Chapter 102
Once they begin their work, they will exert a long-lasting and indelible influence on the world, causing ecological extinction in one place and creating calamities affecting tens or hundreds of millions of people.
Doing so would inevitably incur the Skyflint's Excommunication.
This is why Twilight dares not take action in the mortal world.
Hebe's unease grew stronger. She turned around, walked to the foyer, placed the thermos on the table, and then took out a heavy black umbrella before stepping into the deep rain of the night.
The wind and rain raged like a waterfall, and crows howled and wailed under the eaves and between the cliffs, as if they were crying.
"Maybe I'm overthinking it..." The chaotic rain flew into the space under the umbrella, lashing against Hebe's face.
A series of soft, intermittent coughs could be heard in the rain.
The cough sounded almost like a gasp, yet it also sounded like a sigh.
Hebe's eyes twitched slightly. She walked over and looked at Morgan was lying face down on the ground.
Whether as a close friend or an enemy, Royal Sister always maintained a very dignified demeanor.
Even when she was still in the village, she would carefully groom her hair and clothes; when Arthur became king and Hebe became the Court Mage, it was her Royal Sister who made their ceremonial robes; whenever they needed to appear in public, her Royal Sister would always take care of their clothes and hair ornaments... Morgan le Fay was such a person who valued appearances.
But the usually proud Royal Sister now had her cheek pressed against the cold, rough ground, her white hair scattered and floating in the murky water, like withered seaweed.
Hebe didn't dare look any longer; she felt that the weather in Blanckug was really cold, so cold that her fingertips were a little numb.
"Merlin ..." Morgan murmured after a moment of silence, his breath coming in short gasps.
As soon as she opened her mouth, that iron-gray hue sprouted again from between her lips and teeth, carrying a chilling mechanical feel that stung Hebe's eyes.
"Royal Sister." Hebe responded in a deep voice, took her arm, and put her on his shoulder.
The road leading to the Silent Bookstore wasn't long, but Hebe felt it was extremely far.
Suddenly, Hebe felt that body struggling violently again, the arm draped over her shoulder convulsing.
"Wait a little longer, Royal Sister, wait a little longer..."
Hebe placed her other hand on Morgan's side, and she kept repeating the "Pain Fly Away" incantation at top speed.
She used to think the incantation was a bit too wicked, but now Hebe felt that the Holy Grail was a godsend.
Finally, the pure white lights of the foyer were within reach.
The instant he crossed the threshold, Morgan began to vomit violently.
Her chest heaved as she vomited blood onto the ground.
The blood turned into a dark black, sticky liquid when it hit the ground.
That is the cornerstone of modern industry, a substance called petroleum.
An iron-gray oval object finally burst from her throat, crashed to the ground, and even bounced twice with a certain elasticity.
That was Morgan's heart.
With its third beat on the ground, the heart emitted a metallic clang, as if it were about to transform into something purely composed of springs and gears.
Hebe rushed over without hesitation and held the semi-mechanized heart in her hands.
Her heart sank: Royal Sister had indeed suffered the Skyflint's Excommunication.
What's even more frightening is that the September Archon.
Otherwise, Royal Sister would never have been able to hold out until Blanckug.
156 What is this all about? Can't there be normal treatment?
Hebe looked at the still-beating mechanical heart in her hand, her eyes twitching slightly.
In the realm governed by Celestial Flint, there is at least one casting technique, which serves as the principle for creation, destruction, recasting, and alteration.
When any influence becomes excessive, it can lead to alienation. Hebe knows how to dispel excessive casting influence, but the Celestial Flint's rank is too high.
The gap between governance and twilight is far greater than the gap between twilight and ordinary people.
Hebe lowered her eyelids, her eyes flashing with pain and struggle—she was about to confront the laws of the Celestial Flint, and the power of the September Archon was undeniable; only a fool would not feel fear.
However, her hand remained precise and steady, completely unaffected by her inner emotions.
Golden ears sprouted from Hebe's head, and her fluffy, soft fox tail stretched and circled the ground. Hebe held an iron-gray heart in one hand and raised the other to write golden Holy Text in the air.
Morgan rested her head against Hebe's chest, and thick, foul-smelling oil spurted from her mouth and nose.
Hebe pursed her lips, and pale pansies bloomed around her.
She began to employ her skills.
In her dream, Toyokawa Shoko chased after the moonlight and the tide.
She discovered a hidden route, the golden seawater sharply contrasting with its surroundings, and in the boundless darkness, the distant moon guided her.
Deep within the calm ocean lie whirlpools that lead to the unknown.
She passed through the whirlpool and visited a city like coral, which was the Ys City in Atlantis, the legendary capital of the continent of Atlantis.
The magnificent Imperial Road, as splendid as a harp string, runs from the city center through the entire country, immersing both the land and the sea in a grand musical atmosphere.
When that perfect city plays its Grand Symphony, the entire High Seas will resonate in response.
This is the "Golden Law Great Movement" of Atlantis, a harmonious melody echoing throughout the high seas. The horn of Isuna, symbolizing abundance, brought forth produce from the land, countless barren islands began to flourish, ships passing through the harbors connected the islands, and the song of enlightenment resounded throughout the high seas.
The inhabitants of Atlantis possessed bodies of black iron and white stone; they were musicians and philosophers.
They talked at length about all the philosophical narratives called metaphysics, accompanied by music and rhythms.
In the collision of their views on the universe, the soul, and mathematics, they sparked Mars of science, logic, aesthetics, and elemental theory.
In the interweaving of sensualism, materialism, and hedonism, they raised the foundations of cosmopolitanism, Logos, and the cosmic fire.
