Chapter 439
In retrospect, that decision was the right one.
Charlotte was busy with concerts all over the place and could only squeeze in time for video calls, so she had no time to come back and see the children.
Lin Yuki's arrival brought new vitality to the orphanage. She was gentle and patient, had a great love for music, and the children said she was even a great dancer.
Unfortunately, she was ultimately just a traveler and wouldn't stay in the town for long, nor did she know how long the children would grieve after she left.
Even though it was just a brief encounter, these children could learn a lot from Lin Yuki, among which the theme of parting was perhaps particularly meaningful.
Sister Ellie felt a sudden pang of melancholy upon thinking about this, and she herself was somewhat surprised to realize this emotion.
It's strange, even though I've only known that child for a short time, I subconsciously treat her like my daughter.
Why don't we ask for the child's phone number later? Maybe she'll come over to visit again sometime.
Sister Ellie closed her eyes, listening to the laughter coming from the courtyard.
Listening to the children's imaginative ideas, Chu Yuanqing diligently used balloons to create their little works of art. Amidst everyone's surprised and admiring gazes, she crafted cats, dogs, tanks, parrots, crocodiles...
Aside from Nia's request for "Lin Yuki," she fulfilled almost everyone's wishes, creating these strange and wonderful "animal balloons."
The Pure White Witch looked at the joyful children in the courtyard, then slightly raised her eyes and noticed the silver-haired, red-eyed figure gathered in the void not far away. A nostalgic smile appeared on her face.
However, before Astrid could even notice this familiar face, a chilling, fetal movement engulfed the world, gradually making the figure sitting on the lawn transparent.
The girl lowered her thick white eyelashes, as if shaking off frost and snow. She couldn't bear to look at Sister Ellie again, like a butterfly melting into amber, turning into a bubble that never existed in the light.
Thus, a piece of history was erased.
Volume 1: 414. Her Decision, Charlotte's Thoughts.
Inside the courtyard,
Nia tilted her head, her golden pigtails swaying back and forth, her ocean-blue eyes lowered, curiously looking at the soft balloon she was holding in her arms, her little head full of confusion.
Huh? When did these extra balloons appear?
That reluctance, sadness, melancholy, and sorrow were all cruelly devoured and turned into nothingness. The children were powerless against the mighty force that even time could not defy. Apart from the warmth of the gifts they had just received, not even a trace of unease remained in their chests.
The little girl looked around at her friends who were also holding balloons. Her eyes sparkled as she scanned the group, then she ran happily to Sister Ellie's side and asked in a clear, cheerful voice:
"Mommy Aili! Is this a gift you gave to Nia and everyone else?"
Sister Ellie paused for a moment before crouching down and gently patting the little boy who had come to her for comfort, saying softly:
"What did everyone receive as gifts? I don't really remember, maybe they were from other kind people?"
Nia blinked dazedly, but quickly forgot about these trivial matters. She held up the pretty guitar-shaped balloon to Sister Ellie.
It's both showing off and sharing.
The little girl let Sister Ellie carefully touch the guitar balloon, beaming with joy as she shared her treasure.
This behavior was quickly imitated by the other children, who soon surrounded Sister Ellie, vying for her attention to touch their balloons and praising them in a competitive manner.
"The cat balloon is the best!"
"Puppies are the cutest."
"Tanks are the coolest."
"The guitar is the best! Charlotte will definitely love it too!"
Not to be outdone, Emma examined the animal balloons for a long time before exclaiming with delight:
"My balloon has a signature on it!"
Nia leaned closer to look. She examined the writing, which appeared to be half-erased, hesitated for a moment, and then read aloud:
"This is... Yuki in Japanese?"
After Nia finished speaking, the child next to her looked surprised and asked curiously:
"Nia, when did you learn Japanese? Don't you hate studying? You only got three math problems right last time."
The little girl was slightly annoyed at first, then confused.
Oh right, how did she recognize her? Was it because they showed a movie about East Flow Island during a recent class activity?
Nia fell into deep thought, and suddenly the story of Liuli Holmes told by her sister Liuli popped into her mind.
In the story, the great detective is incredibly intelligent, and she thinks she might be incredibly intelligent too, but she just hasn't yet discovered her extraordinary wisdom.
