In fact, Ebner had noticed the abnormality of the remnant soul before him very early on.
Setting aside the fact that the "Unknown Land" showed no reaction at all when facing Her, the very sight of those "out-of-control" crops was already enough to make me suspicious of Her true nature.
Moreover, based on the information I've obtained in the past, I can vaguely guess the purpose behind the "Night Emperor" constructing the "Ghost Empire"… In that case, Monica—who suddenly vanished and did not allow a single member of the "Trunsoest" family to board the ship—should still be controlling most of the ship's functions, rather than being sealed inside this "world."
In other words, the part that was "cut off" would not be the portion that remained free due to Liu Bo's power, but rather the portion of Her that the "Night Emperor" had controlled using the power of an Outer Deity!
Regarding this, the green-haired "Monica" did not deny it. She merely revealed an admiring expression and said:
"As expected of the 'Father God'—You saw through my essence at once…"
At that point, She smiled at Ebner with great charm, then asked:
"So then, how do You intend to deal with me?"
Ebner, on the other hand, revealed a playful expression, smiling without quite smiling as he said:
"You 'proactively' came out to greet me from the castle, then used the opportunity of punishing your subordinate to establish a connection with me. After that, you selectively told me so many fragments of 'Monica's' past… wasn't all of that just to buy time, so you could completely break free?
"After all, the seal established by the 'Knowledge Emperor' isn't something that can be cast off so easily, is it?"
Hearing this, "Monica's" expression finally changed. She stared intently into Ebner's eyes and asked in a low voice:
"Since You already guessed it, why didn't You stop me immediately?"
Ebner smiled and replied:
"Why would I stop you?
"If your problem isn't completely resolved, how is the 'door' leading to the main control room—or rather, the captain's cabin—supposed to open?
"Roselle was unable to do anything about you precisely because he too had suffered contamination from the 'Primordial Moon,' so all he could do was seal you.
"But do you really think I wouldn't have a solution?"
Hearing this, "Monica" brushed back her hair and once again revealed a seductive expression as she said:
"'Father God,' if You were still the You of back then, You could naturally resolve this with ease…
"But for some reason, You only possess this level of strength now, and it's impossible for You to harm me… after all, I have the protection of 'Mother.'"
With that, She seemed to finally completely break free of Roselle's seal. She spread her arms, preparing to draw down the power of "Mother."
However, half a minute passed—and nothing happened.
"What's going on?"
"Monica" could no longer hide her emotions. Her expression turned pale as she looked at Ebner.
In her view, the only possibility was that the "Father God" had done something behind the scenes.
Ebner shrugged and said innocently:
"You've been 'sealed' for too long. You might not know that the 'Primordial Moon' has already changed 'people.'"
In other words, your "Mother" is now Lilith, that "stepmother." How could She possibly lend you any power?
And without any "external support," although "Monica" had been a Sequence 1 "Apocalypse Demoness" in life, after death—having turned into an "evil spirit," and especially while in a "remnant soul" state—She could only rely on her angelic status to barely exert power at around Sequence 4. She was fundamentally no match for Ebner.
Thus, after figuring out her predicament, "Monica" immediately used the "Petrifying Demon Eyes" in an attempt to slow the "Father God," while She herself decisively chose to flee.
As long as She could leave this place and hide within any one of the "worlds" inside the "Ghost Empire," the "Father God" would be unable to take control of this massive ship, let alone find Her.
After all, the so-called final "world," the so-called "correct" route, was in fact nothing more than finding the "world" where She herself was located.
She herself was a part of the ship's "core." Only by controlling Her could one obtain authority over the "Ghost Empire."
In other words, She herself was the final "door" and the exit!
Facing "Monica's" sudden betrayal, Ebner seemed to have been prepared. With a wave of his hand, he rendered the "petrification" ability formless. Then, looking at "Monica," who was frozen in place and unable to move even an inch, he said mockingly:
"How unfortunate for you—your 'Mother' now favors me more…"
"Monica's" expression changed repeatedly before finally settling into a pitiful, delicate look. Her eyes seemed to be veiled in mist as she pleaded:
"'Father God,' could You preserve this personality of mine? Or let me take the dominant position when merging with the main body? You know—I truly adore You!"
However, no matter how She begged, Ebner remained unmoved. He knew very well that there were no good people among Demonesses. Even his own creations and descendants were no exception. Keeping them under his own control was far more reassuring.
Thus, he directly activated the "Pure White Eye" and took the completely immobilized "Monica"—pinned in place by "Mother"—into the "Unknown Land."
...
On a street in the surface world, the captain of the armed squad had not yet recovered from the shock of hearing the sealed "monster" call the new "Saint" "Father God," when he suddenly realized that he had returned to the city.
The teammates who had just "sacrificed" themselves were all nearby, equally shaken.
"Captain… are we all dead?"
The observer was still holding a grenade pin, but the grenade meant for mutual destruction had vanished.
"This is our city… not the world after death."
Another team member denied the companion's speculation after looking around.
Seeing that his teammates were still "alive," the captain felt both joy and shock. Tears once again flowed uncontrollably down his face.
This startled the rest of the team, who immediately became alert, wondering whether the captain himself had been possessed by some monster.
But at that moment, a strange piece of information suddenly entered everyone's minds. Though the characters were unknown to them, every person understood the meaning clearly:
"The Inner World has henceforth disappeared. The 'Foundation' is hereby dissolved."
...
Inside the castle of the "Primordial Plain," the three ladies—Xio, Edwina, and Filina—had also successfully reunited with Ebner. They were now examining with scrutinizing gazes the progenitor of succubi, "Monica," who stood beside Ebner like a "maid."
"She is?" Xio asked first.
"She is the so-called monster of the 'Primordial Plain,' and also the final 'door' to the many worlds of the 'Ghost Empire,'" Ebner explained with a smile.
"'Door'?"
Edwina examined Monica from head to toe with an "academic" gaze and asked in confusion, "Where is it?"
Ebner did not answer Edwina directly. Instead, he turned to "Monica" and instructed:
"'Monica,' the captain's cabin of this ship."
"Yes, Father God!"
"Monica" bowed respectfully. Immediately afterward, the surrounding scenery abruptly changed. The castle, filled with a sense of history, vanished, replaced by a scene brimming with "science-fiction" aesthetics:
An all-metal control console, seats that could rise and lower, and projection screens displaying the status of various "worlds"—it all looked extremely advanced…
"But in reality, this is just a 'skin,' all show and no substance, with no real technological content. At its core, it's still just an application of extraordinary powers," Ebner complained, then continued, "However, with Monica's assistance, I can now barely be considered the owner of this ship—though most of its functions are still unusable."
Just as Edwina and the others were about to look around, a sudden "alarm" sounded inside the captain's cabin:
"Alert… alert…
"'Monica' is about to arrive at its destination, but lacks the required 'credential.' Docking denied…
"Repeat alert: lacking 'credential.' Docking denied!"
The sudden sound drew everyone's attention, and they all turned their gaze toward the activated central projection screen.
Immediately afterward, a projection of a "kingdom" shrouded in gray-white mist appeared before the four of them.
At this moment, the "Ghost Empire" had stopped at the only gap in the mist, unable to advance further.
At the same time, a ring worn on Ebner's finger emitted a faint glow—then vanished in an instant.
...
Backlund, MI9 Headquarters.
Princess Vera, who was reviewing documents, suddenly paused, then smiled and said:
"So you were indeed sleeping there… Cheek!
"Does this count as the 'Witch of Chaos' hiding within the Nation of Disorder?"
(End of this chapter)