Chapter 459
This miraculous scene brought tears to the eyes of countless people. For the people who had watched helplessly as the high wall that had protected the world for 17 years crumbled, [Pure White's] final gift was even more shocking, more joyful, and more... sorrowful than the Shining Giant tearing apart fate and cleaving the Great Cataclysm with the Star Sword.
Even death cannot end it.
This is a foreshadowing buried for 17 years, and also a brilliance that illuminates the lives of many. The collapse and "rebirth" of [Pure White] is like a bullet that reverses the flow of time, piercing through the souls of countless people amidst the fierce wind, bringing unrepeatable gratitude, emotion, trust, and a brilliance that surpasses anything before.
"Ding, ding, ding..."
The sound, like the tinkling of bells, resounded in the soul of the Doomsday Diva.
At this moment, deep within the Sea of Consciousness where time seems to stand still, a silver chain adorned with blooming roses sways and jingles, spreading their fragrance.
Charlotte's expression froze, her thick eyelashes trembled, and tears suddenly streamed down her face. As the blessings of Flower Language Forget-me-not were sacrificed, memories of her lover, everything about Chu Yuanqing, and everything about that person returned to her body like torn and shattered flesh, stirring up turbulent waves in her heart.
"Xiao Qing..."
The girl struggled to articulate the emotions surging within her. She tried to take deep breaths, attempting to force out her usual lovely smile and present her best self to her lover, but tears still streamed down her face uncontrollably.
Chu Yuanqing stood still in this Sea of Consciousness. Her delicate face was full of cracks, and her shattered left pupil was replaced by pure silver. Her dark gray dress swayed silently, and the skirt, scorched by the raging fire, scattered black ash like raven feathers, like a mercury song surrounded by snakes, clustering around her in the form of musical notes, and together with the skirt, concealing the limbs disguised by the spell.
The girl curled her lips and smiled, revealing a joyful expression of happiness at this encounter. Even though the atmosphere around her was so desolate, like moonlight falling into the tide and shattering in the waves, her smile still brought warmth and peace of mind.
"I am here."
The Pure White Witch responded softly, trying to cup Charlotte's tears in her hands, but her skin couldn't touch the hot, glistening tears; they were pierced through. Her expression faltered for a moment, then she immediately smiled again, her golden eyes fixed on Charlotte, earnestly refuting Charlotte's earlier words to her daughter:
"Charlotte is not a failure. To Xiao Shu, you are the best mother."
"I'm the one who's unqualified."
Charlotte's frosty blue eyes were filled with tears. She tried hard not to cry too badly and wanted to smile. She reached out to hug the other person in response, but she only passed through emptiness. Only when her fingertips slipped down in a daze did she touch the Contract Chain on that fair wrist, a chain... made of Forget-me-not -nots.
In an instant, it shone brightly along with Charlotte's rose-patterned bracelet, then suddenly separated, transforming into phantom images of roses and Forget-me-not. The two merged into one, becoming a piece of paper inscribed with a contract.
The girl stared blankly, her emotions, which she had been trying so hard to suppress, finally collapsed, and the words she wanted to say were drowned out by tears.
The promise we made when we met that day is still vivid in my mind, like a blade piercing my heart.
--[Therefore, we will decide the outcome on stage. If, by then, you believe that I alone, as the [Lighthouse], am sufficient to unleash the Shine Magic, then you must unconditionally transfer all the diverted Shining Magic to me.]
--[I agree.]
Now is the time to fulfill the agreement.
Charlotte lost.
Only at the very end did the Miracle High Wall appear before all beings, and with 17 years of accumulated faith and gratitude, the Pure White Witch pushed the peak of brilliance to its highest point in one fell swoop, undoubtedly securing victory.
"Xiao Qing, you're too cunning. Reaching a contract in this way is blatant cheating."
Charlotte's desire to break the contract is similar to Chu Wangshu's reluctance to let her mother die, even though she knows what is right. She understands that Chu Yuanqing will eventually die and may even be completely forgotten by the world, yet she still doesn't want him to die.
But the binding force of the contract arrived as promised. She looked at the contract spells wrapped around her body and was speechless for a moment.
Chu Yuanqing played a word game. The contract between the two did not clearly define the "stage." The key to victory or defeat depended solely on the number of shining peaks collected by both sides.
Therefore, even if you refuse, the contract will still bind you to transfer all your brilliance to the other person.
"Yes, I cheated."
Chu Yuanqing leaned closer, her nostrils flaring as she inhaled the scent of Forget-me-not. Her glistening, pink lips pressed against the other's through the [Void], leaving an imperceptible softness. She spoke frankly:
"In my heart, Charlotte is the best idol. If it's a head-to-head competition, I could never beat you. So from the very beginning, I never intended to beat you on the real stage."
