Man on the ark, forced to become king

Since there is no possibility of peace talks between the two sides, they will not give up.

Before that, he wanted to preserve the last spark of Lateran, sending the children away was the last thing he could do.

Perhaps, after this battle, there will never be another Lateran in the world.

But at least, the history of Laterano and the bloodline of Laterano will continue to live on and will not disappear.

"Yes, Your Holiness."

The cardinals nodded silently.

However, before they could do anything, they noticed that the sky outside the Papal Palace had lit up.

……

When Lin Lu delivered the leaf, she had already considered the possible decisions Lateran might make.

There are only two options: surrender, or fight a decisive battle with the determination to perish together.

Submission was easy to agree to; after the war, Lateran was incorporated into the Golden Tree.

If they do not submit, then it will be a fight to the death. Lateran will do its best to preserve the flame of civilization, sending some people out so that Lateran's heritage will not be lost in the war.

He would never allow that kind of thing.

So he took direct action, thwarting Laterano's plan to send people out.

The branches and leaves of the golden tree emerged from the void, radiating brilliant light. The shadow of the giant golden tree rose from the ground and soared into the clouds, its immense energy surging and causing the wind and clouds to change color.

Summoning the shadow of the golden tree, and with the help of an almost inexhaustible supply of energy, Lin Lu raised her palm. In an instant, the entire sky was dyed a deep blue, as if a lid had been put on it, even blocking out the sunlight.

Enormous magical emblems, stretching for kilometers, appeared in the sky, hanging above the holy city of Laterano. The magic they cast connected the sky and the earth, forming a magnificent curtain that encompassed the entire city.

Magic: The Seal of Rayalucaria!

The massive spell cast inside the Realucalia Magic Academy prevents all living beings from entering from the outside, and those inside cannot cross it either. Anyone who touches the seal will be teleported back to their original location, and without the key, they can never leave.

However, the magical seal he used was different from the one used at the magic academy.

The academy's seal is a massive, continuously operating magic circle constructed by combining the power of numerous mages and relying on the academy itself. It is far more powerful than the one he used.

That thing is almost impossible to break through; even a demigod would be stumped. Its duration is limited, and it could potentially be broken through by force.

Therefore, to prevent anyone from breaking free of the seal, he used another prayer.

Above the sky, a golden tree pattern, as enormous as the magic emblem, slowly emerged in the golden light, like a giant tree with countless branches extending down from the sky, entangling the vast holy city within it. The branches and leaves connected to each other, forming a huge seal surrounding the city.

Prayer - Seal the Golden Tree!

Similar to the one he cast in the Ursus Snowfield, it relies on the shadow of the Golden Tree, making it even more defensive. Attacks cast upon it will be reflected back, and breaking through it by force is even more difficult than a magical seal.

Gold and blue, a double seal, trapped the holy city of Laterano within, preventing even a bird from flying out.

Lateran must belong to the Golden Tree; not a single blade of grass or tree can be missing.

……

"Your Holiness, we can't get out. The enemy has placed two layers of magical seals around the Holy City, and they are very strong."

When the cardinal who had been sent out to investigate returned to the papal chamber, the atmosphere inside grew even more somber.

Now everyone knows that Mostima's statement was not an exaggeration.

That man truly possesses the ability to imbue the entire Lateran with his magic; the double seals on the outside are proof of that.

From the skylight of the Papal Palace, one can clearly see the enormous emblem suspended above the sky, and the immense energy flowing within it can be clearly sensed even from the ground.

If those energies were transformed into offensive spells, the entire city would be annihilated, with only a few powerful individuals surviving.

What is most chilling is that, even knowing that there was a final battle to come and that they would face an attack from Laterano with the full force of the nation, the enemy still spared no expense and used two magical seals to completely blockade the holy city.

What does this mean?

He believed that even after using spells of this scale twice, there would still be enough power to deal with Laterano's desperate counterattack!

Is it really possible to die together with someone else?

Having witnessed the enemy's astonishing methods, the Pope's confidence was no longer so high.

They had repeatedly overestimated the enemy's strength, but they still underestimated it.

Such an existence is no different from the gods in legends; it is not a giant beast, but a real, legendary god, which is simply beyond human power to contend with.

