As Kanzaki Rei watched the surging waves around him, the sense of foreboding in his chest grew stronger and stronger.
His instinct for seeking fortune and avoiding disaster kept issuing warnings.
And yet—
He couldn’t perceive any way to avoid what was coming.
It was as if the entire world itself had beco an on of calamity.
"Kid... you don’t look too happy."
Ansu’s voice echoed within his mind.
Of course I’m not happy.
I ca to the Moon Sea precisely because I knew the Secret Sea might be destroyed.
So what is this? Going in circles just to end up right back here?
"Kanzaki Rei..."
Kumironi frowned slightly as she looked at him.
With a single step, she appeared at his side.
Kanzaki Rei’s aura had changed again. The "Unsolvable Mystery" no longer concealed much from Kumironi—she could clearly feel how much stronger he had beco.
"This place... it seems to be the Secret Sea."
Kanzaki Rei gave a faint nod.
"Yeah."
Then he asked:
"Kumironi... when you left the Secret Sea back then, what was the situation like?"
Kumironi shook her head.
"That man—Roya—escaped."
"We didn’t pursue him. He vanished completely."
"After that, Iz set up a teleportation spell, and we left."
"When we departed, everything was calm. There were no signs that anything unusual was about to happen."
She looked out over the surrounding ocean, worry evident in her expression.
"Kanzaki Rei... I rember your prophecy said..."
"On April 1st, the Secret Sea would be destroyed."
Kanzaki Rei nodded again.
"Yeah."
"It should be... today."
He recalled what Aegmissa had said not long ago:
A matter not so trivial... a regret that has yet to occur.
Combined with the nature of the second stage—
Kanzaki Rei could roughly guess its intention.
It wanted them to prevent a future regret.
And now, they had been brought to the Secret Sea.
So—
Was this about saving it?
Saving it?
He let out a cold laugh inwardly.
I’m not that strong.
He bit his finger lightly, brows tightly furrowed.
"Kumironi."
"...Do you trust ?"
Kumironi tilted her head slightly, a gentle smile forming—warm as spring sunlight.
"Why ask sothing like that all of a sudden?"
"Kanzaki Rei... everything you’ve said and done, we’ve seen it all."
"I’ve always believed you’re soone worth trusting."
Kanzaki Rei paused.
Her sincerity stirred sothing in his chest—both warmth and a faint ache.
"Even... if I’m a Death Priest?" he asked.
Kumironi’s smile didn’t fade.
"Doesn’t Iz always say that?"
"It’s not power that’s frightening—it’s how it’s used."
"I’ve never cared whether you’re a Death Priest... or anything else."
Kanzaki Rei let out a silent sigh.
If possible—
He truly didn’t want to disappoint her.
But he still spoke.
"Kumironi..."
"If I told you... I can perform the Pure White Descent Ritual..."
"What would you think?"
Ansu imdiately interjected:
"Hey, hey—are you seriously telling the High Priestess of the Church of Life that you can perform the Pure White Descent Ritual?"
"Are you trying to destroy your relationship?"
Kanzaki Rei replied coldly in his mind:
"Shut up."
Ansu clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Trying to give you advice and you won’t listen..."
Kumironi froze slightly.
"Kanzaki Rei... why are you telling this?"
Kanzaki Rei answered calmly:
"I’m worried about what’s coming."
"Sothing capable of destroying the Secret Sea... may not be sothing we can handle."
"Iz and the others aren’t here. I don’t know what else we can rely on."
"This ritual is the only trump card I have that might... barely contend with a god."
"It’s my last resort."
He paused, then added:
"If it becos necessary, I may use it... to protect myself."
Kumironi’s expression grew more serious.
"Will it really be that dangerous?"
Kanzaki Rei shook his head.
"I’m not certain."
"So unless it’s absolutely necessary, I won’t use it."
"I just wanted to tell you my thoughts... and what I might do."
As he spoke, Kanzaki Rei took out his Deck of Fate.
It resembled the divination cards once used by Pari—
Each card depicted a different deity, symbolizing different outcos.
By interpreting the drawn cards in context, one could glimpse the future.
However—
Divination during this month was notoriously unreliable.
"Let try to divine what’s coming..."
"I have a really bad feeling."
When he tried to peer directly into his own future—
All he saw was a murky, unfathomable sea.
Impossible to read.
So he combined multiple thods to probe deeper.
Kumironi nodded.
"Okay."
Three cards were drawn in succession.
[White of Death and Destruction — Smile][White of Death and Destruction — Hanging][White of Death and Destruction — Approaching]
A pale figure smiling faintly.
A white-clad girl hanging upside down.
A looming, faceless white presence filling the entire card.
All three cards—
Belonged to the sa entity.
The White of Death and Destruction.
Even Kumironi, who knew nothing of divination, froze at the sight.
"Kanzaki Rei..."
"Is your entire deck thed around death and destruction?"
Kanzaki Rei stared at the results, cold sweat forming on his back.
"Kumironi..."
He spread the entire deck into the air.
The cards floated, revealing depictions of nurous gods.
It wasn’t that his deck only contained those three—
He had simply... drawn them.
Kumironi spoke:
"Sophia’s divine authority is still on us."
"We’re still within Aegmissa’s third-stage trial."
"We won’t die... here."
Kanzaki Rei imdiately checked within himself.
She was right.
The divine authority was still active.
If they died, they should return to the ruins.
But if death wasn’t possible—
Then what did these three cards an?
He glanced at the others.
They all looked equally confused.
After a mont of thought, Kanzaki Rei said:
"I’m going to leave this place first."
"Kumironi, will you co with ?"
She nodded without hesitation.
As long as Kanzaki Rei was here, it made sense to move with him.
As for the others—
She didn’t know them.
And this wasn’t the ti for introductions.
Whoosh!
The two of them shot forward like streaks of light.
Kanzaki Rei had spotted an island to the southwest.
He didn’t know when the destruction of the Secret Sea would begin—
But Aegmissa hadn’t placed them here without reason.
Kumironi was astonished by his speed.
At this point, Kanzaki Rei’s movent was no weaker than Iz or Akagi.
He truly moved like light itself.
Even carrying her along—
He remained effortless.
In just two minutes, they landed on the island.
Kanzaki Rei still held Kumironi’s hand.
Strangely—
She felt a sense of safety.
He was no longer the weak one who needed protection.
Now—
It felt as though he was protecting her.
The mont they landed—
Kanzaki Rei raised his hand.
Countless bones and corpses surged outward.
A flash of cold light cut across his wrist.
Blood flowed like a stream, spilling onto the ground.
The ritual array was drawn with perfect precision—
As if he had practiced it thousands of tis.
[Pure White Descent Ritual]
Kumironi stood beside him at the center of the formation.
Even before activation—
She could feel it.
Death was gathering.
Destruction was condensing.
To witness, with her own eyes—
The ritual that could summon the Pure White—
Being constructed before her—
Left Kumironi with indescribably complex emotions.
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