Inside the basement, Neo watched the images displayed before him. Turning his head toward Bertha in the corner, he asked, "In the mythological accounts of the *Light of Order*, is there any mention of the relationship between the God of Order and the God of Samsara?"
Bertha looked at Neo with utter astonishment and asked, "You're asking *me* about the contents of the *Light of Order*?"
*Are you the undercover agent in the Church of Order, or am I?*
Neo said very calmly, "I rarely bother reading those texts, and I certainly never memorize them."
Bertha swallowed nervously and answered, "The mythological narratives in the *Light of Order* contain no separate record of the interactions between the God of Order and the God of Samsara, nor does the *General Tome of Samsara* contain any separate record concerning them."
Neo asked, "Are you certain?"
"Certain. I can recite both texts by heart."
"Oh. No wonder your competence is so poor. You actually spent so much energy on such meaningless things."
"..." Bertha was speechless.
Neo crossed his arms, his fingers tapping lightly against his sleeve. "That's very strange. Both the God of Order and the God of Samsara were highly active chief gods in the previous era. Why would the *Light of Order* and the *General Tome of Samsara* lack any record of contact between them?"
Bertha replied, "Because their relationship was not good."
"Oh? How so?"
"There is a record of an encounter between them in the *Light Era*."
Having said that, Bertha paused.
"Go on," Neo urged.
Now Bertha was certain: this powerhouse of the Light faction had not even read his own faith's *Light Era*.
"In the mythological accounts of the *Light Era*, there is this passage:
*The God of Samsara constructed the Gate of Samsara, bidding the world's wandering souls enter the cycle to seek happiness in rebirth.
The God of Order thereupon sought out Our Lord, saying the Gate of Samsara would shut out the illumination of Light while simultaneously severing the reach of Order.
Our Lord replied: The Gate of Samsara can reduce the chaos caused by wandering souls in the mortal world, granting the departed a better final resting place.*"
Bertha pursed her lips and added, "That is the only record."
"When did that happen?" Neo asked. "I mean, the timing of that record."
"The middle of the previous era."
"Oh." Neo nodded. "So, the reason neither the *Light of Order* nor the *General Tome of Samsara* records any interaction between the two chief gods is that their relationship was hostile."
The passage in the *Light Era* could be interpreted thus:
Because the God of Samsara had erected the Gate of Samsara, the God of Order had gone to the God of Light to argue its perils.
The unspoken implication was that the God of Order sought the God of Light's consent to launch a crusade against the God of Samsara.
During the early to middle stages of the previous era, the God of Light held the most exalted status. Though the God of Order already possessed the qualifications of a chief god, he largely deferred to the will of the God of Light during that time.
Yet the God of Light refused.
In the numerous divine wars of the previous era, whenever the God of Samsara chose to participate, he stood almost invariably on the side of the Light faction, sharing the same camp as the God of Order.
As the leader of that alliance, it was entirely natural for the God of Light to avoid internal strife within his own faction.
Yet Neo felt matters were not so simple. What if the God of Light's protection of the God of Samsara had not merely been for the sake of factional solidarity?
*"Granting the departed a better final resting place."*
Neo chewed on those words.
The trouble was that by the late stages of the previous era, the God of Order gradually slipped from the control of the God of Light. Their relationship shifted from subordinate and superior to equals, and the God of Order began waging relentless war on numerous deities in the name of Order.
One could say that toward the end of the previous era, the number of deities suppressed personally by the God of Order or caused to fall by his hand was staggering.
In the present era, many evil cults were deemed such because the gods they worshipped had been declared evil gods by the God of Order at the end of the previous era.
And because the Church of Order had grown exponentially in this era—eventually replacing the vanished Church of Light as the new hegemon of the religious world—believers of Order naturally could not overturn the judgment of their own chief god. Thus, those evil cults... had no choice but to remain evil cults.
Yet why had the God of Order spared the God of Samsara?
