Just as the fierce struggle reached its climax, a strange, almost eerie silence suddenly fell over the battlefield.
This wasn't a ceasefire. It was the critical moment that would decide the victor.
Su Mo and the World-Honored One faced off, both ready to play the trump cards that would determine the outcome of the battle—their ultimate Gifts.
Another Cosmology: Three Thousand Worlds.
Another Cosmology: Virtual Star Tai Sui.
If these two powers were to clash head-on, which one would be sealed away?
Just as the Son of God watched with fervent anticipation, the unexpected happened.
A golden Gate of Boundary, ignoring the sovereign restrictions of the three hallowed temple grounds, descended directly onto the battlefield, materializing right beside Su Mo.
"As I thought..."
The moment he saw this power, the Son of God's eyes narrowed. He knew who had arrived.
Besides one whose Authority had already converged, besides the very source of the Boundary itself, who else was qualified to step onto their battlefield?
"Queen Halloween?"
Watching the young woman step gracefully out of the gate and take her place by Su Mo's side with a gentle smile and unwavering resolve, even the World-Honored One was slightly taken aback.
"Why are you here?"
The assembled gods and buddhas were also stunned by this sudden turn of events.
Why would Queen Halloween appear here? And why did she look so familiar with that Su Mo fellow?
Putting aside everything else, just the way they stood shoulder-to-shoulder, completely unguarded around each other, was enough to show that their relationship was anything but ordinary.
The battle had reached its endgame. The World-Honored One was visibly preparing to use Three Thousand Worlds for the finishing blow.
By appearing at this exact moment, Queen Halloween's intentions were crystal clear.
"So, you two were in it together after all," the Son of God stated, his eyes cold and indifferent.
As the mastermind behind it all, he was well aware of his own schemes.
Initially, before he knew the terrifying extent of Su Mo's power, his greatest fear had been Queen Halloween. He had sent Michael to erase evidence and set traps precisely to avoid a direct confrontation with her.
Now, however, her threat level had significantly diminished in his eyes.
It wasn't that he could now ignore her hostility. Rather, compared to the man standing before him, Queen Halloween was no longer much of a problem.
When you're deep enough in debt, you stop worrying about piling on more.
Facing an enemy like Su Mo, who could annihilate all of Christianity, an exception-class three-digit powerhouse like the Queen hardly added any more pressure.
Therefore…
"Since you've chosen to stand here, you can have no complaints if you're killed or sealed along with him, correct?" the Son of God declared, intending to eliminate them both while the World-Honored One was still an ally.
Even if she was an Astral and couldn't be killed, she could still be sealed.
"My purpose for coming is quite simple," Queen Halloween said, ignoring the Son of God's declaration as she answered the World-Honored One. She glanced back at Su Mo, a radiant smile gracing her lips.
"First, to repay a debt of gratitude."
Su Mo had helped her identify her enemy, capture the Demon Lord Alliance, and even defeat the whole of Christianity, leaving the Son of God a general with no army and turning his faction into a complete laughingstock.
For any young woman, no matter how willful, this was a debt of gratitude far greater than any hero saving a princess.
Of course, the burning gaze she fixed on him, filled with endless affection, suggested it was much more than just gratitude.
After her deep look at Su Mo, she turned her eyes to the Son of God, her expression now terrifyingly cold, more frigid than the abyss itself.
"Second, to take my revenge."
An unparalleled killing intent erupted from her, carried on her ice-cold words.
"..."
The World-Honored One was about to say something, but with the Buddha's eye of wisdom that perceived all three realms, he instantly understood the deep-seated grudge between the Queen and the Son of God.
He shot a wordless glance at the Son of God. Faced with such blatant enmity, any attempt at mediation was pointless.
Even the World-Honored One fell silent.
At that moment, Su Mo tilted his head slightly, a hint of confusion in his voice.
"Why did you come?"
In his judgment, the situation didn't yet require outside intervention.
Besides, hadn't they agreed that Queen Halloween would keep her allegiance hidden for now?
"What kind of queen lets her benefactor fight for his life while she hides in the rear, waiting to reap the rewards?" Queen Halloween replied, her tone softening considerably.
"But you said before..."
You said I didn't need to worry about your safety.
Su Mo brought up their previous conversation.
Hearing this, Queen Halloween gently shook her head, a touch of girlish innocence in her smile.
"Just consider it a sudden whim of mine! I know you have the confidence to never lose, but I just can't bring myself to stand by and watch you walk into danger!"
As she spoke, she turned her head slightly to face him, trying to suppress her racing heart, and said with unprecedented frankness, "That person said you have a way out of any predicament... but Another Cosmology is unlike anything else. Accidents can happen. With me here, things might be a little safer."