Theosophy, anti-cosmology, and dualism once resonated in the High Imperial Road for a long time, while dialectical theology and divine revelation also occupied a place here.
Then she woke up in bed feeling lost, her fingers still tapping out a rhythm on the edge of the bed.
"Awake? Get to the concert hall immediately." Hebe's voice rang in Toyokawa Shoko's ears.
It remained calm, but a closer listener could detect a subtle anxiety.
Toyokawa Shoko arrived at the concert hall.
Sensing her arrival, the grand piano emitted a clear, tinkling sound, and Hebe's voice rang in her ears once more.
"Play pieces of music with a mournful and melancholic style, and do not stop until I say it is over."
This time, Hebe's words were almost overflowing with urgency, making Toyokawa Shoko somewhat uneasy, but she sat down at the piano without hesitation and placed her hands on the keys.
Music begins.
Hebe supported Morgan's body with her hand, raised her right hand, and a phantom pansy bloomed on her fingertip.
"Heaven and earth, stars, empty mountains and rivers."
"Peaks and valleys, clouds and mist, moss in the chamber."
"Offer it, cleanse it, purify it."
"Humans, dogs, sulfur, and monkeys."
"Live on, and make good use of the ash tree branches."
This is a spell that Hebe used to purify the Water and Soil in the Higashi. It was later passed down by the Inari Grand Shrine and taught to the people of the Higashi as the simplest literacy song. To facilitate its dissemination, the last line contains the word "cypress".
Hebe temporarily changed the last sentence because the ash tree was a symbol of the Royal Sister.
Therefore, this prayer was directed at Morgan.
The black oil flowing on the pure white lobby floor began to boil violently, like ice water poured into a hot pot.
Hebe forcefully exorcised the excessive influence on Morgan at this moment, and the somber and melancholic music came from all directions, creating a sorrowful atmosphere.
In this atmosphere, Morgan's alienation was temporarily contained.
At this moment, Hebe begins her work in the mortal world—[Avalon, the Avalon of eternal waiting].
This achievement is primarily symbolized by two images: one is a sea of pansies symbolizing illusion, leadership, and restoration; the Other is a pure white spiral tower representing heroism and transcendence of time and space.
Hebe has only used half of it so far.
Pansies bloomed on the mechanical heart she held in her palm, then withered in patches—they were clearly illusory, but when they fell from Hebe's palm, they were stained with an ominous iron gray, making a dull thud as they hit the ground.
Hebe's face grew paler and paler. She stared silently at the heart, watching the gears and springs fall off one by one, watching the heart soften again, and watching it gradually begin to beat strongly.
The final punishment never came.
The girl's deep green eyes gradually filled with sorrow. She held up her heart and gestured, realizing that it wouldn't be easy to get Morgan to eat it.
Does this mean I need open-chest surgery?
Hebe awkwardly reached out and gestured to the Fallen Empress's chest.
Just as she reached out to lift Royal Sister's shirt, she saw a pair of light-colored eyes staring at her intently.
"So you're awake." Hebe replied calmly, handing the heart in her hand to the Fallen Empress. "Eat quickly."
A faint smile bloomed on Morgan's pale, bloodless face as she raised her hand and took her heart from Hebe's palm.
Hebe remained expressionless, but she felt as if someone had scratched her palm with their fingernail.
The Fallen Empress's sharp nails sliced across her chest, tearing her black bodice and flesh apart. She gazed at Hebe's face and placed the heart back into her chest.
Thump! Thump!
The heart began to beat more violently.
Morgan's hand brushed across her chest again, and the flesh that had been budding like a flower bud healed as if time had reversed. However, the bra she had torn open was not restored, and the Fallen Empress's fair and delicate skin was exposed to the air. Her superior curves displayed an extremely graceful posture in Hebe's eyes.
She seemed to be deliberately maintaining this posture, and took a deep breath.
As a result, the black oil flowing across the ground gradually became clear and pure, like a lake.
The lake water washed away the stickiness from Hebe's body and bleached the foyer again.
The Fallen Empress's white hair floated in the lake water, like a piece of waterweed swaying freely.
Morgan reached out and pressed his hand against Hebe's cheek, looking directly into her beautiful, deep green, jewel-like eyes.
There's a kid next door! (157)
"Don't do that, Royal Sister."
Hebe's lips twitched. "There are kids next door."
Morgan's eyes flickered slightly, and a subtle smile appeared on his lips.
Her hand moved down Hebe's neck and gently rested on her collarbone.
The Fallen Empress's slender, long fingers roamed there.
"Do you know how many years I've been searching for you?" the Fallen Empress said hoarsely. "You should have run even further away."
She seemed to be smiling, but her fingers were trembling involuntarily. She probably wanted to use force, but couldn't bear to.
The Fallen Empress opened her arms, wrapped them around Hebe's neck, and pulled her down to bend over.
She only made that one move, but Hebe saw it and her heart sank. How much panic and darkness was mixed in that feeling of falling and losing control?
Hebe thought it was fear or madness.
—The water rippled and dampened the two people's hair, the flaxen and pure white colors mixing messily together.
A soft touch pressed against Hebe's cheek, and she heard Morgan's hoarse voice coming through the water. "Listen, listen, my heartbeat... It's all because of you, it all started because of you... Have you thought about the consequences of doing this? Hmm?"
The Fallen Empress said, "You can't do it, can you? Because of your overflowing kindness."
"I have a hundred reasons to hate you, but I only want to—"
The Fallen Empress's voice gradually faded, but Hebe heard it clearly.
The pounding of the heart was telling a story of unspoken love.