Extra: Records of Broken Swords in Divine Land — Prologue

Yuan walked through the dim corridor. Every time she walked this path, she recalled many things from the past—recalled that incomparably precious time.

Only at times like this would her long-numbed heart slowly awaken.

After passing through the dark corridor, she arrived beside a round table. Fourteen seats surrounded it, each marked with an emblem.

Before she arrived, someone had already gotten there ahead of her.

She took her seat, glanced around, and asked those already seated, "Where are the others?"

Pardo, once so lively in her memories, spoke with faint sorrow. "You were the last to arrive, Hua."

Yuan fell silent, silently counting how many people had failed to show up this time.

Elysia had been the first to propose these gatherings, yet now she had locked herself within the gap between imaginary and reality, unwilling to wake. She was more despairing than anyone, and thus more unable than anyone to accept that cruel reality.

After the order and civilization of the new era had been established, Yuan had never seen Elysia again. It was Mobius who had ultimately told her where Elysia had gone.

After Elysia left, Mobius was the second to depart. No one knew where she had gone.

Kevin, Su, Aponia, and Kosma left afterward. A civil war several centuries ago had marked the beginning of their parting ways.

Kevin had been sealed within the Sea of Quanta under the siege of the others. To punish himself for betraying his closest friend, Su had also shut himself inside the Sumeru Mustard Seed and never appeared again.

To watch over Kevin, Kosma had voluntarily descended into the Sea of Quanta, vanishing without a trace ever since. Vill-V had been the one to provide news of Kosma's current state.

Aponia had urged Kevin to activate the Stigmata Project. After Kevin was sealed away, she too was imprisoned in the deepest reaches of Schicksal, founded by Su, under the watch of the Shaniyat Family.

Griseo occasionally went to visit Aponia, but most of the time she remained within World Serpent, painting. She often stared blankly at members of the Shaniyat Family, saying that she could see the traces he had left behind. Thus, she painted portraits of every generation of Shaniyat Family heads.

After the civil war ended, without warning or a single word, Qianjie walked alone into the desert. He abandoned all means of communication and never returned.

Even Vill-V, who attended every gathering, had each of her eight personalities sleep in turn for a century.

The personality present now was Hundred Flavors.

As an artist, Eden traveled across the world. Through her songs and music, she spread the Story of Chasing Fire to everyone, singing of that fallen angel.

"On that day, he was born from the earth. He lifted his head and gazed upon the stars, and thus he met her.

"In the play called fate, he saw the joys and sorrows, meetings and partings of all people.

"He resolved to overturn it, resolved to rebel against the arrogant gods.

"He walked the earth, experiencing and witnessing everything alongside the others.

"And now, the time of Finality approaches.

"He broke her wings and seized the authority of the gods.

"He returned all that he possessed to the world, bringing it seeds of budding life and igniting the flame before dawn. From then on, even if there were three thousand worlds, there would be no trace of him left."

Lucifer Shaniyat—this was what later generations called him. He was the Morning Star of the Dawn, the comrade they would forever remember. Everyone had thought long and hard before giving him this name, one meant to be passed down through the ages.

His seat had always remained at the round table. Everyone hoped for his return, but... they all knew he was already gone.

"Sakura, didn't she and Ling come either?" Yuan asked.

"Sister Sakura and Little Ling..." Pardo hesitated. "Hua, do you really not mind what Sister Sakura did before...?"

"In that battle, every one of us gave it our all." Yuan unconsciously touched the spot on her chest where she had once been pierced by the Vanguard far away in the Far East.

After Kevin was sealed, Sakura had restarted the Stigmata Project in the Far East under Midrash's instigation. Sensing that something was wrong, Yuan rushed to the Far East at once and fought Sakura. In the end, both were severely wounded, and Pardo and Ling, who arrived after receiving the news, subdued the injured Sakura together.

"Little Ling said she plans to stay in the Far East and monitor Midrash's movements at all times." Pardo sighed. "Ever since she showed herself last time, Midrash has slipped back into the shadows. Schicksal has spared no effort in tracking her, yet they haven't found a single clue."

"I understand." Yuan nodded. "I'll have this side pay closer attention to Midrash's whereabouts as well."

Midrash—no one knew what she truly was. She seemed like someone who had appeared out of nowhere, wandering like a ghost through the shadows of the world.

Whether it was the civil war stirred up by Aponia and Kevin or the clash between Yuan and Sakura, her shadow could be found in both.

She called herself Midrash and, like Eden, traveled to all corners of the world, singing the stories of the fallen angels. She fanatically worshipped Lucifer and called him Master.

It was difficult not to suspect that she had once been one of the Thirteen Fallen Angels led by that man. Yet in Yuan's memories, the Thirteen Fallen Angels had long been wiped out in the battle against Finality, with no survivors.

Moreover, none of the Vanguards had any recollection of someone with a style similar to Midrash's. Did that mean she was not actually one of the fallen angels?

Midrash's initial appearance had not drawn the Vanguards' attention. Back then, she had remained well-behaved. But now, Midrash was increasingly becoming a threat to the current civilization, forcing the remaining Vanguards to focus more closely on this mysterious shadow. Vill-V had once encountered an individual suspected to be Midrash, but the other party seemed to have been merely a puppet. After being smashed apart, it melted into the shadows.

Meanwhile, on Mount Tai Xu.

Sumei of the Seven Swords of Tai Xu looked at the green-haired girl before her with a complicated expression. She snapped, "We are disciples accepted by Master. A teacher for a day, a father for life—how dare a demon like you sow discord between us?!"

As though she had heard the greatest joke in the world, the girl mocked, "What a fine 'a teacher for a day, a father for life.' But as I recall, weren't your parents killed by Yuan?"

Sumei gritted her teeth and was just about to strike when she realized that purple threads had emerged from her shadow at some point, tightly binding her movements.

"Oh my, with skills like yours, even Yuan at her peak might not have been confident of defeating me. So tell me, how do you compare to Yuan?" The girl shrugged. "Relax, I truly have no hostility whatsoever. I merely came to tell you that your Master Yuan has now suffered a severe loss in strength. And while we're at it, even if you regard her as a parent, has she truly regarded you as her children? Sumei, Sumei, you'd better think carefully. After all... opportunities are always fleeting, aren't they?"

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