No matter how detailed and perfect a covenant was, it could never compare to taking the field and picking a side at a critical juncture.
Although the God of Eternity had not truly descended, He had already made His stance unmistakably clear through concrete action by taking command of Tyrannus's divine body.
He had not been won over by Order. Rather, Order had reserved a place beside Himself exclusively for Eternity all along—as though certain that such a "foundational" figure would inevitably fall back into the position where He belonged.
With Eternity joining the fray, the pace of this main god-level divine battle raging above Wien—yet never truly spilling into reality—accelerated dramatically.
In truth, the outcome had been decided from the very start. But now the branch gods of the Order faction no longer needed to borrow empowering strength from their Lord, preserving a little more power for the already decaying God of Order.
Deities fell one after another. Inheritances were offered up in rapid succession, and divine pollution welled continuously. The gods, once perched high above all creation, were now like cornered beasts in an arena: the slaughter was merely the predetermined process, and death the inevitable end.
"Tyrannus, I'm going ahead."
"Going ahead, Tyrannus."
"Hahaha, I'm off!"
One farewell after another before each fall carried no tragic solemnity; instead, they evoked an easy, untroubled release.
Throughout this entire epoch, every one of them had been part of the seal, enduring relentless torment. The fall before them now was, in truth, a liberation.
Before this, they had each been like wardens overseeing individual cell blocks beneath a massive prison.
Setting ideals aside and speaking purely from personal inclination, they had looked forward to the prisoners' uprising even more eagerly than the imprisoned gods themselves.
Eternity remarked, "They are all splendid followers. You could have followed Him and dominated the new epoch."
Tyrannus replied, "If my Lord's ideal were merely that, we might never have followed Him."
Eternity fell silent.
One reason He had exiled Himself and sat out the divine war of His own faction in the previous epoch was that the gods who had once followed Him to drive away ignorance had degenerated one by one, turning into vessels of a new ignorance.
It was witnessing the conduct of the Order line that prompted His sigh.
If His former followers had retained their original hearts, He might never have departed. And had He remained in that divine war between the factions of Light and Eternity, it was truly hard to say which way the scales of victory would have tipped.
After all, back then Light had not yet become the overlord of the epoch, and Order was still growing.
Yet Tyrannus's reply was clearly directed at Him.
Eternity asked, "Are you saying I cannot compare to Order?"
Tyrannus replied, "Because at your side, you never had a retainer like me."
"Hahaha!" Eternity burst into laughter.
Tyrannus said, "Once we depart, a new generation of Order will rise."
Eternity said, "I helped Order keep a few extra breaths in reserve. I don't want Him to use that as an excuse not to fight me when He finally descends."
Tyrannus replied, "In truth, what you are doing has little meaning. My Lord will choose only the purest inheritance. That is why all of us banish our own godheads before we fall."
Whether it was Neo before or Richard now, both had nominally obtained the inheritances of Light and Eternity, but in essence, they were nothing more than oversized "Children of God."
Old Hoffen had once told Neo that his next goal was to unite the remnants of Light, reestablish the Church of Light, and use that foundation to make himself into a better vessel.
Karen was different. What Karen would take over was the complete godhead of Order. He was not a vessel for Order—he was the new God of Order. That was why the branch gods of Order treated Karen with profound respect.
This was no longer a question of whether one was willing to part with it. Even if Eternity and Light were willing at this moment, they could not pass down their own "new god." Producing one required early planning, long gestation, nurturing, and cultivation—and above all, complete selflessness from the very beginning.
Just like the generations of Order heroes slumbering within the First Knight Order, waiting only to make their final sacrifice upon being awakened after death, the God of Order had been doing the exact same thing.
At the same time, this was why Karen had endured the torment of the hunger addiction and struggled against it all this time. Neo and Richard never had to experience such a trial.
Eternity let out a sigh. "How frustrating. Doesn't this mean that before we even fight, I have already lost to Him?"
Even if He won the present, He was destined to lose the future.
A swell of gloom piled in His chest. Taking control of Tyrannus's divine body, the God of Eternity began searching for remaining targets to vent His frustration.
Tyrannus stood apart from the world, the massive cross in his left hand and the Spear of Eternity in his right, looking like the fiercest war god creation had ever seen.
***
Alfred held a drawing brush in his right hand, continuously sketching out compositions, while holding a quill in his left, steadily composing entries in *New Light of Order*.
Although the "troika" had already been recorded in *New Light of Order*, if the current scene were set down faithfully, the strongest among the branch gods of Order would undeniably be Tyrannus.
Without any commentary or summary, merely recording the majesty and battle exploits of this moment would transform Tyrannus from someone who couldn't fight into the mightiest of the Order line.
Alfred did not lie, nor did he embellish or falsify anything; what he recorded was entirely faithful to the facts.
He merely omitted one insignificant little detail: at this moment, Tyrannus was being controlled in combat by Eternity.
***
"Lord!"
Old Hoffen shrieked. His Lord was currently fleeing for His life with Tyrannus in hot pursuit.
