Praise the Light!

Rain began to fall from the dark clouds hovering above Dorons. The droplets pattered against its colossal body, streaming downward along its flesh and shell. Seen from a distance, a terrifying entity had appeared at the edge of the town. If one were to capture it in a painting, it could be titled *Despair*; yet if the falling rain were brought to life, it would be *Mercy*. The rain also fell upon Tafman and Qimar, who were slumped on the turtle's shell. Tafman shifted his posture. Where he had once propped himself up on the "ground" with one hand, numbly awaiting the descent of the final catastrophe, he now dropped to both knees. His fist clenched tight, and tears welled up and streamed down uncontrollably once more. This Dark Moon general—who only nights ago had killed without batting an eye and kicked his nephew's severed head like a ball—had wept twice today. The first time was when he caressed Dorons' brow with the power of Light, and Dorons had responded with the warmest, most joyous embrace, like welcoming kin; yet he had soothed it with one hand while helping set an array atop its head with the other, plotting to blow it to death before it reached the town. Light served as a converter between other elemental powers, but it was also a bridge between emotions. No matter how cold or cruel a person was, they merely possessed a thicker shell; as human beings, there was always some soft corner buried deep within their heart. What was more, he himself belonged to the Light. This time, he wept because through the rain, he sensed an overwhelming sorrow. Just when Tafman thought the town was about to be obliterated, countless innocents trampled beneath this calamity, and the once-beautiful Dark Moon Island reduced to a blighted, cursed wasteland once the pollution spilled forth... It stopped. This rain was Dorons' tears. This was the land where its companions had once lived and labored. Dark Moon Island had no Light left today, yet in all its prosperity, the shadows of the Light still lingered. ... "What are you crying for? I asked you, what are you crying for, Dorons!" After a stretch of silence, the Captain's phantom cried out in demand. "Dorons, tell me, what are you crying for? Move forward! Keep going! Trample everything before you into dust! Let their wails be the sacrifice for the betrayal we once suffered!" The Captain began to flail his arms furiously. "What is there to cry about here? Your tears, your mercy—doesn't it look utterly ridiculous right now?!" "Step forward! Spew your magma! Let the traitor and his descendants taste the grievances and fury we suffered back then!" "Dorons, advance! Dorons, advance!" Karen watched as the Captain's phantom grew increasingly hysterical, as if his very soul were warping at this moment. "You are a giant deep-sea turtle! You are a Bursak variant! Cruelty is your true nature! Have you forgotten? Did you forget?!" "It... is our companion." "What kind of nonsense are you babbling? No—aren't I you right now? Why are you suddenly speaking again?" "Are you me? Are you lost? Have you been controlled by me?" At first, the Captain's shouts and urging seemed normal; from Karen's perspective, the Captain simply refused to let things come to an abrupt halt like this. Yet the conversation unfolding within the phantom now sounded more like the Captain talking to himself. The Captain himself seemed to realize something was amiss as well. The puppet doll that had been floating there dropped to the ground, and the projection of the Captain's phantom cut off. What happened to the Captain? Had something gone wrong? Karen immediately pointed toward the west and said to Ophelia, "Search over there, and I'll search the other side! He's trying to influence and manipulate Dorons; we have to stop him!" Snapping out of her daze, Ophelia nodded at once, drew her longsword, and hurried off in that direction. Karen pulled a sheet of black ritual paper from his pocket, crumpled it into a ball, and opened his hand. A black crow took flight, guiding Karen forward. Before long, Karen spotted the Captain standing in a hollow below. He had deliberately sent Ophelia away so he could see for himself what state the Captain was truly in. "Isn't this the revenge you wanted, Philias?" "Is this the revenge I wanted?" the Captain countered to himself. "Is it not?" "If you are so certain you are moving forward through my eyes, then why can I still speak with my own voice?" "You're luring me into losing myself... Hehehe." "Neo." "What?" "I am already dead. Beneath the sea, when you came to that cavern, I was already dead—dead for a very, very long time." "What