Chapter 466

"The 'I' in these images is never a single person."

"Even if it wasn't originally in the style of an animation, the dance I did in the golden wheat field during my childhood was a duet. There must have been someone I couldn't see dancing with her, which is why she was smiling so happily."

"If we apply this formula, does it mean that the person who gave me the gift has always been in these images? It's just that for some reason, the traces have been erased, just like the blurry guitar and singing!"

Tang Liuli grabbed the little tail of [Void], repeatedly watching the projections and continuing to guess:

"Apart from the first projection, all the images of 'me' are animations, so... the scenes in these projections are actually what the other person saw and heard while traveling alone? It's just that 'me' was added into them later using this method."

But why do this? To share the joy of travel? And why give it to yourself?

Tang Liuli couldn't understand it, but she knew she couldn't keep dwelling on it. She rummaged through her pocket for her phone, opened the Countermeasures Bureau app, and used its permissions to connect directly to Dream Weaver. She looked at the silver-haired, red-eyed cartoon maid who had been recreated in front of her through nanotechnology and asked:

"Xiao Meng, help me access all the surveillance footage from after the memorial hall was built, including satellite footage, and then find out the exact time when this bouquet of roses and the wooden box appeared."

-- Dream Weaver

Since Astrid regained her physical body and was resurrected as the Primal Witch, the [Planetarium], the divine Divine artifact for weaving and observing fate, and the Dream Weaver, the Super AI monitors civilizations and whose tentacles reach across the globe, have both been replaced by living beings that mimic each other.

It involved programming, ether technology, magic and blessings, and the final product is the completely two-dimensional silver-haired, red-eyed anime girl in front of you.

At this moment, after the AI completed the monitoring authorization, it nodded politely. A stream of data flashed in its eyes like lightning. Almost the next second after Tang Liuli finished asking the question, it reached out and summoned a projection, materializing the scene when the wooden box appeared.

This footage was restored using AI, making it exceptionally clear. It captures the fleeting moment when the wooden box and the rose appeared, seemingly out of thin air, like a thin mist that rolled in without revealing any tangible outline.

Then, Dream Weaver slowed it down and zoomed it in.

Even if you extract each frame, you can't find the source; it's like a pixelated mosaic, filled with a strange mystery.

Tang Liuli was not surprised. When she began to doubt whether there was something wrong with her memory, she knew that this matter would not be so easy to answer. The video in front of her still had value, and it further proved that she had indeed forgotten some things.

"Dream Weaver, access the database and compare it with recent years to see if similar events have occurred. If so, play the video."

Please wait a moment.

After the Super AI's cold voice faded, about three seconds later, she looked up at Tang Liuli and asked:

"Based on monitoring, this request requires the approval of a user with equivalent permissions. Shall we connect with them and request permissions?"

Tang Liuli was stunned for a moment. After the Great Cataclysm half a year ago, her authority was elevated to the same level as [Beacon] with the approval of the Supreme Council and the Will of the Stars. Now, there are only a handful of people in the world with the same level of authority, and they are all acquaintances.

Could it be...?

The girl suppressed her thoughts and simply said:

"Okay, help me connect."

As soon as he finished speaking, a projection popped up.

The scene depicts a Japanese-style Living room bathed in sunlight and constructed entirely of wood.

The girl, dressed in a pure white kimono, with jet-black hair cascading down like a waterfall, and her pink eyes lowered, her curled eyelashes like butterfly wings, sat gracefully on the sofa in the Living room. Her delicate and beautiful face was tinged with sorrow. In her arms, she held a brand-new guitar with an exquisite outer shell, painted like a ukiyo-e print, covered with cherry blossom elements. Around her, Light Band recorded many scenes.

Meanwhile, sitting nearby was a little girl who looked similar but was exceptionally young and lively. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the magical special effects, chattering away, which was very cute.

The little girl saw the camera and leaned closer, happily waving hello.

"Sister Liuli! Did you give me this guitar? It's even better than Mom's new projector!"

This is Yuki.

After the Sky Stage ended, she traveled and toured with everyone. During a break, she accompanied everyone home and got to know all of Yayoi and Xiao Xuan's families, recognizing the little guy even before they greeted her.

While responding to Yuki's enthusiasm, Tang Liuli glanced at Little Sakura, who was still in a daze, and coughed a few times.

The girl snapped out of her daze. Clutching her guitar, she subconsciously rubbed the ring she'd just put on with her fingertips. Looking up at the other person, she reacted a beat late and asked:

"Liuli? You received a gift too?"

Tang Liuli said seriously:

"Yes, it's placed in front of my Dad's tombstone. I saw it as soon as I got back to the memorial hall, so I'm asking Xiao Meng to check the surveillance footage to look for relevant clues."

"Yayoi, you must be just like me, completely clueless about who's giving you a gift, right?"

Kiriwake Yayoi lowered her eyes to look at the guitar, and said in bewilderment:

"I really have no clue."

