"My pain... I will make it bloom!"
Along with Hiyori Maru's hysterical scream, dense black mist surged forth with an ominous aura, completely enveloping Gwen. Even the light around him was obscured; only the glow in his eyes remained unchanged.
Chapter 78: Sister Aili?
"..."
Faced with Hiyori Maru's outburst, Gwen said nothing. His grip did not loosen as he tightly restrained "Yae Sakura," refusing to let her escape. Then he simply allowed Hiyori Maru to erupt, silently operating the Meta Field to absorb the energy Hiyori Maru released.
As for whether taking Hiyori Maru's outburst head-on would be a problem—
After experiencing Hiyori Maru's earlier erosion, Gwen had put his mind at ease—
Although Nexus had helped at the time, Gwen had also personally felt the terrifying malice that made one feel as though they stood before an abyss when Old Luciel revived.
Now, although Nexus was gone, with that experience as a foundation, Gwen might not have found dealing with Hiyori Maru's malice—countless times weaker than Luciel's at resurrection—effortless, but he was certainly sitting secure as a fisherman on the shore—
Even with Hiyori Maru now erupting with all her strength, the light around Gwen in the heart of the black mist remained gentle yet steadfast, utterly unaffected.
"It seems the seal of the incomplete Ksitigarbha's Soul has greatly limited Hiyori Maru's use of her own authority."
Sensing that the black mist's erosive force was weaker than he had expected, Gwen silently came to that conclusion and secretly let out a breath of relief.
Since Hiyori Maru's erosive power was far weaker than anticipated, and he did not need to worry about being eroded and controlled like Yae Sakura, all that remained was to wait.
Wait until Hiyori Maru's burst of power passed, until her energy reserves ran dry and her resistance reached its weakest point. Then he could proceed according to plan.
Under Gwen's restraint, Hiyori Maru, who had temporarily seized control of the body, erupted with all her strength in an attempt to erode him. Yet against the faint light on Gwen's body, she merely wasted energy.
When Hiyori Maru's intelligence finally overcame the rage driven by resentment and once more occupied her none-too-bright mind, she discovered that she had already expended too much power. There was no turning things around.
"Finally seeing reality for what it is?"
Seeing the energy Hiyori Maru released visibly declining, Gwen briefly calculated the Meta Field's energy consumption efficiency on Hiyori Maru and on himself before making his choice.
As he spoke, Gwen suddenly flung the "Yae Sakura" he had been tightly restraining into the air.
Then, before the other party could react, Gwen swung both arms. Bands of light formed from the Salvation Beam instantly bound the "Yae Sakura" thrown into the air. Before she could resist, they tightly restrained her and dragged her back to the ground.
"Heh... what, are you trying to make up for the trial those scum held before they shot me?
Now you have your justification. I'm the culprit who launched the nuclear bomb and destroyed humanity's last settlement. You can judge me to your heart's content, then sentence me to the harshest punishment."
Though tightly bound and unable to move, Hiyori Maru had no intention of quieting down and continued to chatter on.
After much of the resentment and malice accumulated within her had been consumed, Hiyori Maru even recalled certain matters she had nearly forgotten.
Her defeat was inevitable anyway, so she might as well enjoy herself verbally first.
These humans had no way to kill her completely anyway. At worst, after a few tens of thousands of years, she would be a fine fox again!
Yet Gwen said nothing in response to Hiyori Maru's incessant chatter. He crossed his arms before his chest, and amid a soft radiance, a pink figure quietly appeared.
"..."
The instant Hiyori Maru saw that figure clearly, she immediately fell silent. She merely stared fixedly at her with crimson eyes.
Meeting those eyes glowing with ominous red light, the pink figure gently exhaled, then lightly waved in greeting.
"It's been a long time... Ling."
"...Ling is already dead!"
Staring fixedly at the image of Alicia that Gwen had formed, Hiyori Maru was no longer as crazed as before. After a moment of silence, she coldly spat out those words.
"..."