If he truly wished to wage war, why hadn't the God of Order personally struck down the God of Samsara at the end of the previous era and destroyed the Gate of Samsara?
Did the God of Order believe he was no match for the God of Samsara?
Neo shook his head. Anyone well versed in the mythological records of the eras would never entertain such a thought.
This was not mere self-aggrandizing propaganda from the *Light of Order*. Mythological narratives from almost every church attested to how terrifying and crazed the God of Order had been in the closing days of the previous era.
The *Light of Order* had not embellished that period at all; in fact, it deliberately exercised restraint and downplayed it. Otherwise, it would easily make their chief god seem like a bloodthirsty madman during those years, tarnishing his glorious and august image.
What was the fundamental reason the God of Order chose not to move against Samsara then?
What secret did the Gate of Samsara truly hold?
Neo fell into deep contemplation.
After a long silence, he let out a regretful sigh. He predicted that the Church of Order's campaign against Samsara would at most cripple them, not eradicate them completely. If the Church of Order had truly resolved to wipe Samsara out and sent its knight legions marching into Samsara Valley, then the secret of the Gate of Samsara hidden deep within the valley might have finally yielded its true answer.
A pity. What a pity.
Neo turned his gaze back to the scene before him, murmuring the words Karen had spoken to Talina earlier:
"The existence of the Church of Samsara has disrupted the order that ought to exist between life and death."
***
The three souls bound by the white chains gradually grew quiet, yet their emotions began transmitting into Karen's mind through the chains. Fragmented glimpses of memory surfaced in his consciousness.
Karen's eyes reddened faintly as he forcibly suppressed the dizziness in his head. He made no attempt to read these memory fragments; doing so would consume far too much energy, and he had no desire to collapse into unconsciousness just to peek at someone's diary.
However, he clearly sensed the fury and hatred the three souls harbored toward Talina.
Although the Church of Samsara possessed the power to forge samsara contracts with the dead—driving souls to possess their bodies and fight on their behalf—they could never establish a legion of samsara practitioners modeled after the Church of Order's First Knights.
Any soul selected to sign a samsara contract was bound to have been exceptional in life, and such individuals were rarely willing to accept being treated as another's servant after death.
Against weaker opponents, the samsara contract was indeed effective. But when faced with an opponent stronger than them—or even an equal—they would deliberately hold back beneath their master's notice.
Just like the second female spirit who used magic: the azure python she summoned had clearly sensed the threat from behind, but Talina had not. Thus, the female spirit intentionally commanded the python not to turn back, indirectly helping Karen complete his sneak attack.
It was like an army driving a horde of slaves into battle, while the slaves constantly watched for an opportunity to turn their blades.
At that moment, Talina lay prostrate on the ground in excruciating agony.
The white chains ripping the three souls away was tantamount to tearing and carving into her own soul. Her entire face was contorted with pain.
Karen raised the Sword of Arius and walked toward her.
Hearing his footsteps and already sensing what end awaited her, Talina somehow overcame the pain, raised her head, and glared at Karen as he approached.
"What is your name? What is your name?!"
Karen ignored her and continued forward.
"What is your damn name?! What, you have the courage to kill me, but not the courage to tell me your name before doing it?!"
"My name is... Raniedal."
"Raniedal? Fine, Raniedal!
Mark my words, the great Samsara will find you! Your existence will not be permitted by Samsara!
I curse you to endure the torment of degenerate rebirths for lifetimes without end!
I curse your family's souls to be exposed and scorched on the cliffs of Samsara Valley, never to find peace!
I curse your children... I curse—"
Karen stopped in his tracks and looked at Talina. He had harbored no prior grudges against this woman; tonight was the first time they had even met.
Yet this was war. In the midst of war, clinging to notions of morality and mercy was not kindness—it was foolishness.
All reflection should be reserved for after the war had ended and the victors and losers had been decided.
Karen tilted his head slightly and said, "I won't kill you."