"Yuki found this guitar in the closet this morning, but after using magic to rewind and observe, we discovered that it had appeared out of thin air there half a year ago. My parents have opened the closet many times in the past few months, but they never found it."

"To be honest, it's like Schrödinger's guitar, only truly existing after being observed today."

After the girl finished speaking, she looked lost and dejected.

Even Liuli at this moment couldn't understand her current feelings.

Since the crisis ended six months ago and <Flashdance> officially concluded, she no longer needed to think about the responsibilities of Magical Girl. She devoted herself wholeheartedly to the identity of an idol, just as she had imagined, dreamed, and expected in the past, rushing to one stage after another to bring happiness and more emotional value to her fans.

It was so beautiful it was almost dreamlike.

Kiriwake Yayoi has become the person she initially hoped to be. She is moving step by step towards becoming the most perfect idol, gaining popularity, buzz, love, and income far exceeding her previous imagination. She also has a group of friends and teammates who accompany her and share deep feelings with her.

It can be said that during these six months, her state of mind was so fulfilled that it was like a moon that never waxed or waned, only infinitely beautiful, filled with happiness, a sense of accomplishment, anticipation for the future, and a love for life.

Therefore, unlike Liuli occasionally feels lonely and confused about the future, she has never considered dating or the disbandment of the band. Just like the female protagonist in the band anime who only has "being in a band for life" in her mind, she always shines at the peak and has no confusion at all.

But after touching the guitar, seeing those images, and putting on the ring, something she couldn't quite explain welled up inside her, making everything from the past six months seem like it was covered in cotton.

All that happiness, joy, and unwavering commitment to the path of idol worship suddenly seemed like an unattainable dream.

"Something is missing from my life."

"I lost something more important than my dreams."

The existence of this ring seems to be stating this fact to itself.

Thus, the perfect full moon became a reflection in the water, shattered by ripples in the guitar strings, creating a lingering echo that constantly questions the heart, bringing inexplicable restlessness, sorrow, and anger.

Kiriwake Yayoi understood that no matter how absurd or nonsensical this feeling was, she couldn't continue her Idol Career or perform on the next stage until she figured out the answer.

Because...

She simply can't ignore these things and focus on other things now.

Tang Liuli could sense her good friend's thoughts through the video. She was silent for a moment, then smiled and whispered:

"It seems this person is just as important to you and me."

There was no room for jealousy or wild thoughts; all that flowed through my heart was a knot of emotions that tightened and reinforced... Thankfully, I wasn't the only one who wanted to find this ghost that seemed to have never existed. Yayoi, like me, also sensed the unease.

Tang Liuli felt comforted. She had keenly realized that the "incongruity" surrounding this gift was deeply hidden, even the [Blood of Sighs] who could travel through time could not detect it.

If neither of them had met the stars after the Shining City was built, unlocked more of the Shackles of Magical Girl, and hadn't been blessed by the instincts of Idealistic Being, they probably would have just felt strange upon receiving the gift, and wouldn't have felt much emotion at all.

Kiriwake Yayoi looked at the ring on the Green Eyed Cat's hand and said seriously:

"Yes, because... both the guitar and the ring bear traces of [Heart Forging]."

"Whether he used [Heart Forging] directly or referenced and imitated the forging techniques of Blessing, the other party should theoretically be very close to me."

"Considering this life, I haven't even been awakened and blessed for a full year yet. To meet this condition, the relationship would most likely have to be traced back to the previous Worldline."

Tang Liuli seemed thoughtful. She smiled at Yuki, who was listening with a particularly confused expression, blinking her eyes in front of the camera, and guessed:

"Therefore, the other party is very likely a former comrade-in-arms of ours."

"So, according to that logic, Charlotte should also receive a 'gift'?"

"But the only connection available is..."

Before the girl could finish speaking, she suddenly heard a sigh lingering in her soul. Her brain throbbed with pain, and strands of thoughts swept through the corridors of her consciousness, transmitting back answers that did not belong to this timeline, piecing together familiar names.

Thanks...

Tang Liuli couldn't make out the name clearly for a moment. She rubbed her forehead, muttering blankly:

"Wait a minute, something's not right. I think I forgot about someone."

The next second, as faint lotus patterns shimmered across the azure sky, the fog in my mind was suddenly cleared, and another projection popped up before my eyes.

Even from just a corner, one can vaguely discern that this is a French-style villa. The style that meets the eye is filled with retro romance and modern art, with simple yet luxurious decorations, as if it were near the Louvre. But what is more prominent and more attractive than these features is a person with hair that shines like platinum and a figure like a Greek succubus.

The young woman, dressed in a dark and luxurious dress, sat gracefully on the spacious balcony planted with flowering trees. Her chest rose and fell with her breath, revealing delicate, soft flesh that seemed to be squeezing out non-existent gaps with an overly full appearance. In contrast, her temperament was exceptionally cold. Her hands were placed in front of her slender abdomen, like a dignified Buddha statue, exuding an air of asceticism.