The Pure White Witch gave an apologetic smile and coaxed softly:
"I'm sorry, it's my fault, can you forgive me?"
The Doomsday Diva gazed at Chu Yuanqing's face so close to hers, her thoughts like a frozen hurricane, causing chaotic memories to surge wildly in her Sea of Consciousness, transforming into a kaleidoscope surrounding the two of them. She opened her arms, embracing the non-existent illusion, swallowing all the bitterness, reluctance, and sorrow, and smiled through her tears, softly saying:
"This is the first time Xiao Qing has played a prank on me, so no matter how outrageous it is, I have to be forgiving."
"So, Xiao Qing, go do what you want to do."
Charlotte's smile was soft and sweet, possessing the same incredible infectiousness as always. Tears welled in her frosty blue eyelashes, and her beautiful, Rainbow Light eyes still misted over, yet she continued to smile, as if knowing what Chu Yuanqing hoped to see. She took a deep breath and continued:
"I will take good care of Xiao Shu, I will... I will become the best mom, and then I will wait for you to come back."
Chu Yuanqing smiled and uttered a gentle lie:
"Okay, wait for me to come back."
As soon as the words were spoken, the contract spell that had been intentionally bound by the two stopped, and like intersecting Light Band, it wrapped around the Doomsday Diva, merging into her soul and fulfilling the vow of that day.
Thus, the magic of [Illusion] reignited, obscuring the original color of her soul, causing the [Lighthouse] that illuminated the world to dim and eventually go out.
At the same time, the afterglow of [pure white] replaced Charlotte as a brand new anchor point, continuing to absorb the brilliance that filled the stars, the world, and the universe, making it even more magnificent for a time.
Chu Yuanqing walked into the cockpit deep inside the solar furnace and stepped onto the stage. She was like a ghost that did not exist, and no one saw her. Her golden right eye reflected the images of Liuli, Yayoi, Xiao Xuan, Charlotte, and her daughter, as if she was commemorating the most precious emotions.
Time is running out.
Charlotte, through her Flower Language blessings and magic, forcefully broke free from the devouring of [nothingness], which has already attracted the attention of this supreme authority. This has caused the gaze directed at her to become increasingly intense, and the void dimension reflected from it has expanded wildly, further consuming everything around her.
Even in the mental world where time seems to stand still, the erosion of [nothingness] did not slow down in the slightest. She had no chance to say goodbye to the girls she liked and who liked her, nor could she say a final word to Xiao Shu as a father.
There was no time to properly say goodbye to the fans who had liked and supported him as an idol. Looking back on his six-month Idol Career, it was undoubtedly a regret.
The Pure White Witch gazed at the still lively and youthful Little Idol, a satisfied and happy smile playing on her lips.
"Seventeen years is a long time. Being able to stay in the era that everyone yearns for and experience so much happiness for so long is enough."
Chu Yuanqing recounted the fragmented memories she could still salvage. She couldn't say much, and many beautiful things she could cherish had been stripped away by [nothingness]. Yet, a certain indescribable feeling, like accumulated dust, was stirred up by a strong wind during moments of longing, bringing warmth to her heart.
"That's good." She breathed softly, closed her eyes, and stopped looking. Her vision returned to the sea of consciousness, where she saw the broken, empty soul, mostly captured by [nothingness], and whispered her thanks to the past.
As the words fell, the obsession suppressed for 17 years was finally fully unleashed at this moment, like a runaway dragon. The awareness, killing intent, and domineering spirit of facing death with equanimity bloomed again from the weak and broken soul, rumbling and endlessly rekindling, rising, and rampaging, marching towards the highest brilliance.
Thus, on the eve of Shining's arrival on the planet, the scorching flames burned her soul. The Martial God realm, which had led her through countless life-and-death tribulations, was now using her most primal soul as fuel to burn forth a crimson radiance that tore apart [nothingness], ravaged curses, and shattered fate.
In her breath, this former Savior, the past god of war, the [Pure White] who protected the world for 17 years, the Magical Girl forgotten by the world, and the popular idol, burned everything without reservation. With this spiritual fire that surpassed the limits of any previous battle, she transcended the abstract concept of time, pierced through the world, and shone upon the Sea of Truth.
This is an exaggerated scene that only a disaster-stricken consciousness can break free from the limitations of time and space and glimpse a few reflections of. Like the magnificent sunset clouds spreading across the universe, spanning billions of light-years, penetrating the entire "bubble", it stirs up ripples in the mother sea and burns out a terrifying crimson that looks like a cosmic storm piled up and countless galaxies exploding.
Chu Yuanqing did not take action against the disaster-stricken group.
Or perhaps, the formidable enemies she faces are merely the instinctive mechanisms of the Mother Sea and the summoned will of [nothingness].
At that moment, the power that had shed its authority, magic, and blessings, and that could shake the world solely through its will, finally allowed her to briefly break free from the shackles of [nothingness], enabling her to sit on a throne equal to it, breathe the air of freedom, wield the remaining power, and dominate all things.