"I curse your... Huh?" Talina froze. "Really?"
Karen nodded and rested the Sword of Arius back onto his shoulder.
Then, he closed his eyes.
The white chains withdrew entirely, recoiling swiftly into the ground beneath Karen's feet.
"Ahhh!"
"Ahhh!"
"Ahhh!"
Severed from Talina's soul and no longer restrained by the white chains, the three spirits let out shrill, furious roars. As one, they lunged at Talina, desperate for vengeance!
"..." Talina's eyes widened in terror.
The three souls forced their way into Talina's body, wresting control of the physical vessel from her. Talina's screams tore through the night as her body twisted and bent unnaturally, spells repeatedly manifesting and detonating against her flesh.
Finally, the screams ceased.
Karen slowly opened his eyes. The three souls stood before him, while Talina's dead body lay motionless on the ground.
The three spirits offered Karen expressions of gratitude in the respective rites of their faiths.
Karen shook his head, neither accepting nor returning the courtesies. He had not struck down Talina to rescue them.
In truth, he had intended to grant her a swift death, but her final curses had changed his mind.
He turned his gaze toward the photo studio behind him. He could feel a pair of eyes watching him intently. Perhaps that was the very reason the man inside had let Talina emerge to face him.
*Captain, are you trying to observe me?*
The three spirits began to dissolve, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Their persistence had depended on the vitality supplied by the bead in Talina's hand; deprived of it, they ceased to exist. Yet this was precisely the release they had longed for all along.
Karen bent down and picked up a dark red bead. Right now, it felt no different from an ordinary glass marble, and he was in no hurry to channel his spirituality into it.
"That is a contract bead from the Church of Samsara. The one in her possession seems to be of high quality, quite valuable."
Neo appeared beside Karen.
Karen presented the bead to his captain and asked, "Does this need to be turned in?"
"Only you and I were deployed from our squad for this operation, so the spoils will be divided between us according to our respective combat ranks. If you wish to keep the bead, I have no objection."
"How is it used?"
"In conjunction with Church of Samsara spells, it allows one to seize souls from within the Gate of Samsara and confine them inside, completing a samsara contract."
"With such severe restrictions, will it be easy to sell?"
"There aren't many who can afford it in the first place, and those who can don't need us to worry about whether they can use it."
"Then please dispose of it, Captain."
"Fine."
Neo took the bead, then said to Karen, "If you find any of these useful, feel free to pick."
Karen looked down and saw a pile of leather armor, daggers, and boots at his captain's feet. He naturally understood where they had been stripped from.
Karen had no interest in the armor or boots—they were women's sizes, completely useless to him. As for the daggers... Karen picked them up and weighed them in his hands. He already had the Sword of Arius, making this pair of daggers rather redundant.
Even if Eunice were to use them in the future, he could simply buy new ones with saved point coupons; letting her use someone else's secondhand gear would feel uncomfortable to him.
The same applied if Purr ever regained human form.
"I don't need any of them."
"Alright, then I'll handle cashing them out and hand the point coupons over to you when it's done."
"Thank you, Captain."
"No need to thank me. I didn't do anything." Neo walked over to Talina's corpse and raised his hand. "Light—Incinerate!"
A burst of flame erupted from Neo's palm, blanketing Talina's body and reducing it to ash.
Watching his captain's back, Karen thought, *Are you dropping the act now?*
Still, Karen understood that this was likely the captain's response to the light magic Karen had displayed before Talina earlier.
"Captain, what's next? Continue admiring the moon?"
"Look at the sky."
Karen looked up and saw a cluster of shadows sweeping overhead.
"The garrison has mobilized. If the Samsara Church Affairs Building refuses to surrender, they will launch a full-scale assault. Come dawn, many Whip of Order squads will likely receive orders to purge the Church of Samsara's missionary halls and properties across the York City district. In fact, squads across the entire Wien District will receive those orders. None of that concerns our squad, however, because tomorrow we must continue our security assignment for that Lord Holy Child of the Church of Pamires."