"I may only be an exception-class three-digit, without the power to truly protect you. But I can still do something as simple as standing by your side and following your commands."
"So, don't worry. Whether we fight or retreat is for you to decide. Just let me stay and assist you."
As if worried she might hold him back, Queen Halloween showed a level of obedience she never had before.
Although Shiroyasha had sworn up and down that Su Mo could escape any situation, Queen Halloween's own understanding of the world made it impossible for her to fully believe it.
This was a sure-kill technique that could not be evaded even by fleeing to a world connected to the outer edge of the Little Garden.
In fact, even if one fled to a world not linked to the Little Garden's central hub, as long as the World-Honored One could trace the corresponding world coordinates, they would be instantly located.
Surely Su Mo couldn't find a world that was neither linked to the central hub nor comprehensible and traceable by the World-Honored One, could he?
With this in mind, she had stepped forward without hesitation—even if it meant exposing her stance, tying her fate to Su Mo's, and making enemies of any other pantheons that might get involved.
If Su Mo chose to fight, her converged Authority of the Boundary could help block the attack, if only for a moment. And with her Astral immortality, Su Mo wouldn't have to worry about her becoming a weak point; she was not so easily dealt with.
Only after considering all this and confirming she wouldn't be a burden did she step out to face Three Thousand Worlds.
In the worst-case scenario, she could even be sealed in Su Mo's place, securing his path to victory.
"If you're going to put it that way, then thank you."
Faced with the Queen's declaration, Su Mo accepted her help without hesitation.
He might not have needed it, but she wouldn't be a hindrance. In fact, at this particular moment, she could actually be of some help.
"There's no need for such words between us."
Seeing Su Mo agree, the corners of Queen Halloween's lips curled up in delight.
Despite standing on an incredibly dangerous battlefield, her expression radiated a bright, girlish joy that made others do a double take.
---||---
Meanwhile, at the Thousand Eyes headquarters.
"DAMN IT! That damn vixen is too despicable! Aaaargh!"
"What 'safer'?! She's just thinking with her lovesick brain!"
Watching Su Mo and Queen Halloween standing shoulder-to-shoulder on the battlefield, Shiroyasha was losing her mind, absolutely fuming.
"She said she was going to make tea, but she went straight to the battlefield instead!"
"So that's why nothing I said earlier worked! That Queen used such a dirty trick to farm affection points! It's infuriating!"
Who didn't know how dangerous Another Cosmology was? Who wasn't worried about Su Mo?
She had refrained from intervening out of trust in Su Mo and confidence in the Chat Group's system. And what happened? The Queen went all-in at the most critical moment.
Didn't that just make her, the one who stayed behind, look like a complete clown?
"That's it! I'm going too!"
Slamming her hands on the table, Shiroyasha scrambled to her feet, ready to join the fray.
A hero saving the day?
Who was better suited for that role than her, a being at the Full-Authority Domain? If she joined, the two of them—both two-digit powerhouses—would be a perfect match, effortlessly crushing the Son of God and the Buddha.
What room would there be for a mere exception-class three-digit like the Queen to interfere?
Seeing Shiroyasha on the verge of losing all reason, Canary pounced on her like a tiger to hold her back.
"Wait, wait! Lady Shiroyasha, you must reconsider! Your position is different from the Queen's! Besides, you have the Twin Goddesses behind you! You really, truly cannot reveal your hand!"
Canary, who had been watching the epic battle unfold, never thought her greatest challenge would come from Shiroyasha herself.
As a Celestial Star Spirit, Shiroyasha was far more important than Queen Halloween. At worst, Queen Halloween would be risking her Celtic Pantheon, but Shiroyasha's involvement was tied to much, much more.
Furthermore, her Sovereignty was still in the hands of the Twin Goddesses; her participation would only introduce more unpredictable variables.
There was no way Canary could let her charge in.
"But—but!"
It wasn't that Shiroyasha didn't know this. If she went, she really could end up holding him back. Otherwise, Canary wouldn't have been able to stop her.
"I know all that, but I'm just so mad!" the white-haired loli grumbled, pounding her fists on the floor.
"I want to fight the pantheons with Su Mo, too! Why am I the only one who can't?!"
"..."
Aren't you just as lovesick as Her Majesty the Queen? Canary sighed silently.
She never imagined that the hardest part of this epic-level battle would be pacifying a jealous Celestial Star Spirit.
Lord Su Mo, please come back quickly! My small frame can't hold her back much longer!
Fortunately, a heaven-shattering change soon occurred on the battlefield.
It was enough to divert Shiroyasha's attention, and Canary could finally breathe a sigh of relief.