I thought you hated working with other giant corporations."
“I know what priorities are,” Karen retorted, never one to be polite to her mother. “If things continue like this, the Mitra Corporation will really conquer the world. Of course, we should deal with them first.”
This makes sense.
But after a moment of eye contact, the Peacock King spoke up, saying, “This is not a good idea. Since Mithra dares to start a war, he won’t be afraid of us adding a few more gods to the battlefield. He hasn’t attacked us yet, but if we openly defy him now… you remember how Acala destroyed Neo-Yatu last time.”
“If we don’t fight back now, Mitra will come after all the other companies have collapsed!” Karen immediately raised her eyebrows. “So you’re planning to sit at home and do nothing?”
"Of course not," the Peacock King said softly, "but ensuring your safety is also very important. Battles also depend on timing and chances of victory... otherwise, I might have killed a Bodhisattva two hundred years ago and perished with them."
His words were relatively tactful.
Quetzalcoatl, who had been listening to their conversation, now spoke even more bluntly: "Daughter of the Peacock, do you really not understand? Your rebellion plan is over. Mithra has won, and the tide has turned. Those who pretend not to acknowledge it are only deceiving themselves."
As He spoke, He shook His enormous serpent tail: “I suggest you all come with me. Let’s ride my life-giving ship to Alpha Centauri! Why stay here and get entangled with Mitra? Let’s fly away to Proxima Centauri Beta and rebuild our home. Not only will we save our own lives, but we can also rebuild a new world.”
"We'll leave the solar system to Mithra, and then wait for the wrath of the Supreme Being to fall upon him! That's what you call swift retribution!"
The feathered serpent god seemed quite amused as he spoke.
So before Kallen could speak, the Peacock King coldly said, "Remiel, do you really think that even if you escape 4 light-years away, the Outer Gods won't come after you? Four hundred years have passed, and your stupidity and arrogance haven't improved at all."
Quetzalcoatl responded with a cold laugh: "Samael, I despise your hypocritical arrogance. Even uncertain methods should be tried, choosing what you believe is the most correct. Otherwise, what do you plan to do? Tie yourselves up and wait for Mithra or the Supreme One to come and slaughter you all first?"
Two fallen angels glared at each other, locked in a fierce confrontation. It seems their relationship wasn't good.
On the other hand, both of their statements actually made sense.
Mitra is too powerful. To confront him head-on now would likely mean swift death. The Mitra Group possesses the most powerful resources, influence, and military strength, as well as the most advanced technology. A direct confrontation with them leaves no room for unorthodox or underhanded tactics.
Can you win by taking unconventional tactics? That's just wishful thinking on the part of a novice who has never fought a war. King Peacock knew very well that war was a contest of resources.
But what's the point of dragging this out? Once Mithra has swallowed up both of the major companies, the Peacock family will still suffer next.
Quetzalcoatl advised Run, and it's understandable that the Peacock King looked down on him. However, neither side had a solution to the problem.
...Therefore, Hayden felt it was time for him to speak out.
"I'll find a solution."
Hayden said his remarks interrupted the sharp exchange between the Peacock King and the Feathered Serpent God.
"There is no other choice now—I will seek out and use the power of the Outer Gods to fight Mithra."
Hayden had expected his words to provoke fierce opposition from the Peacock King and even Kallen, but they did not.
The Peacock King looked at him with a melancholy expression: "Son-in-law, you have just witnessed how an empire built on flawed means can collapse. And now your choice is to gamble everything on an uncontrollable force that no one can understand."
At the same time, Karen also objected, though not as vehemently as Hayden had anticipated. She simply said, "I refuse to place all my hopes on something I don't understand. Hayden, go and seek out the power of the Outer Gods. I will also follow my plan and fight the Mithra Group first."
“Go ahead,” Hayden said with a wry smile. “We’re used to splitting up and fighting in our own areas of expertise.”
"As for why I am willing to believe Angela now, it's actually quite simple."
At this point, Hayden finally showed an expression that resembled a genuine smile, and a small glint appeared in his eyes.
“Father-in-law, Remiel, you all say that the Outer Gods are gods of destruction and wrath, who will unleash their furious punishment to wipe us all out. But I just saw with my own eyes Angela save Miktikahiva, this thing that was built on the sins of South American blood sacrifices—something that has almost no soul.”
At this point, Hayden finally smiled: "We all know that Miktikashiva is no good. But Angela still saved her. Since the messengers of the Outer Gods are like this, then I believe that the Outer Gods are not the indiscriminate beings you describe, who would kill everyone without distinguishing right from wrong."
