Mianmian, Don't...

On the Douluo Continent.

Seeing Firefly, such a fragile young girl, cautiously awaiting the arrival of death, everyone could not help but feel their hearts tighten.

Born as humans, everyone harbors a fear of death.

People often say that the fear of the unknown is the most terrifying, especially when it comes to death.

Yet, the fear of the known is even more torturous to the human heart.

The inner conflict and dread before death arrives strike at a person's soul and will every single moment.

Often, before death has even truly arrived, that person has already suffered a complete mental breakdown.

Facing death, people often tremble and curl into a ball.

Or, they use hysterical roars to mask the panic within their hearts.

However, the way this fragile, silver-haired girl acted made everyone feel an incomparable sense of sorrow.

She was actually encouraging and comforting herself.

Saying that death was not scary, and that being able to choose how she would die was, to her, already wonderful.

The footage lasted only a few short minutes.

The conversation between Firefly and Dahlia was interspersed with many technical terms that the people of the Douluo Continent could not understand at all.

Yet, everyone could see that this Miss Firefly had long known she would die.

And yet, she still resolutely faced death head-on.

On this point alone, she had already surpassed most people.

After all, when a person knows clearly that the path ahead is a dead end and that stepping forward means losing their life, they usually choose to keep their distance.

Above Heaven Dou City.

Qian Renxue hovered in mid-air, the two Title Douluo at her side guarding her in silence.

The complex gazes of the three fell from the sky, then turned in unison toward the direction of the Heaven Dou City gates.

Tang Hao's previous actions had caused a massive commotion.

Furthermore, intelligence reports had secretly tipped them off that Tang San, ranked third on the leaderboard, and Stelle, ranked first, were right at the city gates.

Moreover, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Xiao Wu, exposed by the Sky Screen, was also by Tang San's side.

Whether Qian Renxue wanted to recruit Stelle or capture the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Xiao Wu, she ought to head to the gates of Heaven Dou City.

Yet, halfway there, she found herself tightly captivated by the images on the Sky Screen.

She felt she could not rashly approach Stelle, wanting instead to understand this Stelle—who had previously acted somewhat erratically—through the story of her and Firefly.

There was not much footage of Stelle.

And the story of Firefly, while devoid of clashing blades and shadows, consisted entirely of dialogue.

But the heaviness revealed between the lines made one feel suffocated.

Knowing death was near, yet still meeting it head-on.

Even more, while facing death, she sought to reveal vital information for the sake of those she wished to protect.

What exactly was this "best of both worlds" solution that Firefly spoke of?

Qian Renxue stared intently at the Sky Screen, anticipating the development of the plot.

She squeezed her fists lightly, her palms already slick with sweat.

How she hoped that this fragile yet strong young girl would be able to fulfill her wish when the time of her death arrived.

Martial Soul Hall, Worship Hall!

Qian Daoliu heaved a heavy sigh.

As the Great High Priest of the Angel God, he would inevitably have to sacrifice himself for the sake of the new Angel God in the future.

This fate was truly lamentable.

However, as he carefully pondered every line of dialogue on the Sky Screen, his brows could not help but knit tightly together.

This silver-haired girl seemed not only to know she would die, but also roughly when she would die.

This certainly could not be the result of having negotiated with an enemy.

Then, how exactly did these people know the date of their own deaths?

As the Great High Priest of Martial Soul Hall, he was knowledgeable and well-traveled, deeply aware of some unknown secrets.

This world was merely one among thousands.

Beyond the Douluo Continent, there was a vast, boundless starry sky.

Stelle clearly could not be a person from their world.

The world outside was entirely unknown.

There must be many worlds out there far more powerful than their Douluo Continent.

Firefly actually knows the time of her own death; is this the ability to foresee the future?

It truly is powerful.

If he had possessed the ability to foresee the future.

Perhaps Qian Xunji would not have committed such beastly acts against Bibi Dong.

And Bibi Dong, in turn, would not have heartlessly devoured him when he returned severely wounded.

The images on the Sky Screen continued to play.

Waiting for death to arrive, Firefly listened to the footsteps drawing closer behind her, her heart pounding wildly.

She turned her head in a hurry, and where her gaze landed was none other than the Stelle she had been longing for.

The corners of her eyes curved slightly, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Yet, that smile carried a trace of indescribable bitterness and reluctance.

After entering the dream, Stelle finally saw Firefly again, her heart filled with boundless joy.

She immediately quickened her pace, sprinting toward Firefly.

But at that very moment, a mass of purple-black smoke suddenly appeared out of thin air above everyone's heads.

Within the smoke, a red light flashed