Authors note:
Speaking: "…"
Thinking: '…'
_________
Two Days Later
Aincrad
Floor 74: The Golden Spire
Walking up to a gigantic black double door, detailed with trails of pure gold, were two individuals, the dynamic floor-clearing duo, Izuku and Katsuki.
"Ah, I can't wait to finally get to fight him! We reached this floor ages ago. If it hadn't been for all that training we did for the brats, I'd have challenged the golden bastard sooner," the time user mused while stretching his arms.
"You sure you wanna do it alone? I could help," the green-haired man interjected calmly, looking at his companion.
"Not a chance! You lost rock-paper-scissors, so I get to have him all to myself. No helping, got that, Izuku?" Katsuki clarified, hearing his best friend mumbling something about a cheating foresight bastard.
"What was that?" the blue-eyed man questioned, glaring at him with a deathly stare.
Clearing his throat, the green-eyed man simply said, "Nothing," before using his cane to push open the intricately designed doors, revealing a room made entirely of gilded black stone. The space was the size of at least two football fields, with six massive columns supporting the structure and a large golden throne situated at the very back.
Sitting atop the throne was a man with long black hair that cascaded well below his shoulders and golden eyes that radiated greed. He wore sleek black armor with thoughtfully placed golden accents and a gauntlet on his right hand, colored entirely in gold. His presence alone commanded respect and authority.
Leaning his head on the golden gauntlet, he gazed at the two males approaching him with amusement. "So, I'm going to assume you're the fighters who've been causing trouble for my army these past two years, yes?" Midas questioned in a commanding tone.
"Cut the crap, weirdo. Get your butt off that chair and get ready to fight. Your last battle will be fought against me, jackass!" Katsuki boldly exclaimed, pointing a finger at the golden monarch.
"Such a brash temper. A pity, I wanted to chat some more. But I'm well aware of your status, King of the Lycanthropes, so let's not delay this any further," the golden emperor spoke, standing up and unclipping his cape before facing his opponent.
Holding out his hand, covered by the golden gauntlet, he said, "Let's not hold back and enjoy ourselves to the fullest. Release Recollection!" A techno-magic circle appeared around the golden weapon covering his hand.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about," Katsuki added as both their auras flared up, releasing a massive burst of awakened Presence, greedy gold mixed with oily black against a calm silver with blue.
Izuku, not allowed to interfere in their dispute, simply flew into the air at a distance and sighed. ‚Damn it, I wanted a shot at him too', he thought, watching the battle unfold.
The ground around the two combatants began turning to pure gold as Midas' awakened Presence took root. He waved his hand, reforming the gold beneath his feet into tentacles that lashed out toward Katsuki. Unfazed, the silver-haired man seemingly vanished from existence, reappearing in a more convenient position. With casual precision, he deflected the golden projectiles with his sword until Midas' Presence reached his fingertips, beginning to turn his hand into solid gold.
Without hesitation, the greatsword user leapt into the air, severing his infected arm with a swift strike. The golden limb fell to the ground, shattering as it landed. Moments later, the sound of a ticking clock filled the air, and a new arm appeared, fully intact. Katsuki brushed some dust off the corner of his mouth. "You're a crafty bastard, I'll give you that, but it's gonna take a lot more to beat me," he taunted, crouching mid-air as though standing on an invisible platform.
Midas didn't respond. Instead, he summoned his awakened manifestation, a massive, multi-headed hydra resembling a flowing, liquid-gold construct. In response, Katsuki called forth his own manifestation, a gigantic blue tiger. Its roar was deafening, shattering reality into prism-like shards that it flung toward the golden monarch.
The ensuing battle was a one-sided beatdown, with Katsuki dominating. Midas, unable to counter the time user's overwhelming power, eventually lost his head, literally, when a shard of shattered reality struck him, freezing him in time.
The golden emperor's headless body slumped to its knees before collapsing entirely. Katsuki landed beside his defeated opponent, scoffing in disappointment. "Weak."
But before he could leave, the emperor's body began twisting and convulsing. Faster than Katsuki could react, a golden aura shot out from the severed head, making a direct course for the door.
"Where do you think you're going? You're much too valuable to just let go," Izuku chimed in, pointing his cane at the escaping energy. The golden aura froze mid-air, glowing green before being drawn toward Izuku's outstretched hand.
"Jeez, I knew it was going to happen, but seeing it for real is still weird," Katsuki muttered, rubbing the back of his head.
"You're right, it was... an unusual experience, but an informative one. I'll just put this away until we can make use of it," Izuku stated, opening a portal that swallowed the golden aura.
"Well, that's that. Let's head to Floor 75, I'm curious to see what the final special floor of Aincrad has in store for us," Katsuki said, clasping his hands behind his head as he walked toward the back of the room.
"Maybe I should take this as well," Izuku added, opening another portal to retrieve Midas' golden gauntlet and armor, leaving the fallen emperor in nothing but his undergarments.
