Apocalypse!

Alfred glanced down at his watch, stood up, and walked over to Karen, who sat resting with his eyes closed after concluding the "communication." Before he could speak, Karen opened his eyes. "Young Master, it's time." "All right." Karen rose, went to the bedside, and gently scooped up Pu'er. Pu'er rubbed her eyes and asked, "Time to go?" "Yeah." "Oh, okay." Pu'er turned on her side to face inward, patted Karen's chest with a paw, and went right back to sleep. Kevin stood up, gave his fur a good shake, and took his leash in his mouth. Seeing Karen's hands full, he proactively offered it to Alfred. Alfred held the leash and followed his young master out of the room. Outside, all the squad members were fully prepared and waiting. Karen addressed them, "Everyone knows the best-case scenario, and Alfred has already explained the worst-case scenario. Naturally, I hope for the best, but I need every single one of you on high alert. No matter how things unfold, we are heading home, and I don't want anyone falling on our doorstep. Do you understand?!" "Yes, Captain!" "Yes, Captain!" *** Inside the café. Tafman sat at a table, twirling a white ring between his fingers. It was a piece of jewelry crafted from Dorons's bodily remains left behind on Dark Moon Island, which he had gathered and preserved. The café was closed for business tonight, with only a dozen or so Light believers under Tafman's command seated inside. He lifted the cup before him and took a sip of coffee. Tonight, he had a choice to make, an act to carry out. Yet he felt no hesitation now; his heart was surprisingly tranquil. This was vastly different from the man he used to be. In the past, he had never hesitated either—he was decisive when commanding the fleet to wipe out pirates, and equally so when slaying his own nephew. But to claim that his inner heart had been entirely untroubled would naturally be a lie. Now, he had attained true peace—a steadfast calm born of no longer calculating motives or personal gains and losses, but simply following the light in his heart. Watching the luster inside his coffee cup, Tafman suddenly thought of the mentor who had once imparted the faith of Light to him. His mentor had surely known what his intentions were back then, yet had chosen to pass on everything without holding anything back. He had known full well that one day, Tafman would raise a butcher's blade against him. Looking back now, the words his mentor once spoke held profound meaning: *Do not despair before the darkness in front of you, for it is merely the shadow cast by the light upon your body.* He harbored no affection for this island. In fact, to a certain degree, given the hostility between the Romaford League and the Dark Moon Island fleet, he probably disliked it. Even so, he was willing to spare the island's residents from an impending catastrophe. When that elder was teleported over, he would destroy the teleportation circle on this end. If the Light required blood and upheaval to be revived, then such a light had better sleep forever. Just then, Tafman spotted a group of figures outside the café window, with Karen standing at the front. He rose and walked out of the café, saying, "I knew you would come." Karen nodded. "Yes, because I believe in the true Light." He added, "Those aren't just polite words." Karen had personally erected tombstones for Mr. Philias and the others. Since Tafman was Philias's "believer," he naturally trusted him; after all, that trust was backed by Mr. Philias himself. Tafman waved his hand, and three large carriages rolled up, each capable of seating over a dozen people. He gestured for Karen to join him in his carriage. Karen exchanged a nod with Alfred, then boarded the carriage while holding Pu'er. Once inside, Tafman handed Karen a glass of ice water. "Ophelia told me you only like cold water." "Because anything else feels like a bit of a hassle." "You two met recently, didn't you?" "Yes. Due to an assignment, she was temporarily transferred to York City, and we collaborated." "She's very fond of you." "I'm quite fond of her as well." Tafman took a sip of red wine and remarked, "We aren't talking about the same kind of fondness, but no matter. In this world, finding someone who makes your heart flutter, someone you can love and watch over... even if you can't be together, it's still a luxurious happiness. Just like how I felt toward Ophelia's mother." "If you ever get the chance, you're welcome to visit York City. I would be glad to host the man you are now." "And the man I was before?" "I've almost forgotten what you were like back then." "Heh." Tafman swirled his wine glass. "I feel the same. The man I used to be feels so utterly foreign." The carriage continued forward. "York City... I think I will visit, assuming I survive tonight. Once I see you off, I plan to destroy the circle right as that elder is teleported through." "Is it worth it?" "Hm? I didn't expect that question from you. From my perspective, you ought to belong to the benevolent side, shouldn't you?" "Perhaps because I'm not benevolent to that degree yet." "Ah, I see." The streets outside remained clamorous. This was an island run by pirates, and people in pirate garb were everywhere. In reality, though, ordinary folks still made up the majority. After all, if everyone became a pirate, where would they spend their plundered loot? Tafman glanced out at the scenery and said, "Almost there." "Yes." They were approaching the teleportation circle hall. "Barring any surprises, you'll likely receive a promotion after returning this time. In truth, Dark Moon Island didn't help you much. Truly outstanding people don't really need such things." "No, it helped a great deal." Without the line of interests linking Dark Moon Island and Allen Manor, the twelve coffins and the formation in the performance hall could never have been constructed. "In the past, I would have hoped for you to serve Dark Moon Island while inside the Church of Order, which is probably what many elders on the