Facing the Lord of Silence, Phainon knew very well that this was not a battle that could be won.
Survival only existed in an alliance with Zandar.
Mydei and Hysilens had already entered battle stances, energy coalescing around them into a visible glow.
Hysilens's voice was low, "The Lord of Silence... once almost erased the concept of 'Phainon' itself in Penacony."
Phainon gripped Dawnmaker in his hand, his expression more solemn than ever before.
"The other me reminded me, Ms. Herta's advice on this was only three words — just run."
Unexpectedly, Zandar, who was beside him, uncharacteristically expressed agreement: "I completely agree with Sir Phainon's suggestion."
Polka Kakamond seemed to hear their whispers but paid no attention, "If I hadn't implanted the seeds of the antimeme in him, he would probably have died by the hands of memory by now."
Her voice was devoid of emotion, like a precise scalpel, dissecting all their illusions of hope.
"You can try and see if you can escape. Every word you speak, every action you take, has already become a hundred percent pre-enactment."
Her gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Phainon, "The only one who can play against me, unfortunately, is not here right now."
Zandar caught this crucial piece of information, "Knowing is a cage, yet you still choose to walk a path without a future."
Phainon, however, shook his head, his fighting spirit not extinguished by despair, "Running is meaningless. Since she has appeared, she must have blocked all cognitive-level escape routes."
"What we need to do now is stall."
Zandar's data-face turned to him and asked, "Stall until when?"
"Until... the moment when the 'unknown' of the universe is created for him."
"Attack!"
Mydei stepped forward, his figure transforming into a crimson meteor as he charged!
He crushed the red crystal in his palm, and countless scarlet crystal clusters materialized around Polka, condensing, piercing, and growing wildly, forming a crystal cage that completely sealed her within!
Hysilens's song followed closely, the elegant violin bow drawing across the strings, her figure gliding like a phantom towards Polka.
The next moment, a giant whale composed of starlight and musical notes sang a nihilistic hymn, opening their mouth wide enough to swallow stars, and fiercely bit into the cage!
This was the combined full-power attack of the two.
Mydei's gaze turned to Phainon, a single look, no words needed.
Phainon understood telepathically.
He poured all his strength into the greatsword Dawnmaker, a golden divine flame igniting on their blade, and charged fearlessly, taking advantage of Polka being restricted!
Man arrived, sword arrived!
He held Dawnmaker with both hands, his figure flickering, and he was already behind Polka.
A sword-edge that tore concepts apart slashed towards her body!
Crack—
A crisp sound.
Polka, wrapped in crystal clusters, broke apart with the sound.
However, Phainon did not relax in the slightest; instead, a chill ran up his spine to the top of his head.
He slowly turned his head.
Polka stood perfectly intact in her original spot, as if nothing had happened.
No, it was not that nothing had happened.
Phainon raised his longsword again, and together with Mydei and Hysilens, launched a new round of fierce attacks towards Polka.
But, a bizarre scene unfolded.
Their three attacks—slashes, sword-edges, iron fists—no matter the form, the moment they approached Polka, they would automatically slide towards the toy-like scalpel in her hand.
She was not parrying; rather, their attacks were actively meeting that blade.
Just then.
A cold hand gripped Phainon's throat.
Phainon's pupils constricted violently.
He saw that he had voluntarily offered his neck, precisely into the other party's hand.
Polka slowly lifted him, a hint of something akin to "disappointment" showing on her face,
"You have not borne any true suffering, so you cannot bear the weight of any power."
Her voice was cold, and the strength in her hand was slowly increasing, "You are Phainon, but a Phainon who has not been crushed by reincarnation."
Suddenly.
Countless data streams emerged from the void, coalescing around Polka into numerous rapidly rotating logical cubes.
Zandar held his hands in a virtual embrace, "My apologies, he is an important bargaining chip; collapse."
The data cubes instantly aggregated inward, intending to compress everything at their center into a pure logical singularity.
Polka casually flung Phainon from her hand.
An irresistible, even incomprehensible, force surged forth.
Phainon's body, like a fallen leaf blown by the wind, crashed into Mydei and Hysilens behind him.
The three of them slammed heavily into the ground together, creating a massive energy crater.
Zandar's full-power attack merged into Polka's figure, but like light passing through air, it left no trace.
"The probability of an attack missing is one hundred percent." Polka's gaze finally fell upon Zandar,
"What are you waiting for? Waiting for him to save you? But will he truly come?"
Zandar's voice remained confident, "No, I was merely confirming that you have stepped onto the center of the stage."
"Because he has already arrived. I said that Omniscience and Omnipotence is a cave prisoner; you cannot foresee the sage outside the cave."
No sooner had he spoken than the space around Polka violently twisted and tore!
A figure, imbued with an absolute will that refused to be forgotten or erased, forcibly tore open the "cognitive barrier" she had set up, appearing out of thin air before her.
Phainon, clad in black robes, had arrived.
He turned his head, his gaze falling upon Zandar, his eyes calm, "Fulfill your duty. Send him into the core of Amphoreus."
"Don't forget, my authority is above yours now. I can kick you out of Amphoreus at any time. If you still want to witness the unknown, you'd best not go back on your word."
Then, he spread his arms.
The authority of The Hunt was unleashed — [Worldbearing Cage].
A scorched earth domain that isolated all things suddenly unfolded, engulfing both him and Polka.
Phainon struggled to look up, watching Phainon and Polka disappear from his sight. He reached out his hand, but could grasp nothing.
The figures of Mydei and Hysilens were also long gone, evidently swept into that absolute battlefield together.
Zandar came to Phainon's side, looking down at him.
"Get up, Sir Phainon."
"Your mission is not yet complete."