Looking at Hiyori Maru, who occupied the body of Yae Sakura—a body ninety percent similar to Sakura—Alicia pursed her lips, her heart filled with complicated emotions. After all, it was because she had stopped Sakura from leaving back then that the later accident had happened...
Even Alicia found herself somewhat unable to speak before her.
Seeing Alicia's silence, "Yae Sakura" revealed an obvious look of mockery.
"What, aren't you always so eloquent?
Why aren't you talking now?"
Though she no longer felt anything for this woman, that did not stop Hiyori Maru from trying to rattle her.
Yet as her gaze fell upon Alicia within the light, Hiyori Maru, attempting to resume her old trade, failed to notice that the dimly lit ruins had quietly brightened somewhat.
Behind Alicia, a pale green light quietly lit up around Gwen's wrist as well. With Alicia blocking the view, it did not draw Hiyori Maru's attention.
While Hiyori Maru's mocking words struck Alicia like sharp swords, the scattered, nearly imperceptible light quietly entered "Yae Sakura's" body.
Hiyori Maru noticed none of this. She merely felt exceptionally satisfied with her words, as if her entire body had relaxed considerably.
Without Hiyori Maru noticing, the bewitching glow around her body had already grown dimmer and dimmer, nearly imperceptible.
"But!"
Suddenly, Alicia, who could only try to explain with pale words and receive even more merciless mockery in return, raised her head. She met those crimson eyes without yielding an inch.
"Until the final moment of her life, Sakura never gave up on Ling.
And Ling responded to Sakura in her own way, Herrscher of Erosion."
Along with Alicia's words came the gentle light gathering together.
Behind Alicia, Light and Shadow Spark appeared in Gwen's hand, marked with several faint black lines. The gentle green light came from it.
"Bastards! You tricked me again!"
Hiyori Maru let out an unwilling roar. Having noticed something was wrong with herself, she was furious, yet unable to stop the soothing light from falling upon her.
"This isn't deception. We're only helping you end five thousand years of pain."
In response to Hiyori Maru's accusation, Gwen's movements did not slow in the slightest. Pale green light continuously fell upon "Yae Sakura," who struggled desperately but could not break free from the Salvation Beam binding her.
Very quickly, the already faint black mist around "Yae Sakura" completely disappeared, yet Gwen continued pouring out light.
A moment later, "Yae Sakura" opened her eyes again. But upon seeing Alicia before her, she instinctively cried out—
"Sister Aili!"
Chapter 79: An End After Ten Thousand Years
"Ling?"
Hearing that form of address, Alicia, who had been looking sadly at "Yae Sakura," instantly revealed a look of delighted surprise.
"You're back?
I think I had a very, very long... dream..."
Her joyful expression took on a touch of confusion. Ling had no questions about being bound—she had already been imprisoned and even shot before, so being tied up was perfectly normal...
Yet perhaps she recalled something as she spoke, for Ling's voice grew quieter and quieter. If Gwen's physical constitution had not already reached superhuman levels, he might truly have been unable to hear that final word, "dream."
Seeing "Yae Sakura" react this way, Alicia seemed to see once more the lonely, desolate girl who had followed behind Sakura back then.
"...Sister Aili, it's... been a long time now, hasn't it?"
Only after a long silence did Ling speak again, her voice carrying an indescribable tremble and desolation.
"...Yes, it's been a long time."
Alicia gently nodded in confirmation.
Even Alicia, usually so warm, generous, and eloquent, did not know what to say at that moment.
After all, Alicia's usual style was not very suitable for this moment. Even with all of Alicia's sincerity and enthusiasm, it was the same.
"...It's really fortunate that I can still see you after so long."
Pursing her lips, Ling tentatively asked—
"Sister Aili, my sister... was she already... back then...?"
"I'm sorry, Ling. I failed to appear when I should have..."
Alicia apologized in a somewhat low voice, then raised her tone slightly.
"But until the final moment of her life, Sakura still fulfilled her duty as an older sister."
