Chapter 548: This World Truly Needs Order

Foolish Game of the Gods

Yu Xi?

Hu Wei and Da Yi exchanged glances, each seeing surprise mirrored in the other's eyes.

'Truly befitting a Deceit Herald — even His name sounds so... deceitful.'

"I'll say no more about what follows. Just remember one thing: no matter where you encounter Him, no matter who He's pretending to be — don't spoil His fun, and don't deliberately try to approach Him.

He's unpredictable — far harder to get close to than His Benefactor.

That's all for today's meeting. I have plenty to attend to. Once I finish dealing with these troublesome matters, I'll return here to serve before the temple.

As for you two...

I have great expectations. You still have your chance."

Seeing Lord Ultraman issue his dismissal, the two bowed and prepared to take their leave. Before going, Hu Wei hesitated briefly, then tested the waters:

"My lord, both Lin Renyu and Chen Chi have had incidents. Might there, in the future, be..."

Hu Wei didn't finish, but Cheng Shi already understood: they were short-staffed and requesting reinforcements.

'If you're asking me to find a couple of partners to replace them and team up with Brother Mouth — I could probably drag in two more people.'

'But if you need helpers from the Chaos faction... sorry, I'm afraid I can't summon anyone.'

Cheng Shi pursed his lips slightly, squeezing out a peculiar smile: "You'll know about the future when the future arrives."

Hu Wei blinked, nodded, gave one final salute, and departed with Da Yi.

Once they leapt into Mockery and Jeering and left, Cheng Shi's expression turned serious. He looked upward.

"Kataro, I don't have to walk the Chaos Steps again, do I?"

The question clearly wasn't aimed at Kataro — after all, it was Chaos who had brought him down. But Cheng Shi didn't dare point fingers at Chaos directly, so Kataro would have to serve as the proxy.

What he didn't expect was that Chaos apparently just wanted him to play Ultraman and had no intention of granting another audience. So while Cheng Shi stood on the platform waiting for a response, a giant hand coalesced from chaotic yellow fog appeared beside him without a word and swatted at him.

???

Cheng Shi tried to dodge, but he was overthinking it.

A true god's eviction order wasn't something a mortal could resist. His vision went black as he was slapped clear into the void and vanished.

When the Chaos Temple fell silent once more, Kataro stood with his head lowered in the center of the hall. He addressed the empty air at the heart of the great hall with respectful deference:

"My Benefactor, since Lord Ultraman has reclaimed his identity, why wouldn't you grant him an audience?"

A snicker emitted from the air:

"What he wants isn't the identity of a servant god — it's the authority of a Herald. Wanting both — he's too greedy. Meeting him would just be annoying."

"..." That was impossible to respond to. Kataro focused his gaze inward and fell silent for a moment. Then, unable to contain his curiosity, he ventured: "My Benefactor, forgive my overstepping — Lord Ultraman mentioned You... mentioned Deceit's Herald.

In my time running errands for You and exercising authority on Lord Ultraman's behalf, I've heard whispers about the servant gods.

But this Lord Yu Xi... I've never heard of Him.

Does He... truly exist?"

"He's fake." The voice in the air shifted — becoming slightly more cheerful, though clearly restrained. "Deceit has never had a Herald. So Yu Xi's identity is fabricated. However... Void does have a genuine servant god."

Kataro froze in surprise: "Then wouldn't that be Fate's..."

"Correct. After Fate wrote the predetermined final chapter, He elevated a Herald He found agreeable and bestowed the divine name Flame of Hope.

Heh — how interesting. If the ending was already written as a tragedy, why light a flame of hope?"

With that, the voice from the ether snickered twice more.

Kataro didn't dare comment on matters involving Them. He quietly lowered his head and fell silent. Before long, the laughter ceased. Seeing that the Benefactor hadn't yet departed, Kataro deliberated momentarily before voicing another question.

"My Benefactor, please forgive my further overstepping — since You knew Memory's intentions weren't pure, why did You allow Him to speak those seductive words inside Your temple?

Lord Ultraman seems to have been influenced. His view of You... of Deceit and Void... appears to have changed."

"I did it deliberately." Chaos's answer was loaded with meaning.

"You... deliberately?"

"Indeed. He fits Void too perfectly. Without this method, he would never have stepped outside of Void."

"But why would You want the lord to step outside Void? Isn't devotion a good thing?"

"Heh — who told you that staying within Void means he'd be devoted?

You've been impersonating him for some time now. Don't you know how talented he is at blasphemy?"

"..."

Cold sweat broke across Kataro's body.

'Oh, I know very well. But I absolutely don't dare learn from his example!'

The presence in the air seemed to sense Kataro's discomfort. He chuckled softly and continued:

"Faiths are ultimately meant to converge. That pen-pusher Truth thinks so, and that foul-mouthed Folly thinks so too. Though I look down on them, I must admit — on the road to omniscience and omnipotence, no one can match their speed.

I don't know if Truth's answer is correct. But before Truth becomes true truth, I need to hold in my own hands an answer of equal weight."

Kataro felt he was hearing something momentous. The Benefactor seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today.

'But why?'

'Lord Ultraman has begun guarding against Void, fabricated a Deceit Herald, and still hasn't acknowledged his Chaos Herald identity...'

'Every single action is blasphemy. So what exactly are You happy about?'

Kataro couldn't figure it out, so he settled for seeking clarity: "Is this answer... Lord Ultraman?"

The temple went suddenly silent. Kataro jolted with alarm, realizing he'd crossed a line. He immediately lowered his head, not daring to make another sound.

Fortunately, Chaos didn't pursue the matter. After a long pause, He suddenly spoke: "Give my regards to Order. I'm leaving."

With that, He departed.

Seeing the Benefactor leave, Kataro let out a massive sigh of relief. But before he could even straighten up, he sensed another presence arriving — no, not Existence, but Void.

A pair of eyes painted with stars and spirals opened outside the temple. With a gaze like a blazing torch, He stared at Chaos's temple, then glanced at Kataro inside. A cold voice asked:

"Who are you?"

Kataro's heart dropped like a stone. This was a death-trap question.

He couldn't answer that he was Chaos's Herald — because he wasn't. But he especially couldn't answer that he was a puppet wielding Herald authority as proxy — because then Fate would hold a grudge against Chaos for recruiting His follower, and the wrath would fall on Kataro.

Kataro undoubtedly knew about Lord Ultraman's complicated identity and his relationship with Fate. Seeing the lord's other Benefactor arrive on the scene, he suddenly understood why his own Benefactor had left.

'How nice — the Benefactor avoided a great battle.'

'But also not nice — because that battle is about to land on me.'

Trembling with fear, Kataro straightened up and looked at Fate. Without flattery, without subservience, he carefully composed his words and replied:

"All praise to the great Fate. My name is Kataro, and I am... a servant of Void."

Those star-flecked eyes turned instantly frigid. He gave a cold snort:

"The crime of false speech!

Since when do Void's servants walk within Chaos?

Moreover — since when does Void have servants?

You — whose servant are you?"

Kataro secretly gritted his teeth, put on a solemn expression, and gambled everything on one answer:

"I am the servant of Lord Ultr... Lord Cheng Shi."

"...?"

Those cold eyes studied him for a long moment, said nothing further, and departed.

Watching Void vanish into the void, Kataro collapsed onto the ground, all his usual composure gone without a trace.

'Terrifying. This world truly needs Order. No wonder the Benefactor told me to send regards to Order.'

'Go — going right now!'

'Today, I shall sing paeans to the fact that Order yet exists in this universe.'

'Praise be to... uh... praise be to Chaos!'

...