Rebirth of the Interstellar Pope <Mecha>

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Anno pondered the true power of the ancient civilization mecha, Napoleon. During the era of Pope Anno, war was a tool manipulated by politicians on the grand stage of the United Nations and the Senate. While eternal peace among the stars was an illusion, war was often wielded as a bargaining chip.

In his hands, Napoleon had never seen the battlefield, and in a way, Anno felt he had neglected the ancient mecha. To him, Napoleon was like a child-he would rather see him basking in the temple's light than wielding destruction against an enemy.

Reflecting on this, Anno realized he may have been mistaken in his beliefs.

"Wait, wait! I know you!" he called after Napoleon, who had turned to leave.

Napoleon paused, donning a short Catholic robe that seemed oddly incomplete without a matching coat. He frowned, scrutinizing Anno from head to toe.

The mechas from ancient civilization were autonomous but communicated through consciousness rather than speech. Anno felt Napoleon's consciousness invade his mind, a childlike voice echoing softly, "Who are you? Why are you in the Hall of Light? Your consciousness cannot express words."

In his weakened physical state, Anno struggled to form coherent sentences. Instead, he squatted close to Napoleon and said, "Guess who I am. If you get it right, I'll give you candy."

Napoleon scrutinized Anno again, his frown deepening. "Liar. You don't have any candy, and neither does the Palace of Light. Rufet stopped giving me candy long ago."

A smile crept across Anno's face. It was clear that Rufeite had once indulged Napoleon with treats, demonstrating his ability to understand the unique personalities of the ancient mecha-especially the whimsical ones.

"I really don't have any candy," Anno admitted. "But can I stay here and chat with you for a while? I mean no harm."

"What do you want to talk about?" Napoleon replied, impatience etching his features.

"You're an ancient civilization mecha, right?"

"Yeah."

"You just turned into a brooch," Anno continued.

Napoleon said nothing, maintaining his silence.

"Look, I know you're an ancient civilization mecha, and I know you can use light energy fragments to take on any form you want. And I also know your name is Napoleon. So, guess who I am. If you guess right, I won't bring you any candy this time; I'll just bring some next time."

This time, Napoleon did not frown but looked at Anno with cold, skeptical eyes filled with distrust.

"You're not wearing a religious robe, and I've never seen you before. Who brought you in?"

"Rufeite did."

"Are you his chosen successor?"

"Did he tell you he was looking for an heir?"

"Idiot," Napoleon replied, disgust evident in his tone. "He's been trying to step down from his position in the Celestial Cult ever since he found Anno's body. Tell me your name."

With a mischievous glint in his eye, Anno replied, "Gaso. That's my name now. But three thousand years ago, before the particle explosion of the Hall of Light, my name was..."

Suddenly, a shockwave erupted behind Anno, freezing the air around him. Two opposing forces surged violently in different directions.

Napoleon stretched out his hand, pushing forward as he used his limited consciousness to resist the oncoming intrusion. An overwhelming sense of oppression washed over them. Anno recognized it immediately: it was Rufeite.