The raised hand waved gently, the expression like dismissing something that had lost its use, "Besides, you don't actually think you can defy the true ruler of this plane, do you?"

An invisible force flung the massive body of Black Steel into the air, its wings bound by that force, unable to maneuver in midair. He got further and further away from the treehouse, with the chilling words of the Red-haired Girl still lingering in his ears, "Everything you've experienced, I've witnessed; every person you've met, every event you've encountered, only happened with my permission."

Black Steel plummeted straight down, and he saw someone pass by him.

That person was riding on the back of a golden divine bird, heading straight for the treehouse.

"Boom—!"

His body made contact with the ground, instantly creating a deep pit on the surface.

However…

He did not feel the slightest pain.

The invisible force that bound him also protected him.

Once again, he recalled fragments of the past, memories of the Red-haired Girl always picking him up with her hands after they got tired from playing, placing him on a soft mattress—perhaps the most beautiful moments he could remember.

The confusion in Black Steel's heart deepened; he was utterly lost in the ceaseless intertwining of two strands of memory. He could not comprehend why, even as he began to accept those new memories, the Red-haired Girl would utter such cold words in his presence.

Why throw him to the ground, yet simultaneously protect him with dispersed force.

It only made it appear like a severe fall, when in reality, not a single wound appeared. Moreover, he could feel a gentle energy flowing into his body, gradually dissolving the corrosion inflicted by the Blue Lake.

It was beyond logical explanation.

Could all this be the Crimson Queen's perverse pleasure?

Did seeing deceived creatures fall into disarray bring her joy?

However, the next moment, he heard a tremendous sound coming from the top of the Divine Tree. After the human riding the golden divine bird ascended to the treehouse, countless cracks split open in the clouds. In an instant, Black Steel vaguely felt that those inexplicable questions were answered.

This was the person the Crimson Queen was truly waiting for.

To her, this was the final battle, and his presence by the treehouse would only be a hindrance.

She had acquired a more powerful companion.

After the sky was torn apart, a figure hidden in another world emerged, assuming the form of the Hanged Man, revealing its true face from the fractured rift.

Its massive body overshadowed the sky, and with its appearance, everything in this world fell into stillness. The mechanical creatures clustered in front of the Divine Tree prostrated themselves on the ground, devoutly welcoming the return of the deity.

This was a war only the "gods" had the right to intervene in, and its outcome would affect the trajectory of the entire world.

Yet the next moment, Black Steel's pupils contracted.

He saw a figure falling from the sky, her fiery red hair billowing, her body intertwined with the scorching sun.

Her chest was pierced through.

In the cavity from which one could see straight to the other side, there was no blood or organs belonging to a human. This was a manner of death Black Steel had never seen before. Time seemed to freeze in his eyes at this moment, as the familiar figure gradually disappeared, like scattering white light, bit by bit returning to nothingness.

The Red-haired Girl's face still bore a smile, her voice transcending the concepts of time and space to reach Black Steel's ears.

With an extremely relaxed tone, carrying the ease of liberation.

Goodbye, Little Ignatius.

I'm off work now.