anwhile — the Fishbone Hall.
When Cheng Shi realized that Ti had truly left the world just like that, his first thought wasn't the clues Ti had left behind. It was: where were the rest of the Fear Faction?
He admitted that in that mont, he had genuinely panicked. He was terrified that the Boss would do the sa thing as Ti — quietly set down His Divine Throne and embrace death once and for all.
Thankfully, Death had not been that "heartless."
But the colossal skull seated upon the Divine Throne delivered another piece of devastating news:
Silence had departed alongside Ti. They had gone to the Real Universe together.
"He... seed... to have found... a new... direction... and was... unusually... joyful."
"!!!"
'A new direction? aning what?'
'Wandering through the Real Universe — like that enormous Leaking World Silent Puppet "corpse" out there?'
Cheng Shi was anything but joyful at the news. The resolve in his eyes wavered to its breaking point. He stared at the Boss, blank and lost. Not a trace of a smile could be summoned.
"Why?
My lord, I may have taken the Fear Faction's voting rights, but I never intended to 'wipe out' the Faction entirely.
I truly want to find a road to the future where every mber of the Fear Faction can see hope. I even have a direction already. But the Faction...
Does the new world truly require the fall of every old god?!"
The green fla in the massive skull's eye sockets had gone out. Those hollow eyes watched the staff inside the hall, and a faint sigh escaped.
He knew Cheng Shi understood perfectly well. He simply refused to accept it.
"I... know... your heart. But... old gods... do not fall... how can... new gods... be... legitimized.
I... have never... told you... of the future... to co. But... given... your... keen mind... I imagine... you have... long known... Deceit's... intent.
Cheng... Shi.
Your eyes... should be... on the road... ahead. Not... on us... old gods.
If... fear's... will... prevails in the end... who says... a fall... cannot be... the start... of a new chapter..."
Fine words. But if Cheng Shi truly didn't care about the fall of those around him — mortal or divine — he never would have passed the fla with his own body after the False Curtain Call, and he never could have pushed everyone this far.
Hearing Death's words, Cheng Shi fell silent.
The weight of the Fear Faction had finally, completely, co to rest on his shoulders alone.
"Are You leaving too?"
The massive skull's jaw parted. A long sigh. No response.
Cheng Shi nodded. Kept nodding. Nodded frantically — the amplitude growing wider and wider, fists clenching tighter and tighter.
"Fine. I don't bla You. I have no standing to argue. On the contrary — for the sake of this world, I should thank You. Thank You for everything You've contributed to whatever future may lie ahead.
Thank You for Your protection.
Thank You for this farewell...
I understand. I will carry the Fear Faction's will forward, and keep walking, until I reach that far shore where no Creator exists.
You may leave whenever You wish. No need to inform ."
Cheng Shi's voice grew smaller and smaller — the final sentence perhaps audible only to himself. Yet when he had finished, he lifted his head sharply to face the imnse skull on the throne. Fighting to keep the tremor out of his voice, he asked, word by word:
"But before that — You must tell : where is the Benefactor's Authority?!"
In truth, the question was moot. As the Pact's Proxy, Cheng Shi could find Deceit's Authority by the simplest of ans. He also knew Deceit could never have taken the Authority out of the Universe. Yet he asked it anyway.
What he wanted wasn't the location of the Authority. It was an answer — a confirmation of his worst guess about Deceit's fate.
Had Deceit... truly fallen?!
The massive skull said nothing. He gazed at the "employee" before Him — begging for a rcy — and though His heart ached in every way, He still disgorged from His mouth several strands of "marrow inverted to bone, bone inverted to marrow" — Deceit's Authority!
That's right. Deceit's Authority had been inside Death all along!
"!!!!!"
Seeing this, Cheng Shi finally snuffed out the last flicker of fantasy in his heart.
"He... is gone.
After... the Void... collapsed... before you... requested... an audience... Justice... brought ... His... Final Oracle.
He... entrusted... everything... to ... temporarily... until you... inherited the Pact... and held... sway over... the Universe.
This was... His deal... with Justice... and the reason... Justice... was willing... to pass... the Proxy... to you.
Deceit... would not die... and Justice... dared not... depart.
I... did not... deceive... you... on purpose. He... urged... ... repeatedly... not to... let you... learn... everything.
While He... existed... you still had... motivation. But... had you... learned... of His fall... too early...p
Fear's will... would have... been unable... to march on.
Despair... can be... a weapon. But only... if a fla... is guiding... the way... ahead.
He... beca... that fla.
Sadly... flas... are fleeting. The remaining... road... you must... walk... in the dark.
Cheng... Shi. Be... yourself."
"..."
The Boss had lied to him!
He had known everything, and He had still lied.
Not that Cheng Shi blad himself for failing to see through it. Death's performance had been flawless — and with Deceit's Authority right in His hands, how could He not fool him?
And then there was Folly — that infuriating Wise Man who had seen through everything — who had also lied.
They had used one layer of despair to pave the way for the next, and in doing so, shoved the one person who should have drowned in despair to exactly this point.
'Final Oracle!'
'What a Final Oracle!'
'My Benefactor — these are the last words You left in this world, and You couldn't be bothered to say anything to Your follower?'
'Drop the load and dump it on the Clown. What is the Clown supposed to do?'
'The Clown is helpless too.'
He had ideas, clearly. But ideas he could share with no one — not even the Boss, who had treated him better than anyone. He didn't dare voice his conjecture.
He was afraid!
Afraid that the instant he gave the answer, the Boss — the last of the Fear Faction — would choose to embrace death on the spot, as a declaration of defiance against Origin.
Cheng Shi didn't fear death. He only feared the Fear Faction's will being severed because of it. Feared this world losing its future forever.
Perhaps Death wouldn't actually do that. But Cheng Shi refused to gamble even the smallest fraction.
One wrong step, no more smiles. The smiles he carried now were no longer his own — they belonged to every person who had fallen and every person who had fought for this cause.
Cheng Shi closed his eyes and turned to leave. But behind him, the Boss's voice reached him once more.
"His Final Oracle... contained... one more... ssage... for ... to relay... to you.
He... said:
The Screenwriter's... script... is finished. How... it's perford... is the Clown's... business.
No matter... what... He... will cheer... for the Clown.
But only... if... the Clown... doesn't cry."
"..."
Cheng Shi's stride faltered. His head hung low, his expression hidden. He beckoned — and Deceit's Authority returned to his hand. He drew out a wisp and held it, as though gripping a pen that had written the fate of the Universe.
"My lord — were those His words, or Yours?"
The massive skull fell silent. No answer.
"I see.
One last question: where is Fate's Authority?"
"Not... in my... keeping."
"Very well. Your part in this performance is wrapped up, my lord. I'll take over the screenwriting from here.
I will give the era, the Universe, and this world an answer."
With that, Cheng Shi left without looking back.
Behind him, countless white bones erupted skyward, dissolving into a torrent, scattering into nothing.
In that mont, Death finally embraced death.
...
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