The void today was unusually still — filled with nothing but the sound of the Holy Light Law Code turning its pages.
With every page turned by that weighty to representing the universe's order, a thread of [Order]'s power seeped out and manifested as chains, reinforcing the cage that stood before it.
And within that cage stood two visitors, each wearing a different expression.
One had gone pale with fury — pointing at the other and unleashing a torrent of curses, every fleck of spit proof of how enraged he was at having his audience hijacked and his devotion exploited.
But a close look revealed sothing interesting: despite all the screaming, he had positioned himself as far back in the cage as possible, pressed against the wall, as if deliberately clearing the stage for the other — standing like an audience mber, practically putting the second one in the spotlight.
The second visitor stared at the constantly turning Holy Light Law Code with a cold smirk.
The one staring was naturally Cheng Shi. The one cursing was, of course, Li Wufang.
Cheng Shi hadn't expected the Investigator to be this sharp. A single comnt about "keeping yourself safe" and the man had co up with a sche to distance himself entirely — complete with performance.
The Investigator handled it well. He just needed to clean up the vocabulary.
But even so, the whole act was full of holes in the Iron Law of [Order]'s eyes — otherwise the Investigator, as a follower of [Order], wouldn't have ended up trapped in this cage right alongside Cheng Shi.
Not that Li Wufang cared. He had already lost himself in his own extended rant and couldn't find the way out. Whether he was venting the fear and confusion that had been building up inside him — and Cheng Shi just happened to be the convenient "instigator" standing there — was anyone's guess.
Cheng Shi ignored Li Wufang's performance entirely. He fixed his eyes on the Iron Law of [Order] and scoffed.
"What's the matter, great [Chaos]? Have you forgotten the road you took to get here?"
Standing before a true god, no mortal could be truly fearless — but Cheng Shi's confidence today ca from being in the right. The other party was [Chaos] to begin with. What exactly was there that couldn't be said?
Besides, with his identity as Fixed Destiny, he had the standing to confront this being. Even without the Fun God, the Fear Faction wouldn't abandon him.
All the sacrifices made for the sake of Fixed Destiny — it was only right that he got to enjoy a little of Fixed Destiny's "privilege" at monts like this.
The Iron Law of [Order] looked the sa as always. Confused it might be, deep down, but in front of others — especially in front of a follower of [Deceit] suspected of ties to [Chaos] — it would never again ask that question: what is order?
It didn't believe it wasn't [Order]. It was simply... uncertain about order's future.
And so, without comnt, it turned a page and looked down at Cheng Shi, pronouncing judgnt on the cri of appearing uninvited.
"Blasphemy warrants the blaspher's punishnt. The Blazing Sun should serve as your warning.
This is not a [Chaos] temple. No one can rescue you here. Reflect on your actions.
I rember everything from before — you have challenged order ti and again, only evading consequences by slipping through loopholes.
But today, every word from your mouth will serve as evidence for a lengthy sentence.
On this basis — [Void] cannot touch ."
"Oh, so [Void] 'cannot touch you'!" Cheng Shi stood in the cage and burst out laughing. "Have you ever considered that [Void] has never cared about you in the first place?
It's actually rather strange — [Order] was the one true winner of the divine war, wasn't it? Even split into three, shouldn't it be doing better than this?
[Fate] joined hands with [Truth], [Deceit] conspired with [War] — your two sibling gods are so beloved by [Void]. So why are you the one left out in the cold?"
The Iron Law of [Order] kept its turning pace unchanged and spoke with a deep resonance. "Because everything they sought to achieve required breaking order. I would not allow it."
"Oh please. You actually believe you're [Order]."
Cheng Shi shook his head with a dismissive scoff — the picture of soone utterly unbothered by the prospect of a longer sentence.
"If you were truly that useful, then answer
this, great 'order' — from the very dawn of this era to now, which of [Void]'s ambitions has not brought order to the brink of collapse? And which one of them have you actually stopped?"
"..."
The question was like a bucket of filth, splashed across the spotless pages of the Holy Light Law Code. Difficult to accept — but it was the truth.
The Iron Law of [Order] could not refute it. Because it had not stopped anything.
Seeing the turning of pages falter, Cheng Shi pressed on with another jab.
"Admitting it, are you?
Then let
ask you another question — why?
The universe's order really has been eroding since [Order]'s fracture — but has it actually deteriorated to a point of no return?
No.
Your followers still uphold order. Your will still spreads across the universe.
So why has it co to this?
Is it possible that [Order] stopped being order long ago? That behind the 'will of order' you claim, there is actually an undercurrent of disordered chaos — and that instinctive chaos has been undermining your own maintenance of order, until the structure could no longer hold?
Have you ever asked yourself why?
No need to think. I'll give you the answer: because you are not [Order].
You are [Chaos]. You are the First God of [Chaos] who vanished from the [Chaos] temple.
You seized the [Order] throne in order to craft the universe's most extre expression of chaos — twisting [Order]'s very faith into sothing distorted — all to please the Creator who made you both."
The Iron Law of [Order] stopped turning pages. It wasn't that it believed Cheng Shi — it was that fury was building.
The sacred light of [Order] began flooding the entire void. The cage shrank further and further, pressing in on the blaspher from every side.
Wordless fury was the most terrifying kind. Even the Investigator — its own follower — began to feel afraid.
Li Wufang retreated with a grim expression, carefully stepping closer to Cheng Shi's back, and asked tightly:
"Are you still going to keep going?"
Of course he was.
Cheng Shi hadn't said enough — not nearly enough.
He had his own fears, his own confusion, his own anger, and those emotions had been piling up inside him with nowhere to go. So he'd chosen today to let it all out in one rush — letting the Iron Law of [Order], no, letting true [Chaos], serve as the target.
After all, it was [Chaos] at its core. These aimless invectives were practically an offering.
Cheng Shi stared directly into the Iron Law of [Order]'s condensing, wrathful aura, smirk unbroken.
"What, great 'order' — afraid to even give the defendant a chance to defend himself?
Violating your own established order — do we really even need to debate whether or not you're [Order]?"
"..."
The mont those words landed, the oppressive force in the void halted abruptly. The Iron Law of [Order] was silent for a mont, then spoke in that characteristic resonant voice:
"I permit you to defend yourself. But if what you prove is false — what awaits you will no longer be imprisonnt. It will be Lightning Punishnt unto death."
Cheng Shi let out a short, derisive laugh.
"Gladly. I accept.
But then — if you truly are [Chaos], what of it?
Surely the great 'order,' upon discovering its own true identity, wouldn't use chaos as an excuse to escape the responsibility it owes?
You have dragged the universe into this disorder. If you dare claim to be [Chaos], I will applaud you for it.
But if you still insist you are [Order] — then who bears the guilt for dragging the universe into ruin and trampling order underfoot?"
The pages of the Holy Light Law Code snapped faster. Within the deep resonance of [Order]'s voice, sothing that had never appeared before flickered — a slight distortion.
"I. Am not. [Chaos].
Blaspher — brace yourself for the purification of thunder."
At that, Cheng Shi curled his lips — and began to clap for the other's confidence.
"Clap. Clap. Clap."
"I naturally hope you're still [Order]. Especially when you confess your cris and face your judgnt."
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