"The young master once told us about the scenes he saw behind those three windows in the deepest recesses of Raniedal's 'brain' space. Don't you think what's unfolding before us looks just like the scene behind the third window?
"Raniedal executes the Sea God, with the God of Order standing behind him.
"Raniedal is Kevin;
"The Sea God is this believer of the Sea God;
"And the God of Order...
"Past and present, mirroring each other.
"I must record this."
Alfred produced a small notebook and began recording—not in words, but with a sketch.
Purr turned her head, saw what he was doing, and asked in confusion, "Radio goblin, when did you learn how to draw?"
"I began studying long ago, in preparation for designing murals in the future."
"Oho. So by your logic, you also think Karen is connected to the God of Order, yet he simply refuses to admit it."
"The young master is the young master, and the God of Order is the God of Order. I believe the young master knows perfectly well who he is, without the slightest doubt. After all, the starting point of every thought begins with 'Who am I?'"
"So it's all just a coincidence? Then why have there been so many coincidences?"
"Because Master Diss was an Inquisitor of the Church of Order; because the Church of Order was the first faith the young master encountered and grew familiar with; and, more importantly, because the path the young master ultimately chose to walk was the path of Order.
"It isn't that the young master resembles the God of Order, nor does he share any mystical entanglement with Him—for instance, the concept of reincarnation in the Church of Samsara is something the young master has always held in contempt.
"The reason so many coincidences involving the God of Order occur around the young master is simply that he walks the path of Order.
"It doesn't mean he is like the God of Order. If one regards the God of Order as a 'position' rather than specifically the individual who founded the Church of Order in the previous era, then the young master is merely treading the same path as that predecessor.
"Both closely embody the 'position' of the God of Order, and both draw nearer to that 'position.' It does not mean the young master shares any personal connection with Him."
"Impressive. You actually came up with a whole theory to explain it so neatly. But what if your reasoning is wrong?"
Alfred shook his head nonchalantly.
"Even if the young master truly were the reincarnation of the God of Order, as long as he believes he isn't, then he isn't.
"This question can be endlessly complex; one could write countless treatises and spend an entire era debating it without reaching a definitive conclusion.
"Yet it can also be exceedingly simple—nothing more than the two faces of a coin, decided with a single toss."
"Flipping a coin? What meaning is there in that?"
"Precisely. That is why the young master skipped the coin toss altogether right from the start."
Alfred put away his notebook and turned toward another direction. A group of Sea God believers was rushing toward their location.
"Do you plan to help Karen intercept them?" Purr asked.
"I would like to try."
"Have you forgotten? Earlier, when you helped Karen restrain that errand boy, you couldn't even subdue him silently."
"Yes, that's true. But that was under the premise of keeping silent. At a time like this, whether they scream or not hardly matters anymore."
"You seem quite confident."
"Naturally. After all, I once fought Master Diss to a draw."
"Haha, meow."
"Heheh," Alfred chuckled as well. "It has been a long time since I've fought. The last time, facing that descendant of the tomb-keeper clan, we didn't actually come to blows."
"All right then, radio goblin. I'll cheer you on."
"Thank you, lovely Miss Purr."
Right then, a succession of signal flares shot into the sky, each bursting into a distinct emblem that symbolized the unique insignia of different Whip of Order squads.
In truth, there were no strict regulations governing the insignias of Whip of Order squads; squads were free to design them however they pleased.
As the flares lit up the air one after another, they instantly created the vivid illusion that the island had been completely surrounded by countless Whip of Order squads.
Among the Sea God cultists hurrying over, everyone except their leader, 'Dart,' immediately changed direction and bolted toward the docks.
Purr remarked, "I bet the captain ordered someone to fire those. It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that he'd carry around so many flares from different Whip of Order squads."
Alfred nodded. "I think so too. Well then, I'm heading down."
"Be careful."
"No need to worry. There are many ways to stall an opponent, and I will choose the safest."
With that, Alfred dropped down. The crimson glow in his eyes was not a blazing blood-red, but a rich, mellow depth reminiscent of fine red wine.