The little girl said loudly:
"I've decided, I'm going to do five extra pages of homework today!"
These words greatly shocked the people in the vicinity.
What does this mean? Why would someone voluntarily do extra homework?!
In an instant, no one echoed her, and no one competed with her. The children tacitly dispersed, running around the yard with their newly acquired animal balloons, leaving only the little girl with a serious expression standing in place.
Sister Ellie listened to the children's lively, noisy voices, a smile playing on her lips. The cracks in her heart quietly healed, leaving only a pure and tranquil peace, joy, and serenity, free from any lingering emotions.
After adopting Charlotte and retiring from the front lines, she settled in Saint Wolfgang. Wolfgang, built a small chapel with Pure White High Wall, and adopted many abandoned children.
Time flies by in a blur.
The past battles, the life-and-death struggles, and the partings have all faded away with the peaceful life she now enjoys. Compared to the Magical Girl who died in battle, she is undoubtedly lucky to have survived her degeneration and to be able to live a life that suits her heart, something that her former comrades dreamed of.
Sometimes, she feels guilty about it.
Even if objective factors no longer allow one to move forward, the feeling of seemingly deserting in the face of battle, growing further and further away from friends, and even being separated by death, still torments the heart.
This lingering worry is difficult to shake off, even though I personally raise these children and watch them grow up healthy.
Things only changed when Charlotte, whom she loved most and regarded as her daughter, grew up, showed talent that surpassed Little Jasmine's and broke past records, and even became Magical Girl known as the "Lighthouse."
When Aili first heard the news, she was stunned for a long time.
It was as if the roar of a train swept past my ears, and the carriage called [Past] roared away in the strong wind, passing by my present self.
And boarding that train, embarking on the unfinished journey in her place, was none other than her daughter, whom she had watched grow from a little snowball and porcelain doll into an adult.
Charlotte's appearance was like inheriting her past beliefs and wishes, successfully dispelling the shadows that had been rooted in her heart for many years, allowing her to gradually let go and embrace true happiness and tranquility.
Sister Ellie often thought that her radiant and lovely daughter was perhaps a gift from God to her and to the world.
Even though she knew the road ahead was fraught with danger, for some reason, that child always gave her a wonderful sense of security, making her feel that everything would be alright, and that as long as she entrusted the child to her, the world would become a better place.
Whether this stemmed from the innocence she retained as Magical Girl, or from some kind of unseen guidance, even Sister Ellie herself couldn't figure it out.
But one thing is certain.
That is, she sincerely looked forward to the future that child could create.
Sister Ellie's thoughts settled down. She didn't know why, but suddenly so many past events came flooding back to her mind, as if she instinctively wanted to find something.
The woman shook her head and chuckled, not giving it much thought. She simply rose slowly, walked back to the statue of the Virgin Mary in the chapel, and softly asked:
"Little Jasmine, is that you?"
A figure with silver hair and red eyes slowly appeared. Her attire was different from before; she wore a beautiful medieval dress, like an elegant noblewoman. She no longer floated like a ghost but gently stepped on the ground, giving her a more human touch.
If Aili could see, she would definitely recognize that this outfit was the Primal Witch's Magic Armor from the past, and the implications it contained are self-evident.
Astrid walked to her side and said softly:
"Yes, it's me."
Astrid had grown accustomed to Aili's strange intuition.
Even though she has lost her physical body, magic, and even her humanity has gradually faded, and she descends in such a form that she can't stir up a breeze, like a cyber ghost, her traces can still be detected by her opponents.
This is something to be happy about, as if... there is still an unfaded, yet ethereal, bond between them.
But this time, she couldn't be happy.
Astrid gazed at Aili's profile, hesitant to speak, as if wanting to say something. After a long silence, her pink lips parted slightly, and she whispered:
Charlotte is doing very well lately. Would you like to go to her concert? I've recorded the audio and transferred it to your phone so you can listen to it anytime.
Sister Ellie gladly accepted the wonderful gift, a smile playing on her lips, and whispered:
"Little Jasmine has matured a lot. I never imagined you would become so thoughtful."
"Yes, it was indeed Aili who took care of me before."
Astrid calmly accepted Aili's joke, chatting aimlessly like an old friend who had nothing better to do than drop by.
