The Void — the Fire Passer Hall.
The hall was a few degrees colder than usual today.
Qin Xin sat at the conference table, distracted, unable to shake the feeling that his eyelid was twitching.
He wasn't a superstitious man, but the naless unease gnawing at him prompted him to seek soone out.
As the backbone of the Torchbearers, he naturally couldn't spread unverified worries among his people. So the one he consulted wasn't a person at all — it was a god.
The Fla of Hope.
As a Servant God of [Fate], the Fla of Hope might have a more precise interpretation of these nebulous premonitions.
Qin Xin wasn't sure. He rely sought peace of mind for this inexplicable anxiety.
But what he hadn't expected was that his unease had manifested in the Fla of Hope itself!
When he found the Fla of Hope inside the Fire Passer Hall, the normally carefree, perpetually joking protector of the Torchbearers was slumped on the ground, his light dimd — looking as if he might go out at any second.
Qin Xin was terrified.
"What happened to you?"
He rushed over, lifting the no-longer-scalding Fla of Hope. The flickering Candle Man forced a bitter smile and shook his head:
"Don't panic. I'm fine."
Qin Xin's expression turned severe as he scanned the surroundings warily:
"If this counts as fine, then I can't imagine what would count as a big deal.
Was there an intrusion?
You're too weak — it looks like you've been in a fight. Who? How can I help?"
"No need... minor issue. Just need to rest a bit."
The mont those words left his mouth, the flas on the Candle Man's legs went out.
"..." His expression froze, and he let out another bitter laugh. "Well — looks like I'll be in a wheelchair from now on."
Qin Xin was exasperated, but hearing that the other still had the energy for self-deprecation, he confird the situation wasn't completely out of control. At least there was no imdiate danger.
"What happened?" He propped up the Fla of Hope, trying to use his own fire to rekindle the lost legs.
It was useless.
The Candle Man sighed and shook his head:
"Not all fire can give the world hope.
[Fate]'s fire can, but [War]'s fire... only brings destruction."
Qin Xin sensed there was sothing beneath those words, but couldn't decipher it imdiately. The Fla of Hope was simply musing — there was no particular emotion behind it.
He sighed again:
"Don't waste your spiritual energy. I did get into a fight.
He was dangerous — nearly found out about this star... space.
But everything's fine now. For a long ti to co, the Torchbearers won't face any danger.
But I may need to rest for a while.
Qin Xin — during that ti, stay low and stay vigilant. Don't bring trouble upon yourself.
[War] is hot-blooded, but that doesn't an He can protect followers who share that hot blood."
Qin Xin was no fool. The repeated ntion of his Benefactor told him sothing had happened among the gods. But since the Fla of Hope didn't elaborate, he wouldn't pry. He simply nodded solemnly:
"Don't worry. Rest up properly.
I'll look after everyone. And when you co back, we'll be waiting — for you to light the... fla of hope once more."
The Candle Man gazed into the depths of the hall with an distant look, managing a sowhat strained smile.
"Yes. Hope will be lit again."
...
The Void — the starry sky of Justice [Order].
"You summoned . What for?"
Beneath the Scales, a pair of eyes coated in chaotic white miasma gazed up at Justice [Order] and opened with:
"Do you think your foolish acts will ever have an answer?"
"..."
The Scales fell silent for a mont, then prepared to leave.
He droned: "The Convention is not an outlet for the emotions of gods. Your contempt is misdirected. Do not summon
for such absurd matters again."
"Who's the absurd one here?" Those eyes sneered in challenge. "I was bored, so I browsed through the Convention records and discovered that not long ago, there was an Assembly of Gods Convention involving the Authority of a true god.
Yet I have no mory of this. Looking around, not a single god has brought it up.
So I suspect it was you, Justice [Order], who quietly buried everything — conspiring with a few shady gods to complete this exchange of Authority.
So let
ask you — Justice [Order] — are you still just?"
"..."
The Scales was silent for a long ti — so long that fresh contempt kindled in those eyes.
"Naturally.
I represent the Convention. I uphold justice. I stand accountable to every challenge the universe can offer."
"Oh? Is that so?
Because your silence has already told
you've lost the last shred of justice.
To think — the once-great [Order] now clings to survival as a re 'Fear [Order]'... how pathetic.
Justice [Order], aren't you going to explain yourself?"
"When a deity temporarily surrenders Authority, they summon my witness. Once the transaction is complete, the Authority is returned. Everything follows proper procedure and complies with Convention regulations. Therefore, no explanation is needed."
"Ha. Do you think I'll believe that?
I can hardly imagine any god handing over Authority to another and then getting it all back intact.
Why don't you give
an example?"
Just as [Folly]'s questioning grew sharper, a voice rang out from behind:
"Of course you can't imagine it. After all, [Chaos] is disorder — your self-important wisdom couldn't comprehend truth."
[Folly]'s gaze hardened. He turned around — and there, beneath the starry sky, a Starlight Canon lay open, shimring with radiant light and exuding the dazzling glow of knowledge.
First ca surprise. Then a mocking smirk spread across those eyes:
"So it was you!
I see now — [Truth] gave you quite a bit of trouble.
But I'm curious — how did you convince Justice [Order] to let you terminate [Truth] outside the gods' sight?
Don't tell
[Truth] is still alive. I won't buy it."
The Starlight Canon's page-turning gradually slowed, then stopped entirely. A playful laugh:
"How did you know it was ?"
"Tch—
[Truth] only ever buried Himself in pursuit. He never explained Himself to anyone, and He certainly never spoke with your brand of sarcasm.
So it seems [Civilization] has now lost two. [War]... is probably next, isn't He?
The gods haven't seen [War] in quite so ti. Are you hiding Him to set up so master plan — or are you concealing news of His death?
[Void] devouring [Civilization] — is that your way of reminding the gods that civilization is false and aningless?
To distance yourself from 'Him,' you really do spare no effort."
"..." The Starlight Canon paused for a mont, then spoke with a half-smile: "Aren't you worried I'll do to you what I did to [Truth]?"
"Ha. Bluffing.
If you truly had the ans, why hide until now?" Those white divine eyes grew even more contemptuous.
The Starlight Canon brushed it off and countered with its own jab:
"Aren't you the sa?
Hide your own Authority and you can suppress your curiosity — is that what you think, [Folly]?
Then why don't you guess — do I know where you've hidden your Authority?"
[Folly] gave "Truth" an indifferent sidelong glance:
"Take it if you want. I can hardly wait to witness the next act of folly.
When the ti cos, this world's truth will show you — even if you collect all sixteen Divine Thrones' worth of Authority, folly is still folly."
"..."
[Deceit] could refute every one of [Folly]'s claims — except this one. It had already been proven before the world was reset.
Every effort of the slice universe was, to the 'Him' above the real universe, indeed an act of folly.
But so what?
[Folly] was born knowing folly. [Truth] had tested folly with His own existence. With such precedents, there was no reason [Deceit] couldn't reconstruct this folly into sothing new.
When that ti ca — folly was still folly, yes. But it wouldn't be entirely aningless.
...
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