Moreover, he now faces another dilemma—should he continue with the plan to perish together with his opponent?

The holy city was sealed off, and people couldn't even leave, let alone send out the torch.

They are all now confined to the city. If they want to make one last desperate attempt, it will truly be a fight to the death.

Apart from the executors and messengers from all nations who failed to return, no one else will remain in Laterano. All the technology will be lost, and their fame will vanish from this world.

To be, or not to be?

Even after making countless major decisions throughout his life, the Pope still hesitated at this point.

He knew that his decision would determine the fate of Laterano, and the pressure was so immense that he could hardly speak.

"Um... have you guys thought about this...?"

Violet clutched her clothes and spoke softly, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

Under the watchful eyes of many, she swallowed hard and said slowly, "He is determined to bring Laterano under the rule of the Golden Law, and he also possesses the power to resurrect the dead."

"In other words, after we die, he can bring us back to life, and after the resurrection, we will still be included in the Golden Law."

"What choice we make now may not be important to him; it's simply a matter of accepting rule directly or being killed, resurrected, and then accepting rule."

"From the results, it's all the same..."

Although these words were somewhat discouraging and implied boosting the morale of others while diminishing their own, the cardinals had to admit, upon hearing Violet's explanation, that it seemed to make sense.

Those who choose to submit, abandon the old laws and accept the new ones, become members of the Golden Tree.

Choosing to go all in and perish together, even if you fail to kill your opponent, you will eventually be resurrected and become a member of the Golden Tree.

It seems there's no difference.

Whether you submit directly or are forced to submit after being killed, the result is the same.

"..."

The Pope felt his head buzzing; Violet's analysis had left him completely bewildered.

So all that thinking and agonizing over it was for nothing?

In the end, they still couldn't escape the fate of being enslaved?

Of course, most importantly, after seeing the two enormous spells floating in the sky, he was somewhat unsure whether Lateran could use the things on the ground to drag the opponent down with him.

I can only say that there is a chance, but it doesn't seem to be particularly high.

Such a powerful figure capable of destroying a nation single-handedly might not be afraid of those ancient relics. The Revelation Stone Tower serves as a cautionary tale; it was also an ancient relic, yet it failed to kill the opponent or even cause any effective damage.

After all, while ancient creations possessed immense destructive power, they ultimately had their limits; at most, they could completely destroy the area where the holy city was located.

And that person can do it too, not only can they, but it seems they can do it several times in a row.

Comparing the two, it's obvious to anyone with eyes to see which one is stronger.

Contemplate, and contemplate again.

The Pope closed his eyes, then opened them again, and finally made his decision.

He pulled Mostima in front of him, shoved the scepter, a symbol of papal authority, into her hand, patted the girl on the shoulder, and solemnly declared, "From this day forward, you are the new Pope of Lateran!"

"what?"

Mostima was stunned when he saw the scepter being handed to him. After he realized what was happening, he was completely distraught.

Is the position of Pope something that can be given away so easily?

Especially at critical moments involving life and death.

Are you trying to make me take the blame?

It's a tough choice: either lead all Lateran to their deaths, or surrender to the Golden Tree right now.

If you choose the first option, she will become the ruler of a fallen kingdom.

If you choose the second one, she will become Laterano's number one traitor, a fact that will be recorded in history books.

This accusation was too big and too heavy; Mostima felt that his small frame probably couldn't carry it.

She tried to put the scepter back, but the Pope had already taken several steps back and clearly had no intention of taking it back.

"Don't rush, listen to me, Mostima."

His Holiness the Pope carefully considered his words and advised, "I didn't mean for you to take the blame. In the current situation, you are the best person to break the deadlock."

“You have a high status in the Golden Tree and can speak with authority. Even the leader will give you face. This is our opportunity.”

"If you succeed to the papacy, wouldn't the Lateran under your leadership be subject to the rule of the Golden Tree?"

"Based on this, I think we could talk about ending this unequal war without changing the status quo in Lateran, so that our compatriots can be spared from suffering."

Oh, I see, so it's still about taking the blame!

Mostima didn't want to accept it; she felt this burden came out of nowhere and was so heavy it could crush her to death.