are you trying to say?" "You ate me? You assimilated me?" "Didn't I?" "But have you ever considered that when you ate me, all you absorbed were my memories? Because I was already long dead. In truth, I had no soul left." "What do you mean?" "It means that for these past ten years, you haven't been fighting me at all. You have only been fighting yourself. I, Philias, died long ago. When a man dies, he ceases to exist." "You think I'll believe what you say?" "You absorbed my memories, and deep inside your heart, you split off a version of me. But that 'me' is actually just a part of yourself. Your struggle wasn't in vain, but you were never fighting me. Karen, you should know that what I say is true." Neo turned his head to look at Karen, who was standing nearby. Karen held out his hands. "The condition is too complicated. I can't make a diagnosis right now." "Very cautious. I have always admired your caution, and Neo has always admired that about you as well. Do you know? People like you live long lives. A genius's greatest enemy is lifespan. Lifespan constrains a genius's growth, but when a genius is willing to be cautious and conceal himself, the longer he lives, the better he can realize his talent." Karen spoke again, "I think right now isn't the time to talk about me." "Yes, indeed. Your captain, in order to avoid losing himself, in order to preserve who he was, has swung from one extreme to the other." "You're talking nonsense." "Am I, Neo? On Snake Island, when you saw Jennifer's corpse in the coffin, was the rage and sense of losing yourself truly caused by me? No, it was because you thought of Miss Elisa. Although Bernard was introduced to me through Jennifer, it was I who ultimately decided to reach a cooperative agreement with him, and it was I who failed to maintain sufficient vigilance, giving Bernard the opportunity to betray us. Once, I had the chance to establish an organization of Light on Dark Moon Island, but back then I thought it superfluous. I did not do it. I took it for granted that the future of Dark Moon Island would bear witness to friendship between Light and Dark Moon. In the end, it was my stupidity and naivety that killed Jennifer. Aren't you the same? Even though you can't recite the *Code of Order*, you strictly adhered to Order's principles. You clearly had the chance to obtain the rest fluid ahead of time to save Miss Elisa, yet you wanted to acquire it in the most open and upright manner, so that the Church of Order and the bloodthirsty aberrant demons—both sides—would acknowledge your relationship. You wanted to hold a wedding with her, invite your friends, and proudly announce to the guests that you would be happy forever. Yet on the very day the negotiations between the two sides concluded successfully, Miss Elisa chose to commit suicide because she succumbed to losing herself. On countless nights, standing before Miss Elisa's tombstone, you lashed yourself with blame. You questioned whether you were wrong, criticized your past understanding and conduct, and wanted to reject who you used to be. Haven't you noticed? Ever since Miss Elisa died, your temperament underwent a drastic change that grew increasingly severe. It is completely different from the rigorous, order-abiding man you once were. You claim it was caused by me. No, it wasn't. It was because you grew disgusted with your past self and wanted to change, and then you blamed it all on me. Yet I truly died a long time ago, Neo." Neo fell silent. After a long time, Neo smiled again, his gaze as resolute as ever. Clearly, he did not believe what his other "self" had just said. In this clash, any vulnerability could invite the most dreadful conclusion. In a hoarse voice, Neo continued shouting: "Dorons, advance! I didn't awaken you so you could show me your kindness! Does your hesitation and doubt right now honor our companions from back then?!" But at that moment, Neo froze. As he looked toward Dorons in the distance, he "saw" a crowd of figures clad in white priestly robes upon the beast's back. ... Tafman looked around in bewilderment. Suddenly, all around him appeared men and women wearing white priestly robes, standing together, chatting and laughing. Some were singing, some were dancing, some were reading books, and some were sketching blueprints. Their faces beamed with warm, gentle smiles. On them, not a speck of dust could be seen; standing in their midst, one would instinctively look down and scrutinize oneself, feeling unclean. Tafman looked down. Seeing his lone hand stained with blood and filth, he instinctively tried to hide it, not wanting them to see. "Oh, your hand