Compared to the other main gods, the God of Principle truly was inept at combat. Moreover, constrained by present circumstances, His various divine artifacts and methods could not be prepared in advance by believers like those of the Order lords had been.
Yet while Old Hoffen screamed, he made no move to send his true form—the notebook—soaring into the sky to serve as a usable weapon in his Lord's hands.
He had already sold Principle out completely, from church to deity.
Years ago, he had questioned Diss: *Just because he calls you grandfather once, you treat him with the love of a real grandson? What on earth are you thinking?*
Later, when Karen called him grandfather, he experienced that joy for himself.
Old Hoffen felt his Lord would understand. If the God of Order were willing to call Him grandfather, the Lord would surely be thrilled out of His mind too.
"Diss, Diss..."
Old Hoffen's true form trembled incessantly.
Seeing this, Diss smiled slightly and pressed his hand onto the notebook's cover.
Old Hoffen stopped shaking at once. It was as though he had been coerced into being unable to fight, and his conscience was instantly appeased.
"You should have held me down sooner. You almost made it awkward for me just now."
"I did it on purpose."
Old Hoffen: "..."
Delon remarked with emotion, "So Lord Tyrannus is this powerful. Looks like we're going to win this battle."
Old Hoffen replied, "There was never much suspense to begin with."
*Boom!*
The Spear of Eternity pierced through the chest of the God of Principle. The God of Principle fell.
"Ah!" Old Hoffen let out a loud cry. "Praise be to my Lord."
He used to think faith was incomparably precious. But after turning apostate, he suddenly realized taboos weren't so difficult to break after all. Even watching his Lord fall right before his eyes barely stirred a ripple in his heart.
Old Hoffen said, "Looking back now, the Church of Order made the right choice in this epoch by not rushing to swallow the other orthodox churches after winning the contest against Light. The God of Order could no longer hold out, but He could still purposefully choose whom to let in first.
"This first batch of main gods was deliberately let in by the God of Order so they could be dealt with and felled first. And the churches founded by these main gods of the previous epoch are largely the orthodox churches of this epoch.
"Doing this effectively ropes all surviving orthodox churches to Order's side, forcing them to stand with Order to block the coming wave of ordinary deities returning.
"While ordinary deities are still gods, they are nowhere near as terrifying or difficult to deal with as these main gods."
Delon asked curiously, "I didn't feel like the main gods were that hard to deal with, though..."
"That's because every single one of these main gods had endured immense torment and was in their weakest state, while Order's branch gods held every advantage. Even so, all they could manage was mutual destruction. If you had let those main gods break out and find a chance to recover their power and condition, you would know just how horrifying main god-level beings truly are.
"Next, all the orthodox churches will join forces to suppress the large, medium, and small churches along with the gods behind them.
"Order's knight orders, including the First Knight Order, will throw themselves into the second phase of the divine descent wave. That is the battlefield they are truly suited for. Many gods will fall, and many people will die.
"Diss, that's when you'll need to step in."
Diss shook his head and said, "I will participate in the third phase."
The third phase—the final phase—was the most difficult stage in realizing the God of Order's ideal. That was when they would have to face the returning counterattack of the Epoch Overlords.
Every one of them was a mighty entity that had once suppressed an entire epoch. Only a tiny fraction had left behind fragmentary, minuscule records; the vast majority were entirely shrouded in mystery, lost behind the gulf of countless epochs.
If the final battle were lost, all previous efforts and sacrifices would be for naught. Even if they had forged the imprint of a godless epoch for civilization, it still could not conceal a tactical defeat.
Judging by the current situation, it would be the three overlords—Order, Light, and Eternity—against the entirety of mythological history.
"Diss, I truly look forward to seeing just how strong you will be once this epoch ends and you become a god."
Even as his closest and most trusted old comrade, Hoffen dared not imagine Diss actually taking part in a clash between Epoch Overlords. Yet Diss himself possessed absolute confidence.
It was not confidence in his talent or strength. At that level, mere talent no longer carried any weight, and their heights could not even be measured by concrete consciousness.
Hadn't they just seen how the God of Eternity, using merely a single wisp of divine intent to possess Tyrannus, could alter the course of this divine war in one stroke?
Yet Diss had his own conviction. When the time came, his grandson would be taking part in that great war. As a grandfather, he had to stand there. Even if his grandson was the God of Order, he would still stand before the god to protect him.
Seeing this divine battle drawing to a close, Delon's train of thought snapped straight back. He asked somewhat nervously:
"How much free time is there in between? Should we find a way to let the two kids have... get married first?"
Old Hoffen teased, "I never realized you were such a stickler for formalities."
Delon said, "There's no one left in the Felcher family anyway, so getting married is plenty convenient."
The corner of Old Hoffen's book tilted slightly, the equivalent of "glancing" at Diss. That there was no one left in the Felcher family was entirely Diss's doing.
Delon drifted back into his daydreams, rubbing his palms together in excitement. "A granddaughter-in-law with twin godheads! It's better to have a child early. Just how high would my great-grandchild's talent be?"