Dart halted and stared at Alfred, simultaneously reaching behind his back to unsling a blue longbow.
Without exchanging a single word, Dart swiftly drew the bowstring and notched an arrow. An intangible yet very real arrow formed entirely of condensed water vapor shot toward Alfred.
Alfred shifted his body to evade, but in the blink of an eye, the arrow looped back around and pierced clean through his torso from behind.
Clutching his chest as blood welled out in streams, Alfred dropped to one knee.
"Hmph..."
Dart stowed his longbow and pressed forward. He needed to rendezvous with Ino; the Church of Order had arrived far faster than expected, and they had to relocate immediately.
Yet just as Dart stepped past Alfred, he caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye: the man he had shot, who had been kneeling on the ground awaiting death, was melting away.
Immediately after, Alfred's figure materialized right in front of him. His eyes seemed capable of swallowing all light, casting a pall of despairing darkness.
"An illusion?"
Dart's gaze sharpened. The phantom of a noble woman appeared behind him, providing him with mental protection.
Alfred did not seize the opportunity to strike. Even though it was a prime opening, he retreated without hesitation, putting distance between them once more.
Dart drew his bow once again, aiming straight at Alfred.
*Whoosh!*
The arrow loosed, carrying terrifying power.
Yet Alfred's figure dissolved in that very instant, only to coalesce in another spot.
The two repeated this back-and-forth several times, letting precious seconds slip away.
There were many ways to stall an opponent. Alfred had never intended to defeat Dart in the first place, so he possessed no urge to attack. He simply treated himself like a fly, buzzing persistently around Dart's perimeter.
Naturally, precisely because Alfred made no offensive moves, Dart grew all the more wary, subconsciously assuming his foe was waiting for the chance to strike a fatal blow.
Had Dart been bolder and attempted a forceful breakthrough, he likely would have realized that aside from his illusions, this mysterious man's attacks couldn't even breach the Sea God's Armor adorning his body.
Under these circumstances, however, escape and evacuation had become the overriding priority for the Sea God cultists. Dart lacked the nerve to gamble everything on a single throw; sustaining heavy injuries right now would mean forfeiting any chance of slipping past the Church of Order's encirclement.
Up on the rooftop, Purr sat perched on her puppet's shoulder, while the puppet held Mr. Kevin in its arms.
"Heh, so this is the 'safest way' the radio goblin was talking about..."
Purr manipulated her puppet to spread its hands, releasing two fireballs that orbited its body, catching Dart's attention below.
Dart looked up and spotted a girl standing on the distant rooftop, flanked by two will-o'-the-wisp-like flames revolving around her.
Her gaze, her aura, her mere presence standing there exerted an oppressive weight upon Dart.
This was hardly surprising. As a former powerhouse of exceptional talent, Purr didn't need to imitate anyone; simply 'being herself' was enough to project such an imposing aura.
Even if, at present, Purr could only cast a few basic low-level formations and conjure a couple of fireballs—with her sole recorded combat achievement being scorching the head of a golden retriever bald.
At that moment,
Purr called out in a languid, impatient tone:
"Alfred, how much longer are you going to play around?"
Catching on immediately, Alfred replied, "Don't worry. The game has only just begun."
With that,
Alfred snapped his fingers, and a rhythmic tempo immediately echoed through the surroundings.
"Tell me, sir, which melody do you prefer?
"This one?
"Or this one?
"Please listen carefully and choose well, for it will serve as the theme at your funeral."
Cold sweat broke out beneath the bandages wrapped tightly around Dart's face.
***
"Woof! Woof! Woof!"
Kevin barked with tremendous gusto, emboldened by the solid backing behind him.
Ino spread his hands. A puddle formed on the ground before him, from which a roar resonated. Soon after, a massive sea wolf rose slowly from the pool. Though standing on all fours, its head reached a towering five meters above the ground.
"Roar!"
"Woof!"
Despite the stark mismatch in size, Kevin didn't flinch in the slightest, continuing to unleash a torrent of doggy insults.