"So tonight's moon-viewing is over?"
"Oh, there's one more thing." Neo tapped his temple with a finger. "My head has been giving me some trouble lately."
Karen smiled. "I've read quite a few books on psychology in the past. I could offer you some psychological counseling."
Neo asked, "Can that really help?"
"At the very least, my skill level ensures there won't be any negative side effects."
"Very well. Let's find a café and do some therapy over coffee."
"Captain, there's one other matter on my end."
"Speak."
"Last time Fanny modified that pistol for me, she charged a modification fee."
Neo looked at Karen.
Karen looked right back at Neo.
The two of them stood staring at each other on the dark street.
Finally, Neo took a deep breath. "I thought you would say, 'I was only joking with you, Captain,' and take it back."
"I was just about to take it back, but you spoke first, Captain."
"Fine. If it truly works, you won't have to repay the point coupons you borrowed from me today. Consider it the treatment fee—provided the treatment actually works."
***
The garrison had arrived before the Church Affairs Building and completed their cordon.
The Throne of Order remained active above, and negotiations were underway.
The Church of Order offered only one condition: unconditional surrender, or the Church Affairs Building would be wiped clean from the city's municipal maps.
Inside, Chief Bishop Sako had declared that they would renounce the use of force, but he insisted on waiting for the formal divine decree of war before taking the next step.
This meant he intended to surrender, but he needed a legitimate pretext to prove that they were prisoners of war rather than apostates.
It seemed like an utterly unnecessary procedure, yet to Sako and the priests of the Church of Samsara inside the building, it was of paramount importance.
This way, once the war concluded—so long as the Church of Samsara still stood—they could return to the fold as released prisoners of war.
Aisen sat by the roadside accompanying his injured wife. Before them stood the Church Affairs Building and the ranks of garrison troops drawn up in formation.
"I didn't expect Richard's teammate to be so capable," Kaixi said.
"Mm," Aisen agreed with a nod.
"If he hadn't shown up, would our Richard have become an orphan tonight?" Kaixi asked.
"He still has his grandfather and his aunt. Even without us, he wouldn't be an orphan."
Kaixi felt her wound throbbing anew. She shot an aggrieved glance at her husband: he had laid her flat on the ground, the concrete slab hard and painful against the back of her head, without even offering his lap as a pillow.
"Aisen, you should go see a psychiatrist."
"No need."
"If you don't go, I'll officially divorce you and find Richard a stepfather."
"Alright."
"..." Kaixi was struck speechless.
Just then, an enormous eagle swept through the air from above, transforming into a black scroll as it descended. Delon caught it in his hand, then walked up to the entrance of the Church Affairs Building, right to the edge of the defensive barrier.
Standing opposite him was the Chief Archbishop of the Wien District for the Church of Samsara, Sako. Behind him stood ranks of Samsara priests who had smoothed out their clerical robes, everyone waiting to be taken prisoner, lacking only this final procedure.
Before the eyes of the crowd inside, Delon unfurled the scroll.
"In the name of Order, divine decree of the Senate: Forasmuch as..."
Delon paused for an instant as he read. He had anticipated various justifications that might appear in the decree—after all, ready-made pretexts were at hand, and he had heard the culprits were caught red-handed—yet he had never imagined it would be this.
Naturally, the real catalysts could be communicated privately among the orthodox churches, whereas the reasons set down in a divine decree had to sound grand and dignified.
Yet he was far from dissatisfied with this reasoning; on the contrary, he was exceedingly pleased—so pleased that an unusual flush rose on his wrinkled face.
For only this suited the grandeur of the Church of Order! Only this was worthy of the majesty of the God of Order!
He resumed reciting in a booming voice:
"Forasmuch as the existence of the Church of Samsara has disrupted the order that ought to exist between life and death, we, the Church of Order, declare war upon Samsara!"
Chapter 218