The Guardian gods Chapter 860

"A kingdom that shares our very blood," Nwadiebeube continued, his voice laced with carefully crafted bitterness. "A kingdom we once considered a worthy rival, a people we held in great esteem. Yet, it appears they possess no honor, nor do they grant us any respect."

The chanting ceased abruptly. The enraged throngs fell into a profound quiet, every citizen and concealed informant holding their breath as the proclamation of an unforgivable blood feud descended upon the land.

Could the words they were hearing possibly be true? Could King Osita truly have descended to such depths as to abduct their pregnant Queen?

Indeed, whispers and rumors had been circulating throughout the realm recently concerning Osita’s sudden, out-of-character behavioral shift, peculiar actions that ultimately led to his abrupt dismissal, the complete severance of his ties to the Osita Kingdom, and his subsequent exile into the unknown.

This was a fresh, startling scandal that the populace was still struggling to comprehend. Until this moment, most had dismissed the tales as mere political gossip or manufactured falsehoods. But now, witnessing the shattered remnants of their own palace and hearing Nwadiebeube explicitly name Osita, the fragments of the puzzle began to coalesce with a chilling gravity. The rumors, it seemed, were tragically accurate.

Perceiving the surge of doubt and confusion spreading through the vast, unseen assemblies, Nwadiebeube spoke once more, his voice modulating into a calm, measured cadence that commanded absolute attention.

"I am aware that you all harbor numerous questions regarding this matter," the king stated, his gaze penetrating the luminous projections. "You are questioning whether Osita could genuinely be capable of such a monstrous act against our Queen, against our own kin."

Nwadiebeube leaned closer to the light of the projection, his imposing silhouette appearing to dwarf every village square and city thoroughfare across the kingdom.

"To aid your understanding of the extent of his treachery, I shall now unveil something to you all, a closely guarded secret that, until this very instant, has never been shared beyond the royal chambers."

With a deliberate intonation, Nwadiebeube commenced unraveling the threads of his people’s recollections, drawing them back to an era of widespread dread, the somber period preceding the official emergence of the kingdom’s Paragons, when Osita was first exposed as an entity possessing paragon status.

He recalled for them Osita’s enigmatic, devastating confrontation with an unidentified adversary. It was a conflict that sent tremors across the globe, rending through dimensions and leaving countless homes and neighboring kingdoms in absolute desolation.

Naturally, Nwadiebeube did not articulate the objective reality. He could not, even if he had desired, as he himself lacked a complete comprehension of what had truly transpired during that clash. He was aware of only one fragment: whatever had occurred back then was intrinsically linked to his clandestine dealings with the entity known as Murmur. However, the common populace did not require knowledge of the clandestine machinations. They simply required a villain.

"During that calamitous event, a profound misfortune struck the household of Osita," Nwadiebeube proclaimed, "A tragedy that revolved entirely around his own spouse. It is a somber, meticulously maintained secret, one that he has desperately concealed from the world’s gaze, and from his own people, for far too long."

"Accompanying that terrible misfortune was a prophecy," Nwadiebeube announced, his voice resonating with a subtle reverence. "A prophecy that explicitly foretold the ultimate demise of the Osita Kingdom."

Another synchronized, horrified intake of breath swept through the assembled throngs, yet Nwadiebeube afforded them no respite to process the shock. He pressed onward, exploiting their mounting fear.

"In a frenzied, desperate gambit to revive his wife and avert his foretold doom, Osita perpetrated an unforgivable transgression against the Omadi Kingdom and its inhabitants," the king declared, his eyes blazing with impassioned righteousness. "He stripped the queen of her right to journey to the land of the dead and bound his wife’s soul directly to our own Queen!"

With slow, deliberate movements, Nwadiebeube rose from his fractured throne, an imposing, commanding ascent witnessed by millions across every illuminated projection in the realm.

"Recently, a new faith has been subtly disseminating and taking root amongst our populace," the king remarked, his tone shifting from indignation to a profound sense of veneration. "Whispers of a new deity. A god destined to navigate us through the darkness."