island still think. But now, I hope that going forward, you can live up to the black robes on your shoulders. "That way, if something like this happens again, having Order step in will make it much easier to resolve." "I can only promise that, within the scope of my ability, I will." "Almost there." "In... deed." This was the second time Tafman had said they were almost there. What they were nearing was not only the teleportation hall, but quite possibly the end of his life. He was supposed to be the liaison. Once he chose to sabotage the plan at that crucial moment, the three ruling families on the island would never let him off. This had nothing to do with Tafman's personal strength. Enough ants could bite an elephant to death, and these pirates were far from mere ants. Moreover, the Light believers currently following Tafman would surely turn against him once he did it. "Look after Ophelia a little for me." "All right, I understand." The carriage came to a stop. Everyone disembarked. Outside the teleportation hall stood over a thousand pirates, all exuding a bloodthirsty aura. None of them were ordinary people, nor could they be. Old Wimbot, patriarch of the Delan family, stood on the steps, supported by two maidservants. Tafman stepped forward and offered a salute. Old Wimbot returned the greeting and remarked, "Looks like there are a few extra people." Tafman replied, "How could all of our people possibly be known to you?" "True, true, I understand. But still... there are a few too many." Old Wimbot's fox-like gaze swept across Karen and the others. Karen turned to Tafman and asked, "What does he mean?" Tafman remained silent. Knowing the question was meant for him, Old Wimbot chuckled. "Young man, do you believe in intuition? It's how a pirate stays alive. My intuition tells me you don't seem to believe in the Light." "Intuition can sometimes be deceptive." "Oh?" Karen took a stride forward and reached toward Old Wimbot. Instantly, numerous auras from every direction locked onto Karen, and even the two maidservants supporting Old Wimbot raised daggers with their free hands. "Heh." Old Wimbot waved them off and took a step forward. "I still trust my intuition." "You're getting old." Karen placed a hand on Old Wimbot's shoulder. A warm, gentle wave of Light seeped from Karen's palm into the old man's body. To onlookers, nothing was visible, but Old Wimbot could perceive it with crystal clarity. "Heh." Tafman chuckled. "Heh." Old Wimbot chuckled as well. In truth, what Tafman smiled about was entirely different from Old Wimbot. Now, certain mysteries regarding Karen's connection to Dark Moon Island were explained: Light could be converted into powers of other attributes. Tafman felt neither anger nor indignation. He was no longer the fleet commander of old. At this moment, sensing that trace of Light emanating from the young man beside him brought him nothing but deep gratification. Truly, the Light was everywhere. Naturally, Tafman had no idea that when it came to genuine Dark Moon "lineage," Karen's current heritage would make the entire Dark Moon royal family feel like mongrels. "It seems I truly am getting old," Old Wimbot conceded with a nod. Tafman said, "Per our agreement, your men stay outside while mine go in to operate the formation." "Oh, of course." Old Wimbot waved his hand, and the pirate army parted to make way. Tafman led the way with Karen behind him, while the rest formed two columns and followed them into the teleportation hall. A teleportation hall required astronomical and intricate construction costs, along with ceaseless maintenance expenditures. This dictated that only an established, sufficiently formidable power could sustain a functional one. Even Diss in his day couldn't set up a large-scale array on a whim, still needing to rely on the Church of Order's network of teleportation circles to leap across distances. Tafman pointed toward a circle ahead. "Go to that formation. It can send you to a bustling neutral hub, where you can transfer. By the way, do you have enough point coupons?" Tafman produced a stack of coupons from his robe pocket—Order coupons, the hardest and most popular currency around. "Enough." Though his mouth said it was enough, Karen's hand still accepted the coupons. It felt somewhat like an elder slipping pocket money to a junior—and not simply for Ophelia's sake. "I take back what I said earlier. You don't need to look after Ophelia. It feels like she'd be in even greater danger around you." "Heh." Karen smiled and signaled his subordinates to follow him to that teleportation circle. Right at that moment, an adjacent circle abruptly lit up. Immediately after, calls came through a communication array positioned obliquely to the side. Tafman frowned slightly, stepped over, and activated the communication circle. Within the circle's blue ring, a man's figure materialized: "Receive me. I'm coming over right now." Tafman bowed. "Elder, there is still some time before the agreed teleportation window." "Those pirates must have dug too deep. I sense the Abyss Three-Headed Hound has grown far more agitated than anticipated, so I must arrive early. The formation on my end is already active; receive me from yours." "Yes, Elder." The communication array deactivated. Tafman turned to Karen and said, "When this hall handles an ultra-long-distance teleportation, other circles cannot be activated. I must receive the elder first. You'll have to wait a moment. Once I've handled this, I'll cover your departure." Karen didn't bother asking why he didn't just destroy the reception circle outright. If Tafman wanted to prevent the hound's awakening, merely wrecking the formation wouldn't suffice—once repaired, the Light elder could still come through. Furthermore, while Fire Island likely had no other public teleportation circles, who knew if the three most powerful pirate families possessed private ones? Tafman intended to send the elder into a spatial countercurrent right as he was mid-teleportation. The reception