is dirty. Why were you so careless? Come, let me wipe it for you." A sweet-looking girl bent down, holding a clean handkerchief. Taking Tafman's hand, she began wiping away the blood and grime. The clean handkerchief, embroidered with delicate patterns, was soiled in an instant. Tafman said, "I've dirtied your handkerchief." The girl smiled and replied, "When hands are dirty, wiping them with a cloth makes them clean. When the cloth is dirty, washing it in water makes it clean too." Tafman asked instinctively, "What about the heart?" "The heart? Mr. Philias said that the heart is the easiest thing in the world to wipe clean." "Mr. Philias..." "Haha, is this Dark Moon Island today?" "It's completely different from before! When we first arrived, the town on the island was only a fifth this size." "Look at this town, so neat and orderly. That was our layout and design!" "No, I still reserve my opinion. I maintain that an overly rigid urban layout is a desecration of architectural aesthetics." "But you also have to consider the cost of governing a town. Besides, most of the townsfolk who live here—even after a hundred years—still won't know how to appreciate your architectural aesthetics. What they need are clean streets and comfortable homes. Only those nobles living halfway up the mountain need designs like yours." "Architectural beauty knows no social hierarchy!" "Yet we've already achieved it! Look at the buildings in town—so many elements of our Light have been incorporated! The shadows of our Light are everywhere. Even their clothing bears the traces of our designs!" "Oh, the docks are so large! I told you that place was suitable for building a grand harbor." "Where's the fleet? Where is the fleet I helped build back then?" "Probably out on the open sea. If a fleet always stays moored at home, that's when things are truly unsafe." "So Dark Moon Island no longer has to worry about pirate raids?" "It seems so. The pirates can't reach here anymore." "How wonderful. Ordinary people can work and earn a living without being harassed by pirates; life must be so much better than before. Those Dark Moon warriors must be capable of protecting them now." "Of course! We helped design their armor, after all." "And we taught them the forging techniques!" "This island has gotten better and better." "Yes, better and better." Tafman remained kneeling there. The continuous conversation in his ears left him thoroughly flustered and uneasy. As for Elder Qimar, there was only bewilderment in his eyes; he seemed to see something, yet also seemed to see nothing at all, for he did not belong to the Light. ... "Neo, do you see? The ones who made Dorons stop... were them." "Hehehe..." Neo demanded harshly in return, "So what gives them the right?! It's not fair! We've already come this far, yet we're supposed to just stop? They must pay a price in blood! Bernard's descendants must bear the cost of his betrayal!" "Neo, could you lend me your body for a moment? I won't seize control of it, because I am truly grateful to you, Neo. I know that everything you did on this island, including awakening Dorons, was done to help me. I am deeply thankful." "In your dreams. I will never willingly hand control of my body over to you. Never." "Actually, whether you hand it over or not makes no difference. I never existed in the first place. What I want to do, what you are doing—can you even tell when they are the same?" A gentle white radiance emanated from Neo, imparting a sense of warmth and peace. He turned toward Karen and smiled. "That young lady is quite wonderful. At her core, she is kind and resilient. Do you really not plan to sweep her into your arms?" "Are you Mr. Philias, or are you still the Captain?" Karen asked. "Oh, when it comes to helping you leave a deeper impression on that girl's heart, your captain and I share the exact same interest. I believe Jennifer lying there back then would have loved to see this as well." "I don't think so." "No, she would. She and Miss Purr were very close friends, and precisely because they were so close, she'd probably love to see Miss Purr's symbiotic partner win another girl's heart. She would definitely want Miss Purr to have another romantic rival. What a delightful thing that would be! She'd be laughing her head off. She's standing on the turtle's shell right now looking over here; if you don't believe me, I can ask her for you in a moment." So this was... Purr's dear friend. "Purr and I aren't in that kind of relationship." "A woman willing to form a symbiotic bond with you shares a connection countless times closer than marriage. If she had even the slightest