Chapter Twenty-Three: Beast (End)

"Thud!"

The pen Ling Ying had been twirling between her fingertips fell to the floor. Its slender barrel rolled a few times, then abruptly dissolved into shining particles and vanished. Ling Ying paid it no mind. Instead, she lifted her head slightly and looked toward the tightly shut door. A moment later, as if to confirm she'd been waiting for someone, the door opened, and a familiar figure walked in.

"I thought you weren't coming."

Ling Ying gave the girl before her a strange look. The girl had long purple hair and purple eyes, and even the academy uniform Ling Ying had imagined for herself had been recreated exactly on her. She was, in every way, Ling Ying's mirror image. A mirror version of Ling Ying.

"The master invited me to a banquet. As a guest, it would've been rude not to come, wouldn't it?"

Ling Ying "Number Two" walked right in, looking as though it were only natural.

"Not bad. You even took the time to set the scene for our meeting, even if it's only a simulated consciousness space. Ahaha, though if I'm being honest, I think a rift full of Void detritus would be more realistic. What do you think?"

"Why did you take my appearance?"

Ling Ying instinctively ignored the other girl's question and got straight to the point.

"And when did you get so glib? Weren't you only interested in fighting?"

"Hyup!"

Ling Ying "Number Two" didn't answer right away. She strolled over to the desk in front of Ling Ying, plopped herself down on it, then swung her legs as if nothing were the matter.

"Well, when you spend long enough inside someone's head, you're bound to be influenced by them, at least a little. Like how I don't even think it's strange to walk around on these two legs anymore. In your terms, I guess you could say 'near vermilion, one turns red.' Hahaha."

"Influenced?"

Ling Ying frowned slightly at her words.

"Weren't you just an instinct?"

"Mm-hm. That's just a misunderstanding on your part."

The other girl clicked her tongue and waved a hand at Ling Ying.

"In fact, I'm one of the countless splintered consciousnesses from the Void Mother Nest. All Void Creatures come from the Void and return to it. Their bodies are formed from Void matter fused together in the rifts, and the Mother Nest Consciousness grants them their minds. Each Void Creature comes 'paired' with a consciousness. In your terms, we were supposed to be one and the same. You were meant to be a body without a self, while I was the pure consciousness in control of that body. But when I moved in, I discovered it already had an owner. And that owner, incredibly, came from a distant world beyond the Void."

"How could you... know...?"

Ling Ying's eyes widened in shock. As someone who'd crossed over from another world, her former identity was one of the most sensitive topics imaginable. She'd never expected a Void Consciousness to uncover her biggest secret with a single remark.

"Don't look so surprised. I've been inside your head this whole time."

The Void Consciousness reached out and gently tapped the forehead of the bewildered Ling Ying.

"Your little secrets are completely exposed to me. Don't make that face. Maybe, after we evolve, we'll have to merge into one anyway."

"? Mer..."

Ling Ying's mouth fell open. The word "merge" seemed to burn her tongue as it stumbled around her lips through more than a dozen sounds.

"Mm-hm. Why not? Did you think we consciousnesses would stay at the instinctive stage forever, and that Void Creatures would remain beasts driven by instinct? It's no wonder you thought that. You've only ever seen Blade Worms, the cannon fodder. Worms are simple creatures. They don't need to think or have a consciousness; they just have to follow their instincts to devour and kill. But if, one day, those poor things are lucky enough to evolve, they'll discover that along with their stronger bodies, instinct's control over them has begun to weaken. In its place, they'll gain a tiny bit of intelligence, and... But if they make good use of those 'gifts' of evolution and evolve again, those fragments of thought will eventually gather into a Void Creature's self-awareness. As their bodies evolve, we consciousnesses will also grow more complete, eventually merging with the individual awareness that develops within the Void Creature to form a completely new consciousness. Only then can you say a wise Void Creature has been born. But..."

The Void Consciousness turned to regard Ling Ying, narrowing her eyes with a hint of danger.