At last, the sea wolf lunged forward.
Kevin raised his tail, bared his teeth, and made a feint as if to charge, but ultimately held his ground.
Karen's figure blurred into motion. With a single slash, he cut clean through the sea wolf's body, bisecting it. Yet with a liquid writhing, the halves seemed on the verge of knitting back together.
Without bothering to look back, Karen reached backward and struck the beast with an Order Purification. The healing process abruptly halted, and the sea wolf collapsed into a puddle of foul, reeking seawater.
A blue barrier formed beneath Ino's feet, hoisting him into the air. He waved both hands, conjuring sea pythons from the surrounding space that coiled inward to crush Karen.
Chains of Order manifested beneath Karen's feet, instantly binding the sea pythons tight. With a clench of Karen's fist, the pythons were pulverized into nothingness.
Looking up at Ino floating overhead, Karen felt a flicker of amusement. In combat, he had always considered himself rather cautious, but who would have thought he'd meet someone even more cautious than himself today?
Soon, however, Karen noticed something amiss.
The collapse of the previous two spells had saturated the air with dense moisture. As Ino resumed chanting, countless fine water filaments materialized around them, instantly interweaving into a crystalline grid.
A heavy sealing aura bore down on him. Karen made a swift decision, brandishing his blade to slash forward. Yet the ever-reliable Sword of Arius failed to pierce the barrier in front of him; the water vapor had turned gel-like, entirely neutralizing the force of his strike.
Ino continued his incantation as plumes of blood mist drifted up from his body, signifying the extraordinary nature of this spell.
The massive seal trapping Karen began to contract, exerting crushing pressure from all sides like a rubber ball being squeezed with immense force, with Karen trapped right inside.
"Woof!"
Kevin grew anxious and attempted to pounce forward, but before he could get close, a flash of blue light repelled him, sending him tumbling backward through the air.
He rolled across the ground, quickly scrambled to his feet, and decided against charging a second time—having shown enough effort to count.
Ino steadily poured more power into the formation. He knew full well how formidable this opponent was in close-quarters combat. Though that earlier sword strike had involved a degree of disguise and ambush, its ferocious sharpness had left a deep impression on him, bordering on trauma.
Even now, the wound across his back throbbed with intense pain.
Gritting his teeth against the agony, Ino resolved to rely on his spells, cultivation, and reserves to wear his opponent down by force.
Karen ceased swinging the Sword of Arius and simply stood where he was, ignoring the contracting water bubble around him, and shouted up at Ino floating overhead:
"Don't you want to know who I am anymore?"
"No secret is worth more than my life! I would rather flee with regrets than die knowing the truth!"
"This island is completely surrounded by the Church of Order. You have nowhere left to run. Surrender!"
"A true believer of the Sea God does not even comprehend the word surrender! Rest in peace! Do you have any idea how much spirituality I am expending just to kill you?
"This is the burial I have prepared for you... a water burial!"
With no room for idle banter or lengthy explanations, blood gushed from Ino at an accelerated pace, funneling into the sealing formation to bolster its might.
As the water bubble compressed further, a harsh screeching of pressurized air grated against Karen's ears. The mounting pressure bore heavily upon his body, making even breathing an agonizing chore.
Karen set the Sword of Arius aside and crossed his arms:
"Order — Cage!"
A cube manifested beneath his feet, enclosing Karen entirely before expanding outward with rapid force.
Yet the moment it made contact with the contracting bubble's inner wall, the Order Cage shuddered violently, and fine cracks webbed across its surface.
"Stop dreaming! If I were you, I'd stop resisting, close my eyes, and spend these last moments reflecting on my life!"
A faint smile touched the corner of Karen's lips.
"Too bad my life has only just begun."
The next instant, Karen's voice rang out again with solemn weight:
"Order — Cage!"
"Order — Cage!"
"Order — Cage..."
Ino: "..."