aversion to you, she would never take that step." "You misunderstand. I already have a fiancée." "Oh, right, I almost forgot. I have to tell Jennifer about this—tell her that Miss Purr had already become someone else's romantic rival. Haha, my Jennifer will surely laugh until her stomach hurts." "Still, I believe that Purr, who already detested Bernard, will loathe him even more once she learns what happened to Miss Jennifer. She would blame me for doing nothing, and I might not even be able to sleep peacefully." "Miss Purr was always genuine and true to her feelings. That, I know." "So, I'd better do something. The ordinary folk in the town can be forgiven, but there is one man who has no reason to be pardoned. I have never felt such disgust toward anyone before." "Bernard?" "Yes." "A pity, then, that he is already dead. If you punish a dead man, he won't be able to feel it." Karen answered, "He will feel it." "Then thank you, Mr. Inmerlais. Also, I deeply admire your grandfather. He was a great man. Even though our faiths differ, that did not stop me from admiring him after hearing of his deeds. I believe he will wake up." "Thank you." "It is I who should thank you. If given a choice, I would have wanted him to survive by consuming my remains, but I never wished for the absorption of my memories to bring him so many years of torment. Thank you for appearing; at least during this time, you gave him someone to whom he could confide freely." "Between the Captain and me, there is no need for someone else to thank me on his behalf." With that, Karen transformed into a cloud of black mist. At this moment, all of Dark Moon Island's attention was fixed on Dorons, and the guards had all been redeployed there. The Palace of Longing was now practically defenseless. *Bernard,* *I'm coming.* Watching Karen's receding figure, a smile touched Neo's lips as a white magic circle materialized beneath his feet. At the same time, the pool of water atop Dorons' back emitted a gentle glow, and Neo stepped out from within it. He walked up to Tafman and extended a hand toward the kneeling man. Tafman stared blankly at the faceless man before him. Though he could not see his face, Tafman could sense who he was. "I am guilty..." "If forgiving you brings peace to your heart, then I can tell you: you did nothing wrong. You have always given everything you could for the home and people you wished to protect. You are not at fault. Now, Mr. Tafman, please give me your hand." Tafman silently raised his hand, and Neo took hold of it. Neo pulled upward, but Tafman was not moved. What Neo drew out from Tafman was an evil spirit that had just attached itself to him—an evil spirit that would have completely devoured Tafman's soul in a week's time. Pulled free, the evil spirit let out an enraged roar, but Neo merely gazed upon it calmly, and the spirit began to cower. A jet of water rose from the pool, binding the formless evil spirit. Though it struggled, it was futile; in the end, it was dragged down into the depths of the pool. "Thank you... Thank you, Mr. Philias." "You can thank Dorons, for the evil spirit was transferred onto it. But our Dorons has a massive build. Well, besides, in its current state, hosting one more evil spirit hardly matters." "Dorons..." "It was willing. After waking, you were the first person to caress its head with the power of Light. It is grateful to you, Mr. Tafman." "No, I don't deserve its gratitude. I don't deserve it." "You shouldn't live burdened by guilt. That isn't what Dorons wants. It wants you to be happy." *It wants me... to be happy.* "You may disembark, Mr. Tafman." Tafman stood up, bowed to Philias, and then hauled up the semi-conscious Elder Qimar, carrying him on his back as he leapt down from the turtle's shell. Neo raised his arms and called out to the crowd of faithful around him: "All right, my dear big fellow, we must resume our journey! Where is my favorite harp? Play it! Let us dance joyfully together toward our next voyage! We firmly believe that our journey will forever be filled with Light!" The strains of a harp rang out immediately. Hand in hand, the men and women clad in white robes began to dance and sing. Across the vast sea, their voyages were never lonely or dull, for they had laughter and song. Neo shouted, "Dorons, turn around! We're putting out to sea once more!" "Roar!!!" Dorons let out a joyful cry. Its colossal frame began turning around, retracing the path it had come. Its body was rotting, covered in corpse spots, and surrounded by the stench of death, yet it was filled with joy. The pollution within it did not leak out in the slightest