On a distant, desolate planet—one that should have been completely barren—figures now stood scattered across its surface.

Clad in emerald-green ecclesiastical robes, the faithful knelt upon a world etched with intricate black lines, whispering quiet prayers...

Those black lines formed something unmistakable.

A ritual.

Kumironi recognized it instantly.

This was... a ritual listed as forbidden within the doctrines of the Church of Life.

「Life Exchange Ritual」

At its core, it still belonged to the Church of Life’s system of rites—

But in reality, it had been designated as taboo, prohibited under any circumstances.

Its function was simple:

To transfer the life of one individual... into another.

And—

It could even be done by force.

As Kumironi witnessed this scene through Kanzaki Rei’s perception, her pupils shrank involuntarily.

Her voice trembled faintly, filled with disbelief.

"What... are these people doing?"

Judging by their attire—

They were clearly members of the Church of Life.

And not low-ranking ones.

Though none matched her status as a High Priestess, each of them held enough authority to command influence in any branch.

At the very least, they were figures equivalent to vice-archbishops.

As for Kumironi herself, her High Priestess rank meant that in most branches, she could directly assume the authority of the presiding archbishop.

And it wasn’t just members of the Church of Life present.

There were angels as well—

Participating alongside them in completing the ritual.

"Kanzaki Rei... can you tell me what they’re doing?"

Suppressing her emotions, Kumironi asked in a low voice.

Kanzaki Rei shook his head slightly.

"No, Kumironi... I don’t know either."

"I want to find out."

Whoosh!

The moment he finished speaking, Kumironi didn’t hesitate. She shot straight toward the nearest planet!

Kanzaki Rei’s lips twitched faintly as he watched her go.

Kumironi...

That was a bit too impulsive.

Still... it was understandable.

The Church of Life was her faith. She had devoted herself to its teachings all her life.

To cherish all beings. To love life.

Even at the cost of her own interests, she would choose to save others...

That was the doctrine of the Church of Life—

And Kumironi’s personal creed.

But now, seeing her own faith commit something she couldn’t comprehend—

How could she possibly remain calm?

Bang!

Though he moved later, Kanzaki Rei arrived first.

While Kumironi was still in flight, he had already stepped onto the planet.

To outside observers—

He simply exploded into a streak of white light from his original position, only to reappear in the next instant on the distant world like a flash.

"Who’s there?!"

The moment an unexpected presence appeared, every being on the planet snapped into alertness.

In an instant, Kanzaki Rei felt nearly a hundred streams of perception sweep over him.

Every single person present was at least a Level 6 class-advancer.

What a lineup.

He had slain plenty of Tier-6 monsters before—

But seeing this many Level 6 class-advancers gathered in one place?

That was a first.

Even on Fallen Moon Island... even in Misirus—

At most, there had only been a few dozen Level 6 individuals across an entire continent.

Yet here, on this small planet—barely the size of Earth—there were so many...

Clearly, this place was of immense importance.

"What’s everyone doing here?"

Kanzaki Rei slipped both hands into the pockets of his mage robe, a gentle smile resting on his face.

It sounded like a casual greeting.

But the moment the words left his lips—

A storm erupted within the consciousness of everyone present.

「Mental Forbidden Art: Thought Invasion」

Though in this reset timeline he had no further contact with Lottie—

And his mind was no longer tainted by her influence, by The Black Secret, or by whatever lay in the Deep Earth—

Everything she had taught him...

He still remembered.

A ripple of mental energy spread outward.

Across the entire planet, every being—

Even the angels, whose strength surpassed ordinary humans—

Fell under Kanzaki Rei’s mental invasion.

Their vigilance and hostility toward him collapsed instantly.

Erased in a heartbeat.

「Mental Forbidden Art: Thought Implantation」

Their mental defenses...

Were so weak.

After countless resets of time, after living through each day without wasting a single use of "Future Simulation,"

Kanzaki Rei’s understanding of mental magic had deepened to an extraordinary level.

To him, ordinary mental defenses were like paper.

Unless one specialized in psychic arts—

There was simply no resisting his attacks.

Buzz—

A faint daze appeared in the eyes of every being present.

Kanzaki Rei looked at the man closest to him, clad in a green robe.

The man, eyes unfocused, replied:

"We... are conducting a ritual."

"What ritual? Why are you conducting it? Who ordered you? What is your objective?"

Whoosh—

Kumironi arrived just then, firing off a barrage of questions.

The man seemed momentarily startled—but quickly answered:

"This is... the Life Exchange Ritual."

"It is to sacrifice enough lives... to summon the rebirth of the Ocean Lord."

"It was Lady Sophia’s divine decree... that we use the lives of the Secret Sea as sacrifices to bring the Ocean Lord back to life."

"The Ocean Lord?"

Ansu’s voice echoed with shock in Kanzaki Rei’s mind.

For Ansu, the current situation was largely unknown. In fact, it had been the one to first inform Kanzaki Rei about the Ocean Lord.

And yet now—

It was the one left stunned.

...Sophia?

Kumironi immediately drew her emerald staff, pointing it at the man.

Green light gathered at its tip.

"How is that possible?"

"How could Sophia order something like this?!"

The believer lowered his head, saying nothing more.

Kanzaki Rei observed him quietly.

He wasn’t lying.

At least, Kanzaki Rei detected no trace of deception.

And a forbidden ritual of this level—

Could it even be learned without divine approval?

To gather here from afar—

Every single one of them at Level 6—

If this wasn’t orchestrated by true gods, Kanzaki Rei wouldn’t believe it.

"Lady Sophia’s divine decree... is exactly as stated."

"Please do not interfere with our ritual."

"If you continue to obstruct us... don’t blame us for being unforgiving."

Kanzaki Rei’s Thought Invasion and Implantation had only suppressed their hostility temporarily.

Otherwise—

They would have attacked the moment he appeared.

But just then—

From behind the crowd, a furious female voice rang out:

"Do you even know what you’re doing?!"

"What you’re doing will bring destruction upon the entire Secret Sea—!"

Yelia descended onto the planet, blazing with anger.

In her hand, she gripped the Sword of Purifying Judgment Flame.

Her fury burned as if she intended to sever all evil from the world.

...

Yelia.

He hadn’t misjudged her.

She wasn’t standing against him—

She stood against evil itself.

There was no doubt—

Her heart was aligned with justice.

And that realization made Kanzaki Rei feel a little better about not having taken her divine weapon.