The fluctuations in [Pure White] are becoming increasingly abnormal, and the day when this magnificent creation will collapse is drawing ever closer.
The <Flash Dance> project is accelerating and is officially moving towards implementation. This debut tour for all the contestants is a preview of the final World-Class Spell.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, after final corrections and preparations, the moment that will determine the fate of humanity will unfold in 30 days, or even sooner.
This will be the last time she sees Aili.
After today, the personality named Astrid will gradually disintegrate. She will complete her final mission as the arbitrator, fully merging into the [Planetarium] as the core foundation of World-Class Spell, and sacrifice herself for peace alongside the [Lighthouse].
Regardless of whether the Shining City is completed or not, the [Celestial Sphere] is destined to collapse.
Because it not only supports the core of the technique, but also guides the Sea of Stars, carrying the assistance originating from the World Consciousness.
This was a result that was determined many years ago.
Even if other Savior Plan were adopted, her sacrifice would still be required to fully utilize the gifts of the stars.
So, just like the forgotten Pure White Witch, she also came to say goodbye to Sister Ellie.
What's even more similar is that neither she nor Chu Yuanqing will reveal the whole story or truly say goodbye.
Astrid enjoys being with Aili; without much effort or struggle, she can overlap with her past self, and in a moment of quantum entanglement, rediscover the treasure called emotion.
This is why the usually impartial and unfree Super AI would repeatedly hesitate to speak, its mind filled with many thoughts, struggling with whether or not to reveal anything about Charlotte.
Like planetariums, lighthouses are destined to become consumables crushed by the wheels of time.
Death is almost a predetermined end.
If possible, knowing Charlotte's relationship with the other party, she would certainly hope that Aili would have the right to know.
But...
Even if we knew the truth, what could we do?
This was not only something Charlotte herself agreed to and decided, but it also involved the life and death of all mankind, and even the entire planet and the entire world.
Even if you tell Sister Ellie, humanity will not find another [lighthouse] to replace Charlotte.
If the outcome is destined to be unchangeable, it's better to let the sorrow come later, much later.
Austria, Innsbruck.
The capital of Tyrol is nestled in Alps. It is not a large city, with a permanent population of only a few hundred thousand.
Recently, nearly 100,000 people from other areas have flocked to Innsbruck using various modes of transportation to participate in the citywide celebration today.
The clear blue sky was sparkling with meteor showers, streaking across rainbows and painting the soft, white clouds with vibrant colors. Countless colorful notes drifted down into the streets and alleys, dancing and undulating with the heavenly music.
There was no stage, no venue, no lighting system, and no audience seating.
The Doomsday Diva seems to have returned to the moment when the Sea Capital unleashed its Shine Magic, achieving all the elements of domination with the supernatural tides of the heart, the self-evolution of magical energy, and the Idol Power that flooded the entire valley.
This is her twelfth concert.
Even though Austria doesn't have many large stages that can accommodate tens or hundreds of thousands of people at once, she managed to achieve a terrifying efficiency that other Little Idol could only dream of by performing directly throughout the city without a stage, thanks to her Magical Girl methods and cutting-edge projection technology.
Today, almost all the citizens of Austria have passively or actively enjoyed Charlotte's concerts, and the brilliance and scale of the response is comparable to one-twentieth of that of the entire Great Xia.
Keep in mind that Austria's total population is less than one-thousandth of Great Xia's. If we disregard the revenue from the live stream, Charlotte could essentially take on most of the players from Great Xia's region by herself.
Despite the significant advantages of [Full Bloom] and the full application of magic, the difference still demonstrates the superiority of [Lighthouse].
Of course, Charlotte's workaholic nature and her almost daily concert tour enthusiasm are also a crucial factor.
If it weren't for avoiding the other contestants in the Vienna Division, she could have held two concerts a day and seamlessly continued working on it until now.
At this moment, under the regretful yet satisfied gaze of the entire city's audience, the superstar who used Magic Wand as a microphone, bewitching like a fairy, finished singing his debut song <forget-me-not>, politely smiled and said goodbye to his fans, and disappeared.
Thus, the city-wide tour came to a perfect end. The audience was still immersed in the songs, savoring the lingering emotions in their hearts, praising their national flower and greatly enhancing their fandom.
At the same time,