"Given this body's current level of evolution, your arrival was clearly a little too early. You're more mature than me, a Void Consciousness still at the initial stage. And you're always working against me, resisting devouring and evolution. Well, with your low level of consciousness, it doesn't do much. But ever since you got this... frail human body, things have begun to develop in ways I never expected. I found I couldn't control your new body as easily as before. In fact, a jumble of information flooded into me in the opposite direction and nearly scrambled my brain. You could say you escaped the Mother Nest Consciousness's control in... an incredible way. You might be the first Void Creature in history to do that. Congratulations."

As she spoke, the Void Consciousness actually began to applaud, as if she meant it. Even Ling Ying's fierce glare couldn't make her stop.

"Then if what you said is true, why are you like this now?"

"Well, I couldn't really help it."

The Void Consciousness suddenly wore a human expression of troubled frustration.

"Think about it. I'd always had the upper hand between us, and then you suddenly kicked me out. Of course I wasn't going to accept that. But my old methods didn't work anymore, so I had to try a different approach. I chose to accept it and digest all the information you sent me. And the result was... I became another you. Another Ling Ying."

"Another me?"

Ling Ying felt as if she'd just heard something out of a fantasy. Yet the girl in front of her, made from the exact same mold, was proof enough, even if this appearance was only a projection within their consciousness.

"Giggling, are you scared?"

The consciousness Ling Ying crossed her legs and spoke lightly. "You don't need to be. I have no intention of hurting you. We can still get along just fine. In your terms, like sisters, ahahaha. Of course, that's assuming we put everything that's gone off course back where it belongs."

"Back where it belongs?"

Ling Ying looked at her warily. Her subconscious told her the other girl didn't mean anything good. Sure enough, the next moment the Void Consciousness gave her a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Back where it belongs. Back to the killing, devouring, and evolution we had before. That's what Void Creatures are supposed to do. Void Creatures never stop evolving. And you, Ling Ying—just look at the life you've made for yourself. You've stagnated. You've stopped to play house with a bunch of humans? To bond with them? Look at you. You've even forgotten that a Void Creature's greatest weapon in battle is its body. Shh, let me finish."

The Void Consciousness raised a finger to her lips, shushing Ling Ying just as she was about to speak. Then she reached out with her other hand and gently lifted Ling Ying's chin, her voice turning seductive.

"I know. It's that rotten thing you call humanity getting in the way. So just leave everything to me. I'll put us both back on track, just like before. So, could you stop resisting me? Be a good girl..."

"Smack!"

The Void Consciousness looked with some surprise at her right hand, which had been rudely knocked aside. Then she glanced at Ling Ying and gave her a look of understanding.

"Can I take that as a no?"

"If you say you're another me, then you should know what I'd choose."

Ling Ying fixed the Void Consciousness with a frigid gaze, sharp as a blade.

"And this isn't just a rejection. It's a warning. Don't go after the people around me."

As Ling Ying finished speaking, the air fell silent. The two identical girls stared at each other for a long moment. At last, the Void Consciousness withdrew her hand and stood up from the desk.

"What a shame."

A trace of regret seemed to cross her face, identical to Ling Ying's. Yet Ling Ying keenly sensed something dangerous behind the expression.

"Then I suppose I'll have to kill you."

"!"

Her voice turned cold in an instant, and a flash of purple shot toward Ling Ying. Ling Ying instinctively threw herself backward, dodging the blade as it sliced past her face. She immediately put her weight into a kick.

But Ling Ying felt her right leg shudder. Her attack had done nothing. The Void Consciousness deftly turned her hips and caught Ling Ying's kicking leg, easily neutralizing the strike.

"Not bad. You still have enough strength to fight back."

The Void Consciousness smiled faintly, but didn't loosen her grip on Ling Ying's leg.

"But that's about all, isn't it?"

"Bang!"

The desk between them shot away like a cannonball from the impact. Caught off guard, Ling Ying was flung several meters before crashing hard into the classroom wall. The white wall suddenly made a sound like shattering glass. And it did shatter, along with the space around it. A massive crack quickly spread through the entire Consciousness Space, turning everything it touched into sparkling specks that faded away. The cozy classroom swiftly shed its disguise, revealing the boundless void beneath, forever bathed in purple light.

"Normally, consciousnesses can't harm their original consciousness. But thanks to you, I don't have to follow those rules anymore."