as it moved. ... "Lord Cardinal, the behemoth has turned around," Rodina reported to Kred. "What is your recommendation?" Kred asked. "My recommendation is to do nothing. Any attack against it right now would be foolish; breaking its body would only cause the pollution to spill out. It seems intent on leaving the island. Although we don't know the exact reason, the farther it gets from Dark Moon Island, the better. Even if it dies in nearshore waters, the pollution would spread here. It is best to let it head into the deep sea." "Then keep an eye on it. Just now, I heard benevolence in its roar. I believe it will carry the source of pollution away from Dark Moon Island, as far as possible." "Yes, my Lord." "Furthermore, Bernard is the spiritual pillar of Dark Moon Island. Since you will represent our Church of Order in taking command of Dark Moon Island's military in the future, let us first expose Bernard's true face. Only by shattering Dark Moon Island's spiritual pillar will it be convenient for you, and for our Order, to better control Dark Moon. Let this incident serve as the opportunity to let the people of this island know what a shameless traitor their ancestor Bernard truly was." "However, my Lord, if we do that, won't the islanders feel even greater gratitude toward the Light?" "Are you saying that our Order must now fear Light believers who have been dead for over a hundred years?" "No, my Lord, that was not what I meant." "Rodina, what we guard against is the Church of Light, not the Light itself." ... Dorons' massive body had reached the shore, poised to enter the sea. The white light emanated from Neo, coalescing before him into the figure of Philias. "It is time for you to disembark as well, Neo." Neo remained where he stood, in no hurry to leave. Looking at the phantom of Philias before him, he asked: "Why?" "Are you still hung up on why I gave up taking revenge on ordinary people?" "I don't agree with your choice, Philias." "I know. I believe Mr. Karen didn't agree with my choice either, for you believe in Order, while I believe in the Light." "Is that the reason?" "The Light... What is the Light? The Light was born in an era shrouded in darkness. The people living in fear of the dark called out ceaselessly, until at last, amidst the darkness, they glimpsed a ray of light. Even if it was so tiny, so insignificant compared to the boundless darkness surrounding it... Yet as weak as it was, it pierced through the darkness. In the end, guided by it, the people united and finally dispelled the darkness. So, returning to that question: what is the Light? If everything around is bright, and every corner is filled with blinding white— that is not the Light. What difference is there between such light and darkness? What they desire, what they aim for, is merely to suppress and devour everything around them. The Light is forever that faint, tiny gleam. When your heart is completely consumed, it can appear and offer you guidance. I hated Bernard, and I hate him still. I detested the Dark Moon bloodline, and I detest it still. I wanted to destroy Dark Moon Island, and I want to destroy it still. I have never let go of my hatred, my fury, or my loathing; yet I choose to follow the guidance of the Light. I am not granting forgiveness, nor am I offering redemption. Because look— they, including Dorons, are so happy right now." Most of Dorons' colossal body had already submerged into the sea. Entering the water once more, it let out an excited roar, and the people atop its shell cheered in kind. Every new voyage was filled with anticipation and thrill. "Neo, disembark. It is time for me to say goodbye. I have departed, taking my companions with me, far away from your body and your soul." Neo looked coldly at Philias. He had battled this man for a full ten years, even tearing off the skin of his own face to craft a mask. Philias continued, "Neo, as you can see, I lost, and you won." Neo sneered, "Did you lose?" "Yes, I lost." "You were a dead man to begin with. What did you have to lose?" "Oh, that's true. But at least you no longer have to worry about losing yourself under my influence." Neo left the turtle's shell and stood upon the shore. Watching Dorons' colossal form gradually drift into the distance, he bowed his head and let out a sigh: "The only reason not to worry about losing oneself... is that one is already lost." Raising his head again, Dorons' silhouette had grown indistinct, yet Neo still seemed to see clearly a man clad in white priestly robes standing atop Dorons' head, facing him with hands folded before his chest. Devoutly, he declared: "Praise the Light!"