...Seeing Lord Ludewell's reaction, Caine felt much the same as the surviving crew members aboard the "Black Tulip"—he almost couldn't believe his eyes. He had envisioned two possible scenarios: first, that Lord Ludewell had summoned a half-deity from the Order of the Holy Church to assist him, ambushing Germán Sparrow and the powerful figures behind him—this was entirely plausible, since the Sequence 7 "Spiritualist" path of the "Death God" route is capable of foreseeing impending dangers. Second, that Lord Ludewell was unprepared and had resolutely resisted, only to be easily defeated by Mr. Azk. Klein's plan was this: if the first scenario unfolded, he would have Mr. Azk handle the half-god, while he himself would pursue the "General of Hell," securing the second relic; if the second scenario occurred, he would ask Mr. Azk to observe from the sidelines, taking charge of the relic himself and facing off directly against Ludewell. Throughout this process, he would leverage the "craving that pulses," moving skillfully among the shadows, staying largely behind the scenes to accelerate the consumption of the "Master of Relics" potion. Yet, to his surprise, the "General of Hell" offered no resistance at all—simply bowing low, kissing the deck as if he were Mr. Azk's most loyal and humble servant. How could the battle even begin? Klein stood motionless, gazing ahead, unsure whether to speak or not. The entire ship remained silent. Mr. Azk raised a hand, gently adjusting the silk hat on his head, and then walked slowly toward Ludewell, who knelt at his feet. One step, two steps, three steps—then he stopped before Ludewell, the "General of Hell," and spoke in a low, steady voice: "How far has the Spiritual Order's project to create the Divine been progressed?" Ludewell's forehead pressed firmly against the ground, his voice hoarse as he replied: "The artificial Divine now actively influences high-ranking members who fail in their promotions, but still cannot respond to prayers or rituals..." After finishing, he slightly lifted his upper body and removed the square, dark ring from his right hand, holding it gently in both hands and offering it forward. In silence, the ring seemed to be supported by countless spiritual beings, floating upward and landing gently into Azk's palm. Azk studied it for a few seconds, then picked it up and placed it on the tip of his left index finger. Suddenly, a terrifying, profound, and incomprehensible sense of superiority radiated from him, spreading out like a wave. The living corpses and skeletons, some bare, others clad in tattered leather armor, all knelt on one knee, lowering their heads as if they dared only to gaze at his boots. The swirling spirits and shadows likewise descended to the deck, pressing tightly against it, no longer drifting in mid-air. One after another, the other pirates on the ship collapsed to the deck, burying their faces in the planks, unable to lift them even slightly. Kline stood at the opposite end, gazing at Mr. Azk's back and the suddenly open expanse before him, his mouth agape, yet unable to utter a word. Azk took another two steps, positioning himself beside the "General of Hell," then turned around, facing Kline, and said to Ludewell: "You have served as his secret companion for one year. At the end of the term, you may return to the spirit realm." "Speaking these words, Azk remained calm and matter-of-fact, as though the fate of the 'Lord of Hell'—his very life or future—were of little consequence, or perhaps, to him, it was merely a minor matter, one that didn't require any regard for the feelings or thoughts of those being commanded. Luther's body shook violently, as if filled with anger and resentment, yet he still failed to lift his gaze, keeping his forehead pressed firmly against the deck. 'Yes, Most Noble Death Magistrate,' he replied. As soon as he finished speaking, the mysterious symbols—alternating between pale and sickly green—began to emerge, interweaving with one another and forming an ethereal bronze gate. This gate rapidly contracted and then pierced through the forehead of the 'Lord of Hell.' Kline stood there, momentarily stunned and confused, until Mr. Azk nodded to him and pointed toward the 'Lord of Hell,' at which point he moved stiffly forward, entering a ten-meter radius and taking control of the spiritual threads of Luther's body. The pirate general several times tried to lift his body and wave his arms, but never actually carried out these actions. Soon, his thoughts grew sluggish, and he instinctively struggled. After a while, Ludewell, the "Lord of Hell" wearing a silver-white mask, rolled over and stood up, lowering his head and retreating to克莱恩's side, standing alongside Enzo, the "Winner." Azk remained silent, and only finally spoke slowly: "In the Path of Death, higher-ranking figures exert strong dominance over those below them." ...I could infer that when I threw your copper whistle earlier, even as a Sequence 5 "Lord of Hell," you were completely unable to control your own immortals. Klein nodded gently, indicating he had noted this. Then, a corpse with several areas already decaying crawled up and approached Klein, holding a blue sleeve pin. That was the fish-man sleeve pin I had lost! Though it no longer served any practical purpose for me now, it had finally returned... Amid a quiet sense of nostalgia, Caine reached out and took back the item that belonged to him. Then he saw Mr. Azk walking toward him, reaching out to grasp his shoulders. Caine quickly extended both hands, catching the shoulders of his two secret doppelgängers, Enzo and Ludewil. "By instinct, Caine spoke: "My dreams have warned me that it's dangerous there. Perhaps we should first visit the members of the Order of the Spirits who are most committed to the artificial Death God project, gather more detailed information from them, and then decide." Azk remained silent for a few seconds, then said: "There are voices calling me." Caine turned his head to look at Mr. Azk. The man—soft features, copper-toned skin, and weathered eyes—had his facial contours tightly drawn, with no extra curve at his lips. Color blocks swiftly passed by as Azk swiftly guided Caine into the turbulent sea region, battered by dark storms and flashing lightning. At that moment, the solid, cold square ring and the refined, antique bronze whistle simultaneously glowed with a soft light, illuminating Azk's face. This fourth-century-surviving "High Officer of Death" closed his eyes and quietly listened to the calls coming from somewhere unknown, then firmly clenched his right hand. The entire scene of the spiritual realm around them collapsed inward, condensing into a dark vortex that spun slowly without any visible edge. This vortex suddenly expanded, engulfing Azk, Caine, and the two secret figures. Caine felt a sudden, intense dizziness, nearly retching on the spot. After an indeterminate length of time, he regained his composure and found himself inside a dark, cold mausoleum, surrounded by open caskets. Within each casket lay a decayed corpse with white feathers growing from its back. Though he had reminded Mr. Azk, he had still ended up here... Caine paused for a moment, a profound sense of helplessness rising within him. He turned his head to the side and saw Azk standing nearby, gazing intently toward the deep interior of the mausoleum, where staircases led. There, a thick black mist flowed slowly, like haze. "That place likely holds the artificial Death Deities," Caine murmured again. The lines on Azk's face were no longer so taut; a gentle curve appeared at the corners of his mouth. "My previous slumber has brought back more memories. I saw myself seated upon the throne of the Skull King, witnessing the extraordinary and ordinary alike fall dead before the throne—having done nothing wrong, simply vanishing suddenly. One by one, they rose again, transformed into pale, immortal beings, loyal to me. And I watched all this with cold detachment, emotionless, as the disaster spread from the countryside to the cities. It felt unlike myself, yet I knew clearly that perhaps this was truly who I had always been." The "Death Magistrate" of the Fourth Age of Baylang Empire... Clain's lips moved, then settled again. Azk raised a hand to gently rub his temple, speaking calmly and steadily: "I feel as though I'm returning to this very path."