*A battle of spells, is it? Let's have it, then!*
Karen summoned one Order Cage after another in relentless succession. Whether manifesting a new cage or sustaining existing ones, each required a colossal expenditure of spirituality. Yet this was precisely where Karen's greatest advantage lay.
He had no idea whether Sea God cultists possessed deeper spiritual reserves than believers of other faiths, but Karen was certain that no matter how deep Ino's reserves were, they could never compare to his own.
Gradually, the compressed Order Cages held their ground.
Before long, they began pushing the water bubble outward in reverse.
Ino's eyes went wide with disbelief. He had no choice but to continuously pour spirituality into the spell, while Karen maintained a steady, measured rhythm, summoning Order Cages one after another.
From Kevin's perspective, Karen was now encased within an extraordinarily thick cubic framework, while the outer water bubble grew tighter and tighter, stretched to the very verge of collapse.
Kevin immediately backed away. He knew that regardless of the outcome, the moment those two clashing forces broke, they would trigger a devastating explosion—one his current body could never withstand.
A blue radiance flared at Ino's chest, as though his heart were pounding at frantic speed. Immediately after, an imposing, towering phantom manifested above him, descending slowly to overlap with his silhouette.
As if bolstered by an external power, the water bubble abruptly contracted once more.
"Die! Die! Die! Just die already!"
Unfazed by the surrounding chaos, Karen kept his eyes fixed firmly on the man's chest.
Earlier, when applying the blood lacquer to that black egg, he had sensed a rhythmic pulsation within it. Was the ultimate goal of the Sea God cult's physical transformation to evolve their hearts?
If he wished to elevate the strength and tier of his Sea God's Armor, would he also need to evolve his own heart?
*Forget it.*
Though Karen craved power, he had no desire to end up wrapped in bandages from head to toe, looking like a monster, only to go to Allen Manor and ask Eunice, "If I look like this, would you still want to be with me?"
What should have been a dazzling duel had devolved into an outright tug-of-war. Both sides had poured far too much into their respective arts; whichever spell gave way first would inflict a horrific backlash upon its caster.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
Every beat of Ino's heart resounded so loudly that Karen could hear it with pristine clarity. Karen could tell that Ino had reached his absolute limit—and his own arms were finally growing weary.
A phantom of Purr materialized behind Karen.
***
In the distance, watching Alfred continue his mind games with Dart, Purr suddenly frowned.
"Hiss... why is it itching so much?"
***
The phantom of Purr behind Karen wore a vacant gaze. She raised an arm, her lips moving as she chanted the name of Ancestor Allen in the unseen realms, granting Karen empowerment and transformation.
Ino looked on in shock and disbelief. "Wood's family faith system?!"
As the Sea God's Armor condensed over Karen's body,
He spoke in a low voice, "Deep Freeze!"
The water-elemental power of Ancestor Allen manifested and fused directly into the water bubble, freezing it solid in an instant. The taut, strained bubble was like a red-hot branding iron plunged into cold water, instantly fracturing with countless cracks.
The deadlock between the two opposing forces shattered, losing all equilibrium. A beam of light flashed, followed by a cataclysmic explosion!
*Boom!*
Ino felt his very soul twist as his consciousness plunged into chaos, his body hurled through the air by the blast's shockwave.
In that split second, Karen's figure appeared directly above him. The Sea God's Armor over his body had shattered during the explosion, but Karen had forcefully ridden the shockwave to close the distance.
Raising the Sword of Arius, he drove it straight down toward Ino's heart.
*Squelch!*
The greatsword pierced clean through Ino's chest. Connected by the blade, both figures plunged straight down and crashed onto the ground.
Ino lay flat on his back, while Karen dropped to one knee, hands bracing against the sword's hilt.
Suddenly, a metallic sweetness welled up in his throat. Karen spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his hands involuntarily slipping from the hilt.
At that moment, the golden retriever dashed forward and bounded into the air, clamping its jaws around the sword hilt mid-flight. Using the momentum of its leap, it twisted the greatsword buried in Ino's chest, grinding his heart into complete ruin;
Delivering the finishing blow.
Chapter 300