Xie Qingxuan looked up, her dark pupils filled with a deathly stillness. Only after several breaths did they seem to reactivate, filling with intense emotion. She stared blankly at the citrine ring engraved with tulips on her ring finger and whispered:

"Did it fail...?"

The Green Eyed Cat glared angrily at Xie Qingxuan. She wasn't stupid; combining the [Blood of Sighs] with the other party's reaction, she immediately guessed what had happened.

Xiao Xuan most likely received a gift as well, but unlike those who were still rationally analyzing the situation, the other party, being an intuitive and obsessive person driven by beastly instincts, directly used the [Titan's Authority], extremely using their own existence as a bargaining chip, in an attempt to find the answer directly.

In short, it exploded.

The result was that, regardless of success or failure, the cost was outrageously high, to the point that he himself had forgotten about Xie Qingxuan.

If Xiao Shu hadn't intervened, even if she had used [Blood of Sighs] to decipher the name, she wouldn't have been able to save the other person anytime soon.

"Xiao Xuan, are you an idiot?!"

After Tang Liuli finished speaking, she was about to continue lecturing, but looking at the bewildered, remorseless, and utterly self-aware "Great Demon King" on the phone projection, she sighed helplessly and rationally chose to give up. No one could persuade Xie Qingxuan.

If I had to say, as a junior in the other person's eyes, a little Little Cotton-padded Jacket acting cute might have some effect, but it's not very meaningful.

As for Xie Qingyu and her parents...

These three might not be as useful as Charlotte and the others.

Xie Qingxuan looked up at the cat, whose fur had been standing on end, and said seriously:

"My husband is missing. Please help me find him."

Tang Liuli and Kiriwake Yayoi exchanged a glance, both deeply shocked.

No, how did you immediately declare them a married couple? Just because of the ring?

Okay, the ring is indeed quite suggestive and easily evokes those kinds of associations.

But...

But all three of us received them! We can't all fall for the same person, can we?

Wouldn't teammates and comrades-in-arms then become romantic rivals? Are they really going to be together when things are awkward? It just doesn't seem right!

Xie Qingxuan glanced at the rings on their ring fingers, nodded in realization, and continued:

"You received it too."

"That means our husbands are missing."

The girl's expression was calm, and her tone became even more matter-of-fact. She showed absolutely no confusion or wavering about sharing a husband with another man; instead, she exuded a detached yet clear sense of conviction. Looking at the two men with unwavering certainty, she repeated:

Let's look for it together.

Little Sakura felt dizzy upon hearing this, her fair face flushed with shame, clearly shocked by the reality of suddenly becoming someone else's concubine.

No, that's just something Xiao Xuan said randomly; it might not even be true!

Under Yuki's curious gaze, Kiriwake Yayoi slapped her cheeks hard to banish the strange thoughts from her head. Barely regaining her composure, she exchanged a glance with the Green Eyed Cat, who had just recovered from her daze, and said:

"We should ask Xiao Shu for help in finding this person."

"She was the Xiao Xuan who pulled you back, wasn't she?"

Xie Qingxuan thought for a moment upon hearing this, blinked, and honestly replied:

"I don't know, but I saw traces of power similar to that of [Tathagata], it should be Xiao Shu."

As soon as the words were spoken, the three of them were anchored by some kind of power and disappeared from the spot as if they were flashing, leaving only Yuki, who was watching the drama unfold, blinking Yuki confusion, her head full of question marks.

At the same moment, in Austria, Saint Wolfgang.

Inside the chapel used for Mass, sunlight streamed through the Stained Glass, illuminating the statue of the Virgin Mary, which symbolized "pure white." Astrid was standing on tiptoe, wiping the statue with a cloth. Her silver hair cascaded down her back, her small face remained youthful, and her elegant, soft dress made her look like a noblewoman.

Sister Ellie gathered her golden-brown hair, her toffee-colored eyes glowing softly as she gazed gently at everything before her with her restored vision. She was busy making tea, and a mother and daughter sat beside her in chairs.

Charlotte looked down at the silver chain that had slipped between her fingers and the amber piece set in it. A new ring had appeared on her ring finger, which originally contained a spell that connected to the other end for communication and location, but now she could not sense anything.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, Forget-me-not shone brightly, coated with a thin film by the Supreme Proof, causing memories that should have been extinguished to surge to the heart with the whispers of the Flower Language, transforming into endless regrets.

"Xiao Qing..."

The Doomsday Diva murmured this name forgotten by the world. Her frosty blue eyelashes fluttered, and her Rainbow Light pupils rippled with loneliness and sorrow. Yet, with these emotions rising and falling, a fervent hope also sprouted in her heart.

Since the daughter was able to get back, and even reminded others of their memories of the other person, there should still be a chance for things to turn around.

The spatial rift flickered, Tang Liuli, Kiriwake Yayoi, and Xie Qingxuan sat down one after another beside the mother and daughter, bathed in the early spring sunlight. They looked at each other, about to say something, when three threads fell into the spiritual light, causing their minds to be turned upside down, their vision to blur, and them to fall into the Echoes of the Past.