Lightning Is the Only Way

"Glad to see you again, Gravis. I always knew that you would get through this," Manuel said with a smile when he saw Gravis.

"Glad to see you're doing well, Manuel," Gravis said with a smile. "So, how does it feel?"

"How does what feel?" Manuel asked.

"Being at the top of the world," Gravis answered.

Manuel looked into the distance with a complex expression. "It doesn't feel much different from normal. I think that's mainly because I haven't truly been in this state for long enough. I still feel like I need to become more powerful, and I still feel like I have to increase the power of the Heavenly Divine Sect even more."

"In the past, I always knew that there was an even higher world waiting for me. Because of that, I never truly felt like I was at the peak. But now, there is no higher world. I am in the highest world, and no new world is waiting for me."

"I'm just here, and I basically have no enemies left, at least not until more Peak Divine Gods appear in the world."

"It's weird. It's like something I have been doing for my entire life suddenly vanished."

"In a way, I feel a bit aimless," Manuel explained.

"What's your goal?" Gravis asked.

"A couple million years ago, I would have said that I wanted to become a Heaven's Magnate, but I'm not so sure if I will ever reach that."

"Why are you so certain?" Gravis asked.

Manuel only smiled bitterly. "Gravis, you know that I am a person with a great affinity for control. Logically, I would also want to learn about that one elusive Law I still needed. So, yes, I know about the Law of Freedom, even though you all told me several times that it's a bad idea to look into it."

Gravis also smiled bitterly. "You couldn't help yourself, huh?"

"No, I couldn't," Manuel said with a sigh. "I still don't get the Law of Freedom. Freedom is making your own choices, right? I have the freedom to make any choice I want. I know all the necessary information, and I can choose whatever choice I want."

"So, how is it possible that I can't comprehend freedom? In my perception, I'm about as free as I can be right now."

"Are you?" Gravis asked.

Manuel looked at Gravis with a skeptical expression. "Everyone that's more powerful than me is not interested in going against me. Therefore, I can do whatever I want."

"What about yourself?" Gravis asked.

"Myself?" Manuel asked with confusion.

"Can you do whatever you want? Are you comfortable with every decision you've ever made?" Gravis asked.

we often have to make decisions we don't like.

can't do whatever

"If you are adamant about splitting hairs, yes, I can't always do

you're not

Doing the right thing is sometimes something I don't want to do. You can be selfish and do whatever you want, but at that point, nobody will follow you, and those few

go ahead and attack them just because I want to destroy them. I have to do many small tasks to

"Why not?" Gravis asked.

die, Gravis," Manuel said with

sighed when he

around him with genuine care, and he

he always gave everything to his people. In his mind, treating his people with sincerity

him with all their heart and soul. They fully trusted him,

around him would basically fight each other to give these things

was the perfect

was also the

was essentially perfect

exactly that

too smart and

was smart enough to always make the perfect decision, and

of Freedom required

didn't have

how to comprehend the Law, there would

do something like that to comprehend the Law of Freedom,

what

ironic in a

temperaments of their Elements. Wind

had been

Manuel was unable

off from the Cosmos' definition. In Manuel's mind, freedom meant

on trying to argue

achieved his goal

the Cosmos' goal of

this moment, Gravis realized that Manuel would never comprehend

Opposer or Orthar, Manuel wouldn't be able to

Manuel had managed to reach the very top of the world. He would soon become a level

had also come to an end, just like

would stop

this short conversation, Gravis dropped the subject, and the two of them only talked for a long