The Void Consciousness spun the long scythe glowing with purple light in her hand and strode toward Ling Ying.

"So let's settle this the oldest way there is between Void Creatures: survival of the fittest."

The scythe came down. Ling Ying, crumpled against the wall, instantly burst apart like foam and vanished.

"But you're not weak enough for that."

The Void Consciousness moved her eyes, scanning every inch of the Consciousness Space.

"So go ahead and use whatever tricks you have. If your consciousness dies here, nothing will be left of you... Ah, there you are."

The Void Consciousness gave a wicked smile and swung her scythe, sending out a crescent of light. The empty space rippled, and Ling Ying appeared. She dodged the scythe's attack in a panic, leapt to another spot, and vanished again.

"Yes, this is your home turf. You can waste my time like this all you want. But let me remind you: while we're fighting to the death here, our bodies outside are unconscious. Those rats lurking in the shadows haven't left yet. How long do you think your friends can hold out on their own?"

As soon as the Void Consciousness finished speaking, the space around them began to shift violently. The empty expanse of purple once again took on a colorful outer layer. Roads, buildings, and sidewalks appeared one after another. This time, the scene seemed to be a street in a modern city.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!"

An urgent horn sounded behind her. The Void Consciousness turned around in the middle of the road and saw a massive heavy-duty truck careening toward her out of control. In reality, the road would have been left with a mangled corpse. But here, the truck raced straight through the Void Consciousness, who stood motionless, then instantly shattered and disappeared.

"Just an illusion? That won't help you."

"Bang!"

A corner of a building by the street suddenly burst apart, and a huge object came crushing through the rubble and onto the road. It was a tank armed to the teeth. Its turret turned, and the dark, gaping barrel of its smoothbore gun pointed straight at the Void Consciousness.

"Boom!"

The tank fired. Flames and smoke erupted with a deafening blast. The shell crossed the few hundred meters in an instant and was about to hit. She moved, turning her wrist and sweeping her scythe in a bright arc toward the shell.

"Clang!"

The collision sounded completely unexpected. The shell had been caught in midair by the scythe, and it began to ripple strangely. The Void Consciousness gave a scornful laugh, planted both hands on the scythe, and sprang into the air. She kicked hard at the rippling area.

"Cough, cough..."

Ling Ying clutched her abdomen and staggered several steps before managing to stand. Even though this wasn't her real body, the pain, acting directly on her nerves and consciousness, felt terrifyingly real.

"How was that? Do you still want to keep resisting for nothing?"

The Void Consciousness gave her a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"You know I'd much rather work together. So if you're ready to accept my terms now..."

"One last time."

Ling Ying looked at the Void Consciousness with resolve, then vanished again. As she disappeared, the whole space transformed once more. The street broke apart and scattered, and the fragments reassembled into a plain, straight hallway. At the end of the hall stood a closed wooden door.

"Fine. If that's the ending you want, I don't mind."

The Void Consciousness shrugged without expression and walked straight up to the door, pushing it open without a moment's hesitation.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"How boring."

The Void Consciousness ignored the hideous female ghost lunging out at her and continued on toward the next door.

"Graaah!"

"Pathetic."

The Void Consciousness studied the horde of zombies surging toward her, some trailing bloody intestines and others displaying pale brains. Suddenly, she swung both arms and hurled the scythe with all her strength. Its sharp blade swept through the horde. No blood sprayed, and no heads flew. Only one female zombie, draped in ragged clothes and wearing a hood, was knocked to the ground by the scythe's handle.

"Are you trying to use the things you fear to fight me?"

The Void Consciousness caught the returning scythe and looked down at the "female zombie," speaking calmly.

"Too bad. I copied your personality, but not your weaknesses. So, have we settled this yet?"

The other girl didn't answer. She shakily got to her feet and disappeared into the air. The zombies vanished along with her. The whole space fell quiet again, and the door that had been hidden behind the horde began to appear.

"Do you want to keep going? I'm almost out of patience."

The Void Consciousness frowned and strode forward, about to kick the door open. Before she could move, though, the door suddenly opened by itself.

"Our darling daughter is home!!"