Old Hoffen said, "Your Guman family really does have a tradition of improving bloodlines through marriage..."
Halfway through, Old Hoffen choked. He had only intended to tease, but now he realized an infuriatingly enviable fact: the man before him had a maternal grandson who was the God of Order, and a paternal grandson who was the God of Eternity.
This family tradition was terrifying—a single household boasting two Epoch Overlords!
***
The Blessing Knight's long hair fluttered. From the start of the battle, she had been bestowing blessings upon her companions.
She was the figure whom the priest-track officials of the Church of Order worshipped and prayed to every day. Whenever the Order Knight Orders marched to war, her colossal divine phantom would be summoned to stand at the center.
As her companions completed their tasks and fell one after another, in the end, she needed only to keep blessing Tyrannus.
The smile on her face grew increasingly pronounced.
The two of them had never formally been together, yet both had tacitly acknowledged the relationship.
In the previous epoch, everyone had been far too busy. Tyrannus had been occupied with building the Church of Order and establishing its laws and rules for their God, while she had been busy marching out on campaign, helping their God dominate the divine realm.
The lifespans of gods were long, yet they still had not granted them enough time to love one another. Or perhaps both had simply savored the camaraderie of striving together for their ideal.
It was a regret. But looking back, some regrets held nothing but sweetness.
At least now, they would fall together, hand in hand.
Terrifying tentacles descended. She stepped forward, setting herself ablaze to form a barrier. Even as she helped Tyrannus ward off the tentacles, she began banishing her own godhead.
Using the last shred of his divine power, Tyrannus drove the cross into the body of the insect-type main god.
Around them, several hidden main gods still had not been flushed out. Some were concealed too deeply, while others harbored no fierce hostility to begin with, so no deliberate effort had been made to target them.
For instance, the God of War, who had never made a move, and the God of Chaos, lurking in the void.
When the God of Order had stood alone to hold back the epoch, the blade planted before Him had been the Sword of Chaos.
Though the God of War had not gotten along well with the God of Order back then, He had later stepped beyond the epoch of His own accord rather than being driven out by Order.
Represented by these two was the gray area between black and white.
As for the rats represented by the God of the Crypt and the few secretive main gods who refused to show themselves, they could only be left for the next phase. At the very least, the main gods out in the open had been swept clean.
In truth, the God of the Abyss and the God of Principle had hidden themselves even more thoroughly. But unique existences like them had to be ferreted out and resolved; they could not be permitted to survive into the next stage.
Tyrannus reached out and embraced her burning form. At that moment, Richard was sent out of Tyrannus's divine realm.
The time remaining was fleeting, yet it was all they had.
***
Atop the castle, Richard opened his eyes to see a blade resting right before him.
Philomena said coldly, "Now, you can come out, can't you?"
*Buzz!*
The Spear of Eternity descended, its formidable domain instantly forcing Philomena back. The artifact spirit, Michios, knelt before Richard and said reverently:
"Lord."
Philomena demanded, "How much longer do you plan to occupy his body?"
Richard said, "He is a bearer of my bloodline, so he can be counted as my descendant. What is wrong with borrowing his body?"
Philomena replied, "My grandmother thought the same thing. Then I killed her."
"Order has likely already seen this new epoch's world, but I have not. Since I boarded this ship and chose this side, I ought to see with my own eyes what it is I am protecting."
With that, Richard tapped his forehead lightly with a finger. He seemed to be asking the body's true owner, yet it also looked like talking to himself:
"In this world, where is the most fun place?"
Soon, Eternity received the answer.
Puzzled, He read the words aloud:
"Red Leaf Street?"
***
All of Wien and the entire Church of Order were currently offering prayers for the conclusion of this divine war.
Even in these final moments, Tyrannus did not lose himself entirely to quiet peace. Instead, in his capacity as "High Priest," he continued issuing instructions:
"Cread, from this day forth, you formally assume the seat of High Priest of the Church of Order.
"Daan, Thelma..." He recited a string of names belonging to commanders of the Order Knight Orders. "It is time for you to take the stage. Remember, the Order Knight Orders take pride in god-slaying.
"First Knight Order, enter recovery preparations. Stand ready to obey the newly appointed High Priest's decree and fight for Order.
"All Order priests, the time has come to fulfill your vows with your lives. This is the trial set for us by our Lord and all believers of Order."
Every Order temple, every altar, and every mural in every departmental office resounded with Tyrannus's final admonition.
Alfred looked up at the burning figures of Tyrannus and her, suggesting in a low voice, "At a time like this, you should quiet down and properly enjoy the end."
Yet Tyrannus's voice sounded directly within Alfred's heart: "I've grown used to being busy."
Alfred asked, "Then for your love story, do you need me to keep concealing it in *New Light of Order*?"
"There is no need to conceal it anymore."
"Then hurry and give me your memory fragments so I can record and write it down."
"I have nothing to give you. We once had time, but we had no stories. That is our regret. I hope this regret can be mended in *New Light of Order*."
"Wait, if you don't give me any material at all, how am I supposed to write history?"
"Make it up."
Chapter 941