CHAPTER 16

The Mathematician, seated on the Throne of Precision, patiently awaited the Executioner's arrival. He had summoned him to appear in the throne room.

The guards opened the hall's large door, and the Executioner entered.

“Your Axiomatics.” Said the Executioner, bowing. “You called me, and here I am before you. What do you wish?”

“I imagine your friend is already aware of the situation, right?” Said the Mathematician, trying to stay calm.

“Yes. The Mother of Logic and Lady D’Art locked the Physicists in the Hvergelmir room. Today, no edict was sent to Mu's citizens. This is the first time this has happened since the city’s founding. They did this as soon as they were notified they would receive assignments like any other citizen. My eyes and ears have already alerted me that the Mother of Logic’s personal guard swore loyalty to her and is defending the room.”

“Have they stated their demands?”

“Her resignation. The appointment of Lucio as the new Mathematician, and the appointment of the Mother of Logic as the city’s regent until the prince reaches majority.”

Ivan chuckled.

“Does she really believe she can stage a coup?”

“Apparently, she does. Instead of receiving the morning directives, the citizens’ collars received a message from her explaining why she decided to depose you.”

“Did they mention anything about the incident with my brother?”

“They accused him of being solely responsible for what happened. They said you fell into error as a transgressor. They argue the disaster happened only because you refused your destiny at the time and disobeyed your directives, betraying faith.”

“Do you know how the people received it?”

“The city is paralyzed. People don’t know how to make decisions on their own. Many are inactive, immobile, and others are in shock. There’s great concern that the system will start to collapse and create uncertainties. They have bigger worries and can’t focus on the dossier your mother prepared against you.”

“Right... We are living a day that will go down in history.”

“There have been other attempts at coups or acts of domestic terrorism to destabilize our system. People know that, from time to time, this can happen. And, if I may offer a personal observation, you enjoy great popularity among the masses. Popularity your mother doesn't have.”

“Popularity, huh? Can popularity fight swords?” Ivan smiled ironically.

“No, but it helps.”

“Well, that said, you need to decide, my friend. To whom will you swear loyalty?”

“Why do you ask, Your Axiomatics?”

“Because I know you met with both of them the night before. I want to know what came out of that conversation. Did you swear loyalty to my mother, or did you keep your oath to me? Still, you failed to act as soon as you heard murmurs and incitements to revolt.”

The Executioner stands up and faces his monarch.

“I know what happened. I know the whole story about Igor; I know what led him to do what he did. And yes, it all started because you didn’t obey the destiny that our holy faith determined for you through the mysteries of numbers.”

“I see. Above all, you are a devotee. So, am I a threat to precision? Am I a flaw in our great equation?”

“I had to agree with your mother’s arguments, my lord.”

The Mathematician also rose from his throne.

“Then I suppose you’ve made your decision.”

“I hope you can forgive me at the end of all this.”

The Mathematician raised an eyebrow and grimaced, frowning.

“If you don’t surrender and stop deploying your men against me, I will grant you posthumous forgiveness. Rest assured.”

Suddenly, the Executioner's soldiers entered the hall, passing the guards at the door, who surrendered.

“I ask that you do not resist, Your Axiomatics.”

“Do you really think I will surrender peacefully?”

“I was hoping you would, my lord. Far be it from me to wish you harm.”

“Now that you’ve shown your claws, you must go all the way.”

The Executioner sighed in disappointment.

“Attention, soldiers. Do not interrupt. At the end of this battle, swear total loyalty to the victor.” Said the Executioner to his subordinates. “Are these terms acceptable, Your Axiomatics?”

The Mathematician moved his arms, and the four orbs accompanying him began to float around him at high speed.

“I accept the duel terms.” Said the Mathematician.

The Executioner drew his scimitar.

“Prepare yourself, Your Axiomatics.”

The orbs began firing red laser beams at the Executioner, who skillfully dodged. Anything the lasers hit was cut or incinerated immediately.

The orbs themselves attacked the Executioner as if they were projectiles. He defended himself skillfully with his curved sword.

Everyone watching this duel saw that both their powers were thunderous. The two were unreachable, operating at a level reserved only for demigods.

“I see that you remain skillful, my friend. It hardly seems like the years have passed for you.” Said the Mathematician.

“Give up, Your Axiomatics. We can come to a good agreement.”

“No mathematician before me has been overthrown. I won't be the first.”

While the orbs kept the Executioner busy, the Mathematician used the opening to attack the masked man with moves from an unknown martial art.

“But how?” Said the masked man, surprised by the Mathematician's skill.

“You know the answer, my old friend.”

“That’s... from BahDehToh... It’s his technique. How do you know that? How did you learn it?”

They stopped fighting for a moment and studied each other while panting.

“Psychometry. A magic created by the people of BahDehToh, who feared that their knowledge, legacy, and science would disappear from the face of the Earth when there were no more masters. The technique is literally retroactive cognition, activated by touching an object or associated with skill mimetism through psychometry. I just had to activate the magic and touch the same book that the skilled master wrote by hand centuries ago.”

“Truly a formidable opponent, my lord.”

The Mathematician smiled.

“I will give you the honor of facing me at my best. Behold my progress with magic.”

“You’re going to use magic in combat? But that’s impossible...”

The Mathematician conjured, with some movements of his arms and legs, a powerful blast of incandescent plasma against the Executioner, interrupting his speech.

“What?” Shouted the surprised Executioner. “How did you cast a spell without an enchantment?”

Even more surprising, the Executioner saw the Mathematician's movements reach superhuman speed. Ivan struck the Executioner before he could defend himself.

The Executioner was thrown against the sculptures in the hall, destroying them.

His sword fell from his hand, but even wounded, the masked man tried to feel the ground in hopes of reaching it among the debris.

A shot from one of the orbs’ rays hit the sword, flinging it away from his hands.

The Mathematician stopped, triumphant, before the fallen Executioner.

“This is your last chance. Submission or death? Choose.”

With great difficulty, the Executioner knelt again before his lord.

“And lose the honor of serving such a powerful master? No, I choose submission.”

The other soldiers who watched the battle did the same.

“Excellent.” The Mathematician smiled. “Welcome back, old friend.”