"...Is that so?"
Lowering her head, Ling softly said—
"That's good...
It's just... I really wanted to see my sister again..."
Ling's voice grew lower and lower until it completely faded away...
"..."
Alicia stared wordlessly at Yae Sakura, bound there without any movement, for a long time.
However, before too long, Yae Sakura raised her head again, though her face carried a trace of confusion.
She glanced at Alicia, whom she did not recognize, then shifted her gaze behind Alicia to Gwen, who had long stopped emitting light and stood there quietly.
"Mr. Gwen, is this... resolved?"
Feeling an unprecedented lightness and emptiness within her body, Yae Sakura asked in disbelief.
Earlier, when Yae Sakura's mind had faltered, Hiyori Maru had taken advantage of the opening and seized control of her body. She had only managed to issue a warning before falling once more into the recurring nightmare that had plagued her for five hundred years.
Yet before that hellish nightmare could torment Yae Sakura again, before Yae Rin's life could once more be brutally snuffed out before Yae Sakura's eyes, light illuminated the world that, in Yae Sakura's eyes, had been even darker than Yomotsu Hirasaka.
Those "people," clad in human skin yet no different from evil ghosts in Yae Sakura's eyes, vanished one after another beneath the light, allowing Yae Sakura to embrace once more the figure she could never touch again...
So that when her consciousness once more regained control of her body, Yae Sakura could already feel the moisture at the corners of her eyes.
After waking up, feeling the long-lost ease in her body, Yae Sakura concluded that Hiyori Maru had been dealt with, though she still found it difficult to believe.
"If nothing unexpected happens, then yes."
Gwen nodded, walked around Alicia, came before Yae Sakura, and waved away the bands of light binding her.
Yet to both of their surprise, the moment the light bands' restraint was gone, Yae Sakura's body went limp.
Had Gwen not reached out to support her in time, Yae Sakura would likely have fallen straight to the ground.
"However, after Hiyori Maru has been dealt with, that power will continue the halted process and forge a new Divine Key.
And after losing that power, your life may also..."
Carefully helping Yae Sakura sit upon a huge stone, Gwen, who understood her physical condition, explained in a low voice.
"It's alright, Mr. Gwen."
Upon hearing Gwen's words, Yae Sakura showed no sorrow over her approaching death. After taking a couple of breaths to make up for the emptiness in her body, she even revealed a faint smile.
"Life lost its meaning to me long ago.
I survived in this world for five hundred years, only to suffer five hundred more years of torment.
Now that I can be freed from that endless nightmare, Sakura should be thanking you instead."
"..."
Faced with Yae Sakura's smile, carrying a touch of haggard beauty, Gwen did not know what to say for a moment. He could only softly reply—
"Mm. I'm glad I could help."
"To meet someone as gentle as you five hundred years later... I suppose that is my honor as well... cough, cough..."
As she spoke, Yae Sakura could not help coughing twice again, and her pale face gained a touch more color.
Yet this was by no means because Gwen had treated her. After the power that had fused with her over five hundred years was drawn away, Yae Sakura's life had reached its end. No medicine could save her; this was merely a final flash of vitality.
After coughing twice, Yae Sakura's complexion grew somewhat rosier, and her voice gained a little strength. She clasped Gwen's hand in return and said somewhat urgently—
"You helped me end the nightmare that had entangled me for five hundred years, yet I possess nothing of value and have no way to repay you.
But since death is already inevitable, I still have one gift that I can offer you in thanks.
I only hope you will not disdain it..."
"...Alright."
After meeting Yae Sakura's unblinking eyes for a moment, Gwen gently nodded and accepted.
"That's good..."
Receiving Gwen's response, Yae Sakura revealed a somewhat relieved smile and let out a long breath. Yet the strength of her grip on Gwen's hand increased once more. Her body gradually became translucent before finally disappearing completely, leaving behind only a pink halo that merged into Gwen's body and a long blade lying quietly on the ground.
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