"Finally, I can get back to actual, important work…"
With the child's pet project out of the way, I was done with all of this… whatever it was! Honestly, what was even the point in all of this?! Archer, Rider, it matters not; none of this was necessary! There was nothing the labyrinth alone couldn't have dealt with!
"…Suppose it wasn't completely worthless…"
His control scheme, ridiculous though it was, did appear to be working, more or less, as he'd desired. As did the energy converters attached to the statues.
"Electrical to magical and back, hmm…"
Yes… yes, there was plenty of potential left untapped there. All in all, I'd finally figured out how to construct a functioning army. Limitations would need to be removed; the system refined. But it was progress. Finally, real progress, after countless years!
"One step closer to you, Athena… One step closer…"
And one step closer to you two, as well…
Use the rest of the time the war provided, then use the grail… It was a foregone conclusion now: victory would be mine!
Nobody questions your capabilities, Daedalus, but your arrogance has crossed the line!
"My arrogance… My arrogance crossed the line… As if you were ever fit to lecture anyone on arrogance, Athena…"
This impenetrable workshop? Mine!
Nothing mortal lasts forever, Daedalus! Not even your genius.
This army of stone, soon to be made unstoppable by even the gods?! Mine!
You believe you stand above all others, Daedalus?!
"I am the one who took control of five leylines! I am the one who built this workshop! I am the one who built this army! This dragon! It is my brilliance at work here! All you see is thanks to me! My brilliance!"
That child had my blessing!
"He was nothing without me, you understand! He was nothing without me!"
The hammer bounced off the ground and went flying, disappearing from sight behind some statue at the far end of the hangar. I hadn't even realized it left my hand until moments later, as the sound of its bounces began to echo in the otherwise silent space.
"That… what…?"
…Where was she…?
"She was just here! She was just… here… I-I heard her! I k-know I… I did…"
My legs felt weak. I needed to sit, a first in… longer than I could remember…
"He… he was nothing… nothing with me… He's nothing… without me…"
…
"I made everything… I enabled everything! Everything he's seen… Everything he's done…"
…
"It was… it was all because of me! Me and… and my brilliance!"
…
"I'm not blind. I'm not blind! Not to this! Not to anything!"
Is that what you think… Daedalus...?
"Grrr! Get out… of my head… you insufferable goddess!"
Is this labyrinth because of you…?
"I made it! It's mine! It's my labyrinth!"
Is this army of stone because of you…?
"My designs! My brilliance!"
Would it all be working, if it was only you…?
"Of course it would! I'm the greatest mind to ever live! There's nothing I can't do!"
Would any of it be standing now… if it was only you… Daedalus...?
"Of course it-… Of course… it… It…"
…Of course, you would be blind to that… Daedalus…
"…"
…
"…I'm not…"
…
"…I'm not… blind to it…"
Only half-focused, I felt my hand drag along the smooth surface of the hangars wall. It existed because of me, yes. Because I'd made it. But was it still standing right now, because of me…?
…
"…It was his idea, how to sustain it; run mana through it…"
…
"…His idea… how to power them… how to control them…"
Looking to the few monitors in the hangar, I caught a glimpse of the battle being waged above. Of the statues moving, following orders one after the other. Of the dragon swooping down, pushing back an entire section of Rider's forces all on its own.
Witness the pinnacle of the beauty of Daedalus himself!
…The pinnacle of my beauty? No, this was far from the pinnacle of my beauty. How could it not be, when it was far from being my beauty in the first place? No… this… This was the child's beauty… This was his beauty…
When I'd stood, I couldn't place. Nor could I place when I'd moved right in front of the monitors. It just came at a point, a sudden realization that I was there, no longer sitting against the wall.
And despite the anger and the pain. Despite the frustrations. Despite the jealousy I had towards it all… I couldn't deny it, deep down… I saw it. Looking out at the battle being waged above, even through these few screens, I saw it, clear as day…
"Beautiful…"
What the child had managed, no… what the child was managing to do; had done… It was simply… beautiful…
"Ha… No, it's not my beauty we're all witnessing here, child" I sighed, unable to stop myself from shaking my head. "It is your beauty here, child, that is on full display."
Nothing mortal lasts forever, Daedalus… Not even your genius…
"So... is this what you meant…? Tch…"
The thought did nothing to erase the anger or jealousy I felt as I turned away from the screens. However, a small part of me… began to wonder… as I began to hunt for the hammer.
"…Perhaps it wouldn't be the worst thing… to pass the torch…"
After all, I would be busy once I won the war. With multiple things. I wouldn't have time, nor the capability, really, to focus on other things, like showing off to the world how vastly superior I still was. But if I couldn't do it…
"…He wouldn't be the worst replacement, strictly speaking…"
There was work to be done there, for sure. Getting rid of his ridiculous notions of beauty, for one! But… it could be done. I could do it, if I really wanted to. I could do anything I set about doing, after all.
"…Bah! Can't believe I'm even entertaining this absurd notion" I grumbled as I finally found that blasted hammer. "Honestly, how is that child not done with his fight with Rider yet, either!? Create for him the greatest army anyone could ever desire, and he still isn't finished?! What could he possibly be playing- …What?"
…Surely, my eyes were deceiving me.
…These damn screens had to be broken. It was the only possible answer.
How else could one explain this ridiculous display being shown to me? My statues, being dismantled by such an obviously inferior force? It simply wasn't possible, and yet…
"How did this- What is that child playing at?"
Every camera I switched the screens to showed the same thing. Some to a greater degree than others, certainly, but overall, it was all the same. The statues, dismantled! Destroyed!
"Child, what is going on out there" I paged his so-called command room. "How the hell are the statues being pushed back?! You even have your dragon thing, so explain to me how it is now that you're losing?!"
…No response…
"Computer" I called for my personal orb as I felt my frustration growing. "Show me where the child is!"
I felt the orb roll into my foot before setting up the holographic projections. Fortunately for me, I'd had the foresight to install those security camera things the child had told me about. They might actually prove useful in a moment…
"He's not in the command room?! What in Hades' name is he-"
…Why was he in the corridors…?
…Why did it seem like he was approaching one of the exits…?
…Why does it look like he's about to leave the labyrinth, and walk out into Rider's reality marble…?
"…By Athena, what are you thinking child?!"
Without a second though. Without another word. As if compelled by some will not of my own, I began running.
A/N
Well, some exciting news on my end! For the first time ever, a country other than the U.S.A. has reached the triple digit view count within the span of one month for this work! I have no idea what happened in the past 5 or so days to make this shit blow up in the Philippines, but I'll fucking take it xD
See y'all in the next post o7