A happy couple came rushing out to greet her, accompanied by a big, fluffy teddy bear. A tag hung around the bear's neck, with the words "Happy Birthday" written in large, eye-catching letters.

"Here, sweetie, take your birthday present..."

The couple gave the Void Consciousness a warm smile as they held out the big teddy bear. For the first time, the unflappable Void Consciousness looked at a loss. She mumbled something indistinct, and the scythe in her hand lowered slightly. But in the next moment, she gripped it again and thrust it upward with all her strength.

The couple's smiles froze in place. The Void Consciousness raised her head slightly and looked toward the pair of eyes hovering in midair, identical to her own. Their owner was now hanging from the curve of the scythe's blade. The sharp blade had pierced through her body, and the longsword slipped from her limp hand. Ling Ying closed her eyes, as if calmly accepting this ending, and let her body dissolve into wisps of black mist.

"?"

The Void Consciousness realized in an instant that something was wrong. But before she could do anything, Ling Ying's figure dropped down behind her. A sword blade sprang from her sleeve and plunged viciously toward the Void Consciousness's neck.

"Splash, splash."

The azure sea tide washed over the golden shore. The purple-haired, purple-eyed girl lay on the sand, watching the waves rise and fall. A moment later, she turned her head and looked at the other girl walking toward her.

"Congratulations. You won."

There were no negative emotions in the Void Consciousness's voice, only the calm acceptance that came after everything had settled. It was as if this was who she'd been all along. The icy murderous intent and violence from earlier had been nothing but a fleeting illusion.

"I thought you'd call me despicable or something."

Ling Ying stopped in front of the Void Consciousness and sat down cross-legged.

"That would be meaningless. Only you humans like pointless words like that. Void Creatures care only about what's real. Do you care about the blame and insults of the weak we devour? You won, so you won. Though... Mm... That feeling you mentioned—I might have felt a little of it, since this was supposed to be just between the two of us, and you brought in a third party."

The Void Consciousness looked at Ling Ying with a teasing expression.

"That... black mist. It has a healthy appetite, too. If you can't feed it enough... Hey, why am I worrying about you? It's none of my business anymore."

"You hesitated back then, didn't you?"

Ling Ying thought it over, then finally decided to ask.

"You said you didn't have my weaknesses, but when I projected that birthday party, it clearly affected you. If you'd been in your usual state, I shouldn't have had a chance to..."

The Void Consciousness waved a hand, cutting Ling Ying off.

"It's pretty funny. I only realized it just now: the moment I decided to become another you because I thought I couldn't control you anymore, I'd already lost."

"I don't think that's why you lost."

Ling Ying looked toward the distant waves, a faint, different light shimmering in her eyes.

"Your reaction showed that, deep down, you'd already accepted that emotions aren't a weakness. My plan worked only because I wasn't facing a mindless killing machine, but an individual capable of responding to emotion."

Ling Ying turned her head and looked at the Void Consciousness beside her again.

"Whether you're willing to admit it or not, you're already a person in every sense of the word."

Ling Ying's words left the Void Consciousness looking thoughtful. After a long moment, she smiled. Unlike before, there was no trace of danger in it—just a simple, genuine smile.

"You know, you're surprisingly good at giving lectures. You just made a Void Consciousness waver. Maybe living the way you humans do isn't such a bad thing after all."

"No. You still have a choice."

Ling Ying held out her hand, her expression earnest.

"Like you said, it's survival of the fittest. Rather than simply disappearing, you can choose to become a part of me. It'll mean you're no longer free to live as you do now, but at least you'll still be alive in a way. You'll be able to witness everything that happens through my eyes. And I..."

Ling Ying smiled.

"Who knows? Maybe one day I'll need a wild Ling Ying."

The Void Consciousness studied Ling Ying's outstretched hand for a moment, then took it without hesitation.

"Then I'll be in your hands from now on. Don't die too young, Main Body."

The Void Consciousness finished with a smile, and her whole body shattered with a bang. Ling Ying remained in the same pose, waiting as the fragments floating in the air slowly gathered and merged into her body. When it was all over, she stood up and looked toward the fading line where sea met sky, then spoke solemnly.

"I will, for both of us."