commenced. The teleportation circle began radiating brilliant light as Karen and the others stood by watching. After waiting about a quarter of an hour, right when the formation's radiance peaked, a Sword of Light materialized in Tafman's grasp, and he struck down, shattering the active array before him. "My Lord?!" "My Lord?!" The Light believers who had followed Tafman inside were filled with shock. None of them had imagined he would do such a thing. Tafman declared loudly, "This is a trap—a conspiracy orchestrated by Order against us! If I hadn't destroyed the teleportation circle just now, the ones appearing here would have been the Whip of Order!" In moments like this, projecting absolute confidence was paramount. Having once served as a fleet commander, Tafman naturally excelled at this. His words momentarily robbed his subordinate Light believers of the ability to think straight. While suspicion and doubt inevitably took root, at least they wouldn't turn on Tafman as a traitor right this instant. Tafman turned to Karen. "I'll activate the circle for you. Get in, quickly." "All right." No sooner had the words left his mouth than a burst of flame erupted where Tafman had just destroyed the formation. The flames parted, resolving into the illusory silhouette of a fire phoenix. Pu'er, who had been sound asleep in Karen's arms and hadn't even stirred when Tafman asked him to look after Ophelia, now opened her eyes and lifted her head: "Ooh, such a pure spirit of flame, yet carrying such thick death energy. What a contradictory existence, meow." Upon appearing, the fire phoenix spat flames downward, which instantly coalesced into a brand-new reception array. Tafman immediately conjured flames of Light to purify the phoenix, but at that exact second, a hand appeared out of thin air above the formation and casually swatted Tafman's Light flames into nothingness. "Heh, an apostate?" Dark red energy immediately erupted around Tafman, and he lunged forward. Yet a shield of Light abruptly manifested, blocking Tafman's strike. Immediately following, a hunched young man with sunken eye sockets stepped out from the void. "Had I not possessed this spirit of the fire phoenix left behind by the God of Fire to forcibly open a corridor and lock onto the coordinates, I would have been lost in the spatial countercurrent. "Apostate, were you trying to bury me?" *Crack!* The shield of Light vanished, and the hunched youth thrust one hand forward. In an instant, the flesh and skin peeled away from his palm, exposing white bone. A terrifying tearing force slammed directly into Tafman, instantly shattering his defenses. The hunched youth pressed down with that single arm. *Bang!* Tafman was slammed heavily to the floor. "Ah!" The hunched youth threw his head back and let out a low cry. A gray vortex opened beneath Tafman, and three giant pythons surged forth, coiling completely around him. Tafman unleashed his internal power in an attempt to break free, but the hunched youth appeared instantly at his flank, driving his skeletal hand straight toward Tafman's chest. *Pfft!* A sinister white layer akin to fish scales coated Tafman, suppressing his resistance. At the same time, the tails of the three giant serpents fused into the hunched youth's back, channeling the power within Tafman continuously into his own body. Karen watched in astonishment. Was this supposed to be the believer of Light who had returned from the God-Burial Grounds? Aside from that shield of Light, nothing about him resembled a follower of Light in the slightest! The hunched youth surveyed his surroundings. Fortunately, the genuine Light believers Tafman had brought along were gazing at him with terror and dread, allowing Karen's squad to blend in seamlessly. This forcibly arrived entity had no clue—at least not yet—that an entire Whip of Order squad was standing right there. The hunched youth opened his mouth and unleashed a piercing howl. His tongue extended, flying into midair and coalescing into the hideous face of a woman. The woman let out a shrill screech and cried out: "In the name of the Servant of the God of Fire, I break the seal! "Sinful Three-Headed Hound of the Abyss—Giragon. "I hereby grant you freedom!" *BOOOOOOOOOOM!！！！！* The dormant volcano at the center of Fire Island suddenly released a horrifying roar, and the sky above was instantly painted a sinister, fiery red. The residents across all of Fire Island awakened from their slumber and began screaming and fleeing in panic. To describe this spectacle as world-ending was no exaggeration at all. *Buzz, buzz, buzz, buzz!*/* Fiery, scorching fireballs erupted from the volcano, and lava began to churn and flow. Immediately following, the ground began to swell and heave as the volcano started to split apart. A three-headed demonic hound the size of a mountain stepped forth from the magma. Of those three canine heads, the left symbolized "curse," the center symbolized "melting," and the right symbolized "annihilation." Having attained freedom, it took a single step forward. That single step triggered a violent tremor across the earth below. *Crash, rumble...* A row of villas originally built at the foot of the volcano collapsed into rubble. Witnessing this, the demonic three-headed hound Giragon—whose overwhelming aura had towered moments before—instantly widened its eyes, as if startled half to death. Then, its left head took a deep breath toward the sky, inhaling all the fiery meteors that were scattering outward and about to crash down below; Its right head lowered and took a deep breath against the earth, sucking in the magma that had erupted and was surging toward the town. Its middle head dropped flat to the ground, sticking out its tongue to lick the row of houses it had just shaken down—apparently hoping to reconstruct the buildings using the sticky adhesion of its saliva. A whimper issued from its throat, carrying across the entirety of Fire Island and the neighboring seas. What that whimper meant was: "Useless mutt... is good..."