For a moment, neither the Peacock King nor the Feathered Serpent God responded. Faced with Hayden's words, they seemed unsure of what to say.
Only Angela smiled. Looking at Hayden, her eyes sparkled with a soft, rosy light, revealing a smile that was both helpless and joyful—as if she had rediscovered something bright and nostalgic that she had lost long ago.
She didn't say anything, but Hayden instinctively felt he could stare at that smile for hours without understanding it.
“I also know that Angela’s current power seems to be relatively limited, and may not be enough to truly defeat Mitra.” He turned back to the Peacock King and the Feathered Serpent God. “If you know of any way, any way that might further unleash her power, please tell me.”
The Peacock King sighed: "In this world, almost all the things related to the power of the Outer Gods are us fallen angels, all of whom are defeated by Mithra. What do you intend to do with us defeated opponents? What could possibly help you defeat Mithra?"
However, Quetzalcoatl rolled his eyes, shook his head, and said, "Not necessarily. Samael, although we don't know how this messenger got down here, I've roughly guessed her real name. You should be guessing it soon too, right?"
This time, the Peacock King merely frowned and did not refute.
"The messenger seems to have forgotten her real name. I don't know why, but we all know that a true name is crucial for beings like us. If we forget our names, even a god—or rather, precisely because he is a god—cannot exert his full power."
So Quetzalcoatl continued to smugly offer his suggestions.
"But on the other hand, if we can make the esteemed envoy remember her name, perhaps we can help her remember her true power and her rightful duty!"
Find Angela's true name and unleash her true power!
That actually sounds like a legitimate way to solve the problem. Hayden perked up at the thought: "Didn't you say you were about to figure it out? Then just say it."
“That’s definitely not going to work. Since the envoy can’t remember her name, forcing her to tell it might cause problems, and if she makes a mistake, it could lead to even more trouble.” Quetzalcoatl shook his head. “'Knowing' and 'understanding' are two different things. For the latter, the former is more harmful than helpful.”
"But on the other hand, I know a guy who might be able to trigger the messenger to remember her real name. Because He and the messenger (if I'm not mistaken) have some ancient connection."
At this point, Quetzalcoatl raised his serpent tail and pointed westward.
"About 20,000 li west of here lies the Land of Reed Plains. The last fallen angel sealed away is there. He is Asmodius, the King of Hell, the Lord of Demons, the black sheep who led us to our fall. He must have a way to provoke the messenger to remember his true name."
The Peacock King rolled his eyes: "Remiel, you've always been good at coming up with bad ideas. I won't stop you from doing whatever you want, but if my son-in-law gets killed by your bad ideas, I'll chase you all the way to the universe and never forgive you."
Then He turned to Angela beside Him and said, “Fellow countryman, I have something I’d like to talk to you about alone.”
Ange tilted her head and smiled slightly: "Okay. Let's go talk over there."
--------------------------------
Once out of everyone's sight, the Peacock King erected a barrier to block any outside spying. Then, He immediately frowned and asked, His tone sounding extremely shocked: "What exactly did you just do?"
Angela raised an eyebrow: "What? What did you do?"
"Don't play dumb. You released a portion of the souls of Miktikahiva—the South American soul aggregate—to the upper realm! I am the former Angel of Death, and I realized it as soon as Karen repeated it!"
The Peacock King lowered his voice: "Angels have no authority to redeem! Besides, Miktikashiva is an evil Frankenstein's monster without even a soul!"
“That’s because your vision isn’t sharp enough, Melek Taus.” Angela shook her head. “Mictetikahiva certainly has a soul, because she is the soul of all the victims of South America for thousands of years. She was willing to give up her immortality for someone who didn’t love her, willingly burn away the evil parts of her soul, and was willing to repent for her past evil deeds, so of course she is qualified to be saved.”
"The point isn't qualifications," the Peacock King said sternly. "The point is that no angel can do anything beyond the rules—even if it's right! This is a core rule designed to prevent angels from abusing their power to interfere with human free will! You are violating the rules!"
“Angels cannot think in a human way, nor can they have a human perspective! If you are truly descending to observe on behalf of God, you cannot use your own standards to judge humanity, otherwise that is ‘prejudice’! Using your own prejudice to wield power is an abuse of authority!”
"All of us fallen devils were, in essence, angels who abused their authority. Aren't you afraid of falling from heaven like us?"
As he spoke, the Peacock King's tone finally turned into deep worry.
"Angela, do you really like humans that much?"
368: Temperance - Upright
"Angela, do you really like humans that much?"