In an instant, the firelight refracted through hundreds of dimensions, filling the entire "bubble" and, with a brilliance surpassing the sun, remotely outlining a giant sword shape, which fell into the four directions of heaven and earth, tearing apart the power threads that had been frozen in place by more than a dozen Disaster God.
In the end, the illusory sword shadow, which gradually collapsed and became only the size of the Earth-Moon system, successfully swallowed the gathered shimmering nebula and crashed down with it, merging into the Shining Giant. The power belonging to the Savior was transformed into an old, broken, mottled, scrap metal-like demonic sword in his hand, which was infinitely hot in the crimson flames.
--Laevateinn!
The beings on the planet gazed at this scene in awe. As the shackles of [nothingness] were forcibly pried open, the stars, like children who had found their way back to the sky, excitedly leaped, jumped, and descended from dimensions, surrounding the Shining Giant, passing through the thick ether and soul steel, trying to touch the person standing on the stage.
Joy, attachment, happiness, care, worry...
Countless childlike emotions, flowing continuously from the stars after they were no longer obscured by the [nothingness], transformed into the brilliant starlight that adorned this body. The connection that had been forcibly severed from the extraordinary source was forcibly restarted at any cost.
At this moment, a vast amount of Aetherial Substance was infused by the stars, flowing like a warm hot spring through the soul and flesh, as if a mortal Emperor were ascending the throne, announcing the coronation of the Pure White Witch with a great deal of power and authority.
Even so.
The thoughts, emotions, ideas, and even the brilliance that humanity has elevated to the concept of race are still frantically evolving Aetherial Substance, bodies, souls, and personalities, while simultaneously and violently destroying everything in their path, bringing about uncontrollable annihilation.
If he were in his prime, as the Savior once received the blessings of all mankind, he would naturally be able to bear, or even completely grasp, this Human Concept, incorporate it into his own domineering will and will, integrate it into the God of War system, and return it to a more blazing Light of the Soul.
But now, cursed by the Mother Sea, eroded by the [Void], with blessings dissipated and souls shattered, this mysterious power, seemingly as wonderful as sweet spring water, extracted and refined by all of humanity, is no different from arsenic, frantically accelerating the arrival of death.
Chu Yuanqing remained calm. Her shattered left pupil and limbs were replaced by the continuously sublimating ether at the moment of her coronation, restoring her most authentic bones and flesh. Her dark gray Magic Armor also began to be reconstructed, transforming into a white base woven from pearls and snowflakes.
At the same time, that tender age of 17, as the pure white power was forcibly completed, began to grow into a more mature, beautiful, and alluring form.
The girl's short hair, as white as snow, was shimmering with light, growing to her ankles as it swayed. She was lifted by a gentle breeze, holding a radiant halo formed by the convergence of stars in her hands, which concealed her fuller chest. Her downcast eyes were incredibly pure, brimming with maternal love and tenderness that embraced all humanity. Her white woven skirt swayed gently, and the etheric symphony sang a galactic melody.
Even though the time was incredibly short, those who could vaguely see the stage in the mirage were still stunned and speechless by this sudden change. The thoughts of all mankind, like branches that form the Divine Sentient Body, were suddenly linked into the central system of the Shining Giant, anchored by the Pure White Witch.
At this moment, boundless ether particles pierced through the nebula, swarming in and unleashing a tsunami that embraced the entire world and devoured all the Disaster Tide. Amidst the combined efforts of the Disaster God, they resonated with the radiant colossus that had successfully linked with all of humanity and was controlled by the God of Humanity and the Pure White Witch.
At the same time, the several Gap World that the stars had usurped and cut from the Disaster God also roared violently. Among them, the ideal world, which the Countermeasures Bureau had been sending Magical Girl to and from for 17 years, collapsed like a resurrected ghost amidst dimensional tremors.
This is the lingering echo of history, a persistent sentiment of civilization, and a long-buried past.
But as the gloom of [nothingness] dissipated and Chu Yuanqing's radiance enveloped the entire world, this Gap World, like an AI corrupted by a virus, attempted to convey emotions that machines could not generate, and actively chose to face death.
An ineffable miracle is born from the illusory, nonexistent, and lingering echoes that should not have received any response. Billions of flashes of light flicker and vanish, like seabirds soaring high, transforming into a flurry of faith, falling into the [lantern] in the form of willpower.
In a daze, whispers both strange and familiar lingered in their ears, expressing their final longing:
"Your Majesty."
"Will you still feel lonely? Will you... come back?"
"May the Empire live on, may humanity endure! I swear to the Divine Sentient Body that I dedicate my life to the Emperor!"
"The Divine Emperor's gaze will forever be fixed on Saint Roland, as on an immortal poem."