Despite their efforts, they found no door to the next floor. "Nothing! Where the heck is that goddamn door?" Katsuki growled, kicking the golden throne and sending it crashing into a wall.
"It's strange. I've searched everywhere, even using my Spiritual Body, but there's nothing, not even a hint," Izuku analyzed, his hand on his chin in thought.
As they pondered, a voice echoed in their minds.
"Very interesting. It seems the time has finally come. I almost missed it in my sleep," spoke an ethereal male voice.
"You heard that, right, Izuku?" Katsuki asked, his hand instinctively moving to the hilt of his sword.
Izuku nodded.
"Please, there's no need to be cautious. Let me invite you to my home. There, we can discuss this ordeal further. How does that sound?" the voice proposed as a golden-yellow light materialized, forming a small, unassuming door.
The duo exchanged glances before Katsuki stepped forward and opened the door, greeted by a blinding golden light. As it faded, they stood in awe before a labyrinthine library of impossible scale...
An enormous Library, or rather, a labyrinth of knowledge, its cavernous halls crafted with a grandeur that seemed almost impossible for mortal hands to achieve. Towering shelves of polished, dark wood stretched endlessly in every direction, their surfaces carved with intricate patterns of leaves, constellations, and flowing script that shimmered faintly under the warm, steady glow of floating light orbs. The shelves radiated an ageless presence, as though they had grown naturally over centuries rather than been built. Vaulted ceilings arched high above, painted with shifting scenes of long-forgotten histories and mythical events that seemed to come alive when gazed at too long. Rays of light filtered through stained-glass panels set high in the walls, splashing the marble floor below with fragmented hues of amber, emerald, and sapphire.
At the center of the library's great hall stood an immense stone table, carved from a single slab of smooth, deep-grey stone veined with shimmering gold. Its surface was inlaid with a magical map of the library, its detail impossibly fine, showing not only the sprawling layout of shelves, chambers, and hidden corridors, but also the locations of every book. The map shifted constantly, glowing with soft, fluid movements as though it were alive, reacting to some unseen force. Tiny glyphs representing books pulsed gently, and if one stared closely enough, faint lines of light moved across the table, connecting volumes to sections, as though charting stories through space and time. The table exuded a quiet, irresistible power, drawing the eye of anyone who ventured near, promising to guide them through the library's infinite wonders.
Every corner of the library brimmed with quiet enchantment. The edges of the shelves glowed faintly, as though they remembered the hands of the countless seekers who had touched them. Ladders moved soundlessly along their tracks, adjusting themselves as though aware of an absent reader's unspoken needs. Archways carved with floral patterns led into shadowy corridors and hidden wings, their thresholds marked by faint, glowing sigils that seemed to pulse gently, as if waiting to be activated. The air carried the soft scent of parchment, ink, and polished wood, mingled with an indefinable warmth that felt like the promise of discovery. At the very edges of hearing, the faintest hum of turning pages or shifting books echoed, as though the library itself never truly rested, alive with the weight of its eternal purpose.
Staring into the near-infinite depths of the place they had just entered, both swordsmen couldn't help but silently but wondrously whisper, "Wow," at the sight before them. Entranced by the grandeur of the library, they slowly but unknowingly made their way toward the center of the halls of knowledge, where a stone tablet stood resolute.
Upon arriving at their destination, Katsuki began, "What is this place? It's bigger than anything I've ever seen," his wide eyes admiring the beauty surrounding them. That was until both heard a familiar voice from above.
"It's difficult not to stare in awe, isn't it? Welcome to the World Library, a place where all the knowledge you could ever dream of can be found, whether from the past or present," the voice spoke, drawing both Izuku's and Katsuki's gazes upward. They saw a figure floating above them.
The man radiated an aura of mysticism, his presence exuding both strength and serenity. His long crimson hair, flowing like liquid fire, framed a face concealed by a pristine white bandage that veiled his eyes, its surface marked with a single red symbol glowing faintly with arcane power. His robes were masterpieces of craftsmanship, dyed in deep purples and accented with intricate white runes that seemed alive, shifting subtly as if whispering secrets to those daring enough to look closer. The fabric moved with an unnatural weightlessness, floating around him like tendrils of magic rather than cloth, hinting at the immense energy coursing through him. Across his chest, exposed beneath the open folds of his robe, was a striking red sigil, etched into his skin like an eternal brand, pulsating faintly in harmony with the air around him.
In his stillness, he embodied perfect balance, sitting cross-legged midair as if gravity itself bowed to his presence. His hands rested lightly on his knees, fingers slightly curled, each movement deliberate yet effortless. A sly yet mysterious smile adorned his face. Books swirled around him in a silent dance, their pages fluttering as though eager to share their contents. His presence was both mesmerizing and intimidating, a living testament to ancient power and forbidden knowledge. Despite the intricate patterns and luminous markings adorning him, it was his calm yet commanding demeanor that lingered in the minds of those who beheld him, a figure who seemed less a man and more a bridge between the mortal and the arcane.