Above the sea, the Light Finger that had pierced Neo's chest slowly rose. After leaving his body, it rose a little farther, its fingertip pointing down.
It looked like a gesture of selection.
Like the final step of a ritual, once it was completed, the ritual was complete.
Then the finger dissolved into one last glimmer of light and sank into Neo's body again.
The Awakening ended.
Kallen opened his eyes and looked around. He found that the Source of Pollution that would originally have formed had now vanished. Even the pollution in that underground tunnel in Vien had been dealt with this time. It could be called quite environmentally friendly.
Neo slowly opened his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, there was a splash, and he fell straight into the sea.
At first, Kallen instinctively assumed Neo simply wanted a soak to cool off, but he soon realized that was not the case.
A moment later, a Chain of Order hauled Neo out of the sea. Soaking wet, he looked thoroughly bedraggled.
He pushed his hair aside with one hand and cursed,
"Fuck!"
Kallen smiled. "Congratulations."
"Heh."
Neo gave two cold laughs.
"I'll have someone arrange your Purification as soon as possible."
"That sounds like you're saying you'll arrange for someone to change my diapers."
"It doesn't matter. We all go through it anyway."
Neo was now like Kallen when he had just returned from the Pollution Underground Tunnel: he had become an "ordinary person."
He needed to go through the stages of Divine Servant, Divine Revelation, Divine Shepherd... all over again.
"It won't take me long. I'll try to break your record."
"I believe you can do it, but I'd still suggest not pursuing speed alone. Since you have a second chance to start over, you