"But I know… in your world—by that, I mean the wondrous world you truly came from—there is another name that suits me far better."
"Usually, you would call me Tzeentch, would you not?"
Roya's mind roared as if struck by thunder. Countless fragments of information, long buried in the depths of memory, erupted into clarity with those two syllables.
Tzeentch!
The God of Change!
The horrific convergence of all hope and cunning, twisted within Chaos.
It is said that He knows all changes and all patterns within existence, and to amuse Himself He can spend tens of thousands of years weaving schemes—entangling entire star systems and countless intelligent beings into the fate-plays that delight Him.
In that instant, Roya realized that everything unfolding on Pirate Star was far from the simple surface appearances.
Any affair touched by the hand of a Tzeentch cultist would become riddled with labyrinthine turns, impossible to unravel.
And if Tzeentch Himself had chosen to intervene?
Then every judgment made before this moment was destined to be overturned!
Even decisions built on solid evidence and real-time knowledge might still fall neatly within His web of design.
"Heh… your thoughts truly are quick enough."
At once Tzeentch discerned Roya's reasoning, commenting through Lucci's mouth.
"Your response here was far beyond my expectations. You've wholly piqued my interest. So rather than drag on this game, which has already lost its charm, why not let me lay out my arrangement for you? Watching the choices you make will be far more entertaining."
As He spoke, Lucci drifted slowly down before law, extending a hand to press lightly upon the shoulder still writhing in struggle with corruption.
He continued:
"This poor fellow, unfortunately, caught the eye of that brute Khorne."
"But such a path would have been terribly dull. So I struck a bargain with Khorne—he gave this one up, and turned his attention toward another, far more promising candidate."
"By Khorne's nature and efficiency, that candidate must already be conducting his ascension ritual."
"Ah… indeed it is so! One hundred loyal subordinates, sacrificed without hesitation. Truly a worthier servant for Khorne than this weakling could ever be!"
Roya's heart sank. Though Tzeentch's words were cloaked in vagueness, the few key phrases were enough for him to piece together the identity of this so-called candidate.
Kaido of the Hundred Beasts!
By both temperament and strength, he was indeed far more suited than law to become Khorne's Chosen Champion, the herald of endless blood and slaughter.
What chilled Roya even more was the thought that crept unbidden into his own heart: that if Kaido's sacrifice could ensure Pirate Star's stability and prosperity, then perhaps such a loss was not wholly unacceptable.
The moment that thought surfaced, Roya heard Tzeentch's mocking laughter.
"You see? My judgment is never wrong. You are indeed well-suited to become my Chosen."
"This round ends here. I would not want you to complain later that I never gave you a choice."
"So then—will you remain and thoroughly resolve the corruption festering on Pirate Star? Or will you hurry to stop Kaido's ascension ritual, to save him from Khorne's grasp before he completes his transformation into Champion?"
"The choice is yours, my dear Roya. And so will be the consequences."
"And as a token of goodwill, let me leave you with a small reminder: beyond the galaxy, there is an existence greater than any ordinary entity—one that has already set its sights upon you."
As the final syllable faded, the violet mist shrouding Lucci's eyes vanished, leaving behind a dazed, terrified gaze.
"Lord… I…"
Tzeentch had not sealed Lucci's consciousness away, but had instead forced him to watch and listen to everything.
Without employing a single corruptive ritual, He had planted a seed that could gnaw at Lucci's sanity.
Compared with the crude brutality of Nurgle and Khorne, Tzeentch's methods were infinitely more insidious. One misstep, one careless pursuit of knowledge, could open the way for Him to twist a soul.
This was the horror of the Four Gods of Chaos—their corruption seeped everywhere, unavoidable.
Once one of them set its gaze upon you, peace was gone forever.
And Roya now bore the attention not only of the Four, but—if Tzeentch's words held truth—also of some other dreadful being beyond the galaxy itself!
"Then let the soldiers meet the enemy, and let earth dam the waters! I will see for myself what tricks you false gods think you can play!"
Roya quickly steadied his heart, turning back to the task of cleansing Pirate Star's corruption.
He did not believe that Tzeentch had retreated on a whim. Clearly, it was because Roya's handling had been precise—he had prevented Nurgle's and Khorne's chaos from spreading fully in the lower districts. With no more room to stir trouble, Tzeentch had chosen to withdraw.
And as always, He had departed while sowing confusion—dropping vague hints of Kaido's ritual to cloud Roya's judgment.
Tzeentch never lied, but to trust every word He uttered without question would be the height of suicidal folly.
"Kaido is indeed likely preparing his ascension ritual—but the preparations should still be far from complete."
"That means I still have time to purge Pirate Star of corruption, especially Vegapunk's and law's."
"The true danger, rather, is that so-called being beyond the galaxy. Judging by Tzeentch's phrasing, that threat may arrive even sooner than Kaido's ascension. I must be ready."
As he weighed all possibilities, Roya at the same time assumed full control over Pirate Star, issuing clear commands across the city.
For corruption of the Chaos Gods was not so simple as filth to be swept away.
This was corruption that struck directly at the soul and the will. The only counter was likewise spiritual: to fortify people with unwavering faith or willpower strong enough to resist.
"Send the word! On this very square, a grand cathedral is to be built! The steadfast faithful who stood here today shall be welcomed as the cathedral's first clergy!"
"From this day forward, let the horrors of the Chaos Gods' corruption be preached, and let today's events be proclaimed exactly as they happened!"
Until now, the people's worship of Roya had been spontaneous, unbidden. Roya himself had not sought to guide it.
But now that the threat of the Four Gods had broken into the open, he would not hesitate.
It was only natural that a true faith be established—with belief in Roya at its core.
Faith to stand against corruption!