Before disintegrating, Otto said, "I see. In the end, you still became yourself"

Someone told her that the fight wasn't about proving herself useful, but about protecting others.

Some people, at the last minute, handed the choice to her.

Those people did not create her.

She was not decided.

But it gradually made her realize who she could become.

Kiana opened her eyes.

Otto.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried throughout the entire battlefield.

"You're right."

Otto's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"You created this body."

Kiana raised her right hand.

A beam of sword light condensed from the Void and landed in her palm.

"But this sword, I wielded it myself."

Boom!

The sword flashed, and the first chain snapped instantly.

Otto's smile vanished completely.

"You think you can defy me with this level of power?"

The Golden Core trembled once more.

Endless energy poured into the platform, transforming the entire space into Otto's domain.

Kiana's figure was forced backward by the violent impact.

A deep ditch was dragged out from under her feet.

However, she did not release the sword.

On the sword's edge, crimson and gold intertwined, ultimately condensing into a pure light.

That is power.

It wasn't Otto who gave her the power.

Rather, it is the strength she truly possesses after each failure, each act of protection, and each refusal to give up.

The second chain broke.

The third chain broke.

"She is redefining her own power," Huo Yuhao said in a deep voice.

Tang Wulin's eyes brightened slightly.

"It's not about who owns the power, but about what the person who holds the power is willing to do with it."

Within the Light Screen, Otto raised his hand and summoned a massive golden Long Spear.

The spear tip locked onto Kiana's brow.

"If you insist on resisting, then prove it to me."

"Prove that your so-called freedom can defeat me!"

A golden Long Spear pierced through the Void.

Kiana did not dodge.

She held the sword horizontally in front of her.

The next instant, a massive shockwave swept across the entire battlefield.

Tang San's eyes suddenly narrowed.

She can't stop her.

The Long Spear clashed with the sword, and Kiana's arm was instantly shattered, blood sliding down the hilt of the sword.

Her body slid backward for hundreds of meters, eventually kneeling on the edge of the shattered platform.

Otto slowly walked down from the platform.

"Did you see that?"

"What you call belief is just another program I left for you."

Kiana looked down at the blood on her palm.

After a long while, she suddenly smiled.

You're wrong.

"I'm still standing, not because the program makes me stand."

She looked up and glanced behind her.

There, a group of companions were fighting against a horde of Collapse Beast.

Some were injured, some were exhausted, and some were trembling with fear, yet they still did not back down.

They did not wait for Kiana to save them.

They were just standing with her.

"It's because I promised them I would go back with them."

A figure rushed to her side first, blocking the incoming golden beam of light.

Immediately afterwards, a second and a third figure appeared.

They didn't make any grand pronouncements.

He simply gripped his weapon tightly and stood shoulder to shoulder with Kiana.

[sword.]

[strength.]

[belief.]

[This was not a victory for one person.]

[Instead, it's a group of people collectively refusing to be defined by fate.]

Longbow, looking down at the crowd in the scene, slowly said, "True heroes never exist in isolation."

Hai Long nodded.

"Her companions don't fight for her, but remind her why she can't fall when she's about to collapse."

Ji Dong looked at the Lie Yan.

"Such a belief is enough to set the Divine Realm ablaze."

Lie Yan gently shook their heads.

"Belief is not a flame."

"Flames may die out, but true faith, even if only ashes remain, will wait until the day it reignites."

Kiana raised her sword.

This time, the light emanating from her was no longer violent.

It's like a ray of morning light piercing through the long night—warm, yet steadfast.

"Otto, you created the K-423."

"But you can't create Kiana."

She took a step forward.

A golden spear light came hurtling towards him.

Kiana swung her sword down.

The sword light and the spear's aura shattered simultaneously.

In her second step, she walked through the explosions and appeared before Otto.

Otto raised his hand to block the sword's edge, and the powerful force shattered the platform beneath their feet.

"Do you hate me?" he asked in a low voice.

"Hatred."

Kiana answered without the slightest hesitation.

This sound made Otto's gaze truly freeze for the first time.

I hate that you treat me like a tool.

"I hate that you created me, yet never truly intended to set me free."

"I hate you for turning the suffering of so many people into bargaining chips to achieve your goals."

Kiana lowered her sword even further.

Otto's arms began to tremble.

But I can't deny it either.

Kiana's voice lowered.

"You were indeed the one who gave me this life in the first place."

Outside the Light Screen, all was silent.

Ning Rongrong said softly, "She hasn't forgiven him."

"Never denying the facts because of hatred," Ning Tian said.

"That's what truly complex emotions are," Gu Yuena said calmly. "Hating someone doesn't mean you have to erase the traces of their existence."

Tang San looked at Kiana.

"She finally took control of the cause and effect herself."

In the scene, Otto is silent for a moment, then suddenly smiles.

So, you still can't completely get rid of me.

Who said that?

Kiana raised her other hand.

Crimson energy condensed in her palm, transforming into a dazzling radiance.

"I don't need to erase you to be free."

All I need to do is ensure that you can no longer decide my future.

The sword fell.

Boom...!

The Golden Core split open from the middle.

Countless images behind Otto shattered simultaneously; the orders, files, and numbers that once Binding Kiana vanished into the boundless starry sky like scraps of paper swept away by a whirlwind.

Otto's figure began to disintegrate.

He looked at Kiana, his face not showing anger, but rather an indescribable expression.

It's like a regret.

It was as if I had finally seen an answer that was far beyond my expectations.

"I see..."

His voice grew softer and softer.

You ultimately became yourself.

Kiana stood before him, sword in hand.

This is not the ending you gave me.

"I made it out of this on my own."

Otto's figure completely turned into dust.

The Golden Core was cleaved in two by Kiana's sword before it fell.

[The Creator is defeated.]

[Tool's fate is resolved.]

[ID K-423: Logout.]

[Kiana: Identity confirmed.]

[Free Will: Fully Awakened.]

[The path forward: The choice is mine.]

The entire starry sky suddenly fell silent.

Kiana stood on the broken platform, gazing at the spot where Otto had disappeared, and remained silent for Jiujiu.

She won.

However, he did not show the expected ecstasy.

He simply looked down at the sword in his hand and said softly:

"I'm finally free."

The wind blows across the battlefield.

After a long pause, she added another sentence.

But I still hate you.