Turning his body to face the projections directly, establishing eye contact with his entire kingdom, Nwadiebeube delivered his ultimate edict.

"I stand before you today to declare that this faith is genuine. The magnificent divinity spoken of within this burgeoning religion is none other than the God of the Absolute Standard."

"I am privy to this truth because I serve as the chosen vessel of this mighty deity."

As the words left his lips, a collective breath was held by millions. Across the glowing projections that spanned the entire realm, everyone observed with absolute awe as Nwadiebeube’s physical form began to transform dramatically. A dazzling, blinding radiance erupted from his skin, reshaping his silhouette until he was entirely encased in pure, glistening gold. He no longer resembled a mortal king but stood as a living idol of divinity before them.

"The prophecy concerning our kingdom is intrinsically linked to this magnificent deity," the king’s voice thundered, now imbued with a resonant, metallic undertone. "A god who has uniquely selected our Omadi Kingdom to manifest His absolute law into the mortal world!"

He lifted his gilded hand, casting a warm, deceptive light over the hushed crowds.

"Osita and the cowards allied with him anticipated this divine ascension," Nwadiebeube declared, his tone hardening into one of righteous indignation. "Terrified that the Omadi Kingdom would become the unyielding center of power on this continent, the enemy targeted the Queen. They perpetrated that sacrilege for a singular reason: to obstruct the very birth of the "Standard.""

The golden king let his gaze sweep across the vast, unseen audience, his expression a mask of profound, sacrificial humility.

"This form you behold is not a product of my own insignificant power. It is merely the shadow of the Standard passing over me, a testament to His grace. I am naught but His humble proxy, bearing the weight of this kingdom upon my shoulders while our adversaries exhaust their every resource attempting to bring about our utter ruin."

"The abduction of our Queen represents a desperate gambit by the enemy to ensure this great god never truly descends upon our kingdom," Nwadiebeube’s booming voice reverberated, filled with unwavering resolve. "But that is a dark future that will never, ever materialize under my vigil."

He paused, allowing the brilliant golden light emanating from his form to wash over the entranced crowds, who were hearing of their kingdom's greatness.

"And it is a fate I know the citizens of this great kingdom would never permit, for its realization would signify the absolute end for us all. This is the juncture where we must unite as one. We must bind our hearts with unwavering belief and unyielding fealty to clear the path for the birth of the Standard!"

Suddenly, the fierce energy in his voice subsided, replaced by a heavy, sorrowful cadence.

"I wish with all my soul that I could take up arms today," he stated, his golden shoulders slumping slightly with feigned grief. "I wish I could lead my vanguard directly into the heart of the Osita Kingdom to demand the Queen’s return. But our enemy has executed a cunning maneuver. Osita is no longer affiliated with the kingdom bearing his name. They have severed all ties with him, casting him out so that we would have no army to confront, no distinct kingdom to hold accountable."

He lifted his head, his golden eyes flashing with renewed, fanatical purpose.

"Yet, we are far from devoid of options. The sole remaining path to rescuing our Queen and the unborn royal child is to accelerate the divine arrival of the God of the Absolute Standard. And that, my people, is a monumental undertaking that will necessitate the soul, the prayers, and the absolute devotion of every single one of us."

As the final resonance of those words lingered in the air, Nwadiebeube took a slow, deliberate step down from his throne. With every eye in the realm fixed upon his glowing, golden figure, he raised both hands and grasped the heavy crown resting upon his brow, the very symbol of his absolute authority as king.

"To demonstrate my devotion to you all," he declared, his voice descending into a solemn, weighty tone that permeated the silent kingdom. "To truly protect our Queen, our unborn heir, and every single citizen walking this earth, I must entirely relinquish my mortal identity. I can no longer serve as your King. To wage this war, I must transcend into something greater. I must become the Shield of our God."

With a gentle release of his hand, the crowd watched in breathless silence as the royal crown ascended through the air, settling perfectly upon the vacant seat of the throne he had just vacated.