"Your Majesty, a thousand years have passed, do you still feel lonely?"
"The Eden Project has succeeded, Your Majesty. This glorious era... is as you wished."
"I hope that one day in the future, you will no longer be burdened by grief and can embrace your loved ones."
These thoughts, conveyed by the power of aspiration, blend into the brilliance of all humanity, like a gentle breeze enveloping us, flowing countless times in an instant, before slowly settling at the perspective of the Divine Sentient Body, uttering the final conclusion:
"Your Majesty, you are not alone."
Even if it's just a little bit, I, the Empire, humanity, and this world all want to repay you.
Chu Yuanqing's eyelashes trembled. With unspeakable emotions in her heart, she looked up and glanced back at the Sea of Stars. The Gap World that represented the ideal country had collapsed, but eight radiant alchemical weapons, like great stars, were suddenly projected towards her.
Memories flow.
The whisper of the Duke Tiffany, traversing the boundary between illusion and reality, echoed throughout the world in the instant the alchemical weapon disintegrated and then rejoined with a resounding crash:
"Come and see, this is a single piece of armor forged for the Emperor with the blood and sweat of our ancestors over a thousand years."
Its name is -- the One Truth.
The legendary armor, forged by Lucy Tiffany, the eighth head of the family, with her life's work, and the natal alchemical armor of the previous seven heads of the family, all came alive with supreme truth within the golden Light Band, thus surrounding the Shining Mech and intertwining to form a complete and magnificent golden armor.
The Calembert Empire, the Judgement Department, the Court of Judgement, Saint Roland, Tiffany, Ahadfeil, Fez, the White Chalk Tower, the Black Sun Tower, the Forest Moon Tower...
These traces of the Emperor's legacy, power, and followers have all been transformed into immortal medals, engraved upon them along with the laws of alchemy, like patterns encircling branches, telling the story of an epic era that never existed, yet remains passionate and fervent.
How incredible.
Even the stars, even Chu Yuanqing himself, had not foreseen this scene.
That was clearly a fictitious, nonexistent history. All those who believed in the Emperor throughout their lives, at the end of their ideal world, when all their dreams, beauty, and faith were about to vanish, gathered the faith of the whole world. With the armor that the Tiffany Family had painstakingly forged over a thousand years as its core, they burned themselves out and entered the real world. They transcended miracles and truly embraced... the Emperor they believed in.
"Thanks."
The Divine Emperor's gaze froze. She sensed the warm willpower that had traversed the thick barrier of the Mecha God, surging and surging within the center of the Solar Furnace, surrounding her like a gift to a child. She reached out and held it, lowered her eyes, smiled, and softly thanked it:
Thank you.
Even if that memory has been forgotten.
Even though she never considered herself an Emperor.
Even though she never asked for any reward or gratitude.
But this treasure, which has crossed over from the first playthrough and traversed the cycle of reincarnation and the embrace of illusion, remains inviolable and worthy of being cherished.
Rumble rumble rumble...
The addition of [The One Truth] caused this machine god to undergo another adaptive and frenzied evolution, its planet-sized volume further expanding, spreading, and deforming, resembling a fissioning sun or a spreading black hole.
The stars began to lend their aid, and the thoughts of all humanity, along with blessings scattered across the land, were perfectly integrated into it. As the authority of the [Celestial Instrument] was transferred, the Savior's already broken soul finally used it to gain all authority, taking the sword in place of the world, the stars, and humanity!
The power of will reflected in Chu Yuanqing's eyes gradually faded. Her gaze shifted, and she looked down at the numerous attacks that were resisted by the [The One Truth]. She surveyed the seventeen Disaster God and the calamities both within and outside the realm. She lifted the worn-out Laevateinn, reminiscing about its fullness and power, and softly said:
"Come and fight!"
Physics no longer exists.
When the evolved, nebula-like machine god revived and wielded its demonic sword, it seemed as if all the light and heat of the universe converged within it, causing the entire "bubble" to suddenly darken. An endless cosmic storm shook all the planets in the Earth-Moon system, and even the constellation pattern linked by millions of light-years began to tilt, announcing the sounding of the final battle.
However, [Ymir], [King of Salt], [Herdi], [Amor], [Chaos], [The Solar Era], [Amaterasu], [Nargal], [Tiamat], [Old Testament], [Tathagata], and [The Three Pure Ones] seemed to recall some extremely terrifying memory, and as if they had foreseen it, they all retreated in unison, hastily avoiding the attack.
As the flames of Laevateinn flickered, the twelve powers, under the unified consciousness of the calamity, wove a network. They directly and without hesitation crossed billions of light-years, far from the Sea of Stars, the endless universe, and leaped out of the "bubble" into the mother sea, frantically leaping without stopping for a moment.
The stars remembered Chu Yuanqing.
The ideal state remembered the Emperor.