Completion Bonus Chapter — Deceit Behind the Scenes: Backstage |
Completion milestone reached! Here's the bonus chapter!
...
The eve of the Audience Meeting. The Void.
Brilliant starlight pulsed in an orderly rhythm. The majestic river of stars was resplendent beyond measure. Deep within the Void, adorned by infinite starlight, two voices emerged.
"I am not at ease."
"Neither am I."
The negotiation had reached a deadlock. The atmosphere was leaden. Neither god would yield, and the discussion gradually escalated into a standoff.
After a long silence, a torrent of pale bones cascaded down, forming a colossal skull beside the two gods. Green flames smoldered in its eye sockets as it gazed upon them and spoke in a resonant hum:
"At... this point... what... meaning... does... arguing... still hold?"
The Scales were still balanced. He shook His head and said in a deep voice:
"What I seek is a new order for the universe. I know I must die. I also know the Origin has no connection to what Order should be. But I absolutely cannot die before He does!
He is skilled at deceiving the world. I cannot leave the universe to Him. No one can guarantee He won't drag the universe into the abyss of Void..."
The only being in the universe capable of infuriating Justice of Order to this degree was, of course, none other than Deceit.
Those spiral-only eyes glinted with mockery as He sneered at the Flowing Light Scales:
"Tch—
You old relic. I think you've aged past the point of seeing clearly.
You think that just because you withhold your approval, this universe won't become mine?
My followers have already begun consolidating their votes. Why don't you take a moment to consider — who in this universe can possibly stop Fixed Destiny's march?
Big brother? The loudmouth? Or... blind old you?"
"..."
What Deceit said was fact. At the current pace, Justice of Order could only watch as voting rights accumulated toward Fixed Destiny, one by one.
It wasn't that He disagreed with the Fear Faction. On the contrary — He greatly admired them. The moment He had caught that glimpse in the Sea of Desire, He had known: in the eyes of the Origin, all existing life and all civilized order were utterly meaningless. It would destroy this world eventually. It was only a matter of time.
He, too, wanted to break free of this false order. He trusted in fear — but He could not bring Himself to trust Deceit.
Granted, the Fear Faction's plan might work. But as long as Deceit remained alive — as the helmsman of this plan — He could alter its course at any moment and pull the universe away from Fixed Destiny.
Justice of Order didn't dare gamble. So He had rejected Deceit's proposal.
But now, it seemed, Death had agreed first.
He who bore the Divine Name of Death — was He truly willing to die so namelessly?
The colossal skull sensed the Flowing Light Scales' confusion and spoke once more:
"Death... has never... been... a grand... or glorious... affair. To embrace... death... is simply... the final... ending.
As for... how... the ending... is presented... that is... a comfort... left... for others. It is not... where... my... Will... resides.
Yet... even gods... have feelings.
I... too... wish... to bid farewell... to... my followers. But... whoever... is there... at the farewell... if it... can bring... him... comfort... that is enough.
He will... understand. Because... he is... my follower. The one... who will... inherit... my... Divine Name.
Justice of Order... if we ask... who... in this universe... cares... the most... about whether... this plan... succeeds...
I... do not... believe... it is you.
It must be... Deceit.
He... pushed... this era... to this point. He will not... let... His own plan... fail!
No one... knows... how much... He sacrificed... for this... or how much... He endured..."
He won't let His own plan fail?
Deceit glanced at Death and smiled but said nothing.
Perhaps it was Death's persuasion that worked. Or perhaps it was realizing He had no other choice. Justice of Order struggled for a long time, then finally sighed and nodded.
And in the instant He nodded, the Flowing Light Scales had already begun to tilt — an imperceptibly slight shift.
"I will place the universe in Fixed Destiny's hands. But only in Fixed Destiny's.
I am tired. For the universe's sake, I have forced myself to hold on until now. I should have been freed long ago. I should have died in those cold waters of the Sea of Desire.
At that time, I wanted War to end me. But He said:
'The universe cannot yet lose Order. You cannot die — but you also cannot let the universe draw any closer to this place...'
So He and I staged a performance, one that made every god in the universe give the Sea of Desire a wide berth.
After returning from the Sea of Desire, He set His sights on that heartless Creator. He knew He was destined to die. All He wanted was to vent, before the end, upon the Origin — the one who had granted Him His Divine Name, His authority... and His contamination!
He told me to endure. Then He freed Himself first... I have waited for this day a very long time. End it quickly. Everything shall end."
"It will end. Everything shall end. You and I will both be freed."
Deceit's eyes shimmered as He gazed into the infinite Void.
The negotiation had reached a conclusion of sorts. From that day forward, the Convention transfer plan began in utter secrecy.
And then came the Audience Meeting, where Deceit laid His cards on the table before the Clown — and made His dramatic exit in front of him.
Yes — in that moment, a god did fall. But under Deceit's concealment, the one who fell was not Deceit.
It was... Death.
Just as He had said — Death silently embraced death.
No — not entirely silent. At the very end, for the sake of the universe, He played the part of Fate one final time. Through a death that could not be defined as death, He brought this world one last wisp of the Origin's power.
And Deceit became Death. For the universe, for Fixed Destiny, for the world's future — He stood the final watch!
He needed to watch the Fear Faction's plan take shape in Fixed Destiny's hands. He needed to ensure that an entire era's worth of scheming and planning would not be derailed by any last-minute accident!
It was only when the new Convention Proxy was confirmed that He knew He could finally be freed.
And so He left Death's Divine Throne to Death's followers. Before departing, He said those words to the Clown:
"The Screenwriter's script is finished. How to perform it is the Clown's affair.
No matter what, He will cheer for the Clown.
On one condition — the Clown doesn't cry."
"..."
Cheng Shi's steps halted. Head bowed, his expression hidden, he beckoned with his hand — reclaiming Deceit's authority. He drew out a single thread and held it, as if gripping a pen that had written the universe.
"My Lord — were those His words, or yours?"
Deceit fell silent and gave no answer.
A torrent of white bones erupted skyward. The despair that had been borne for an entire era found liberation at last. He had found the world a future. He had also foreseen what that future would look like.
He was not satisfied. But...
This was the absolute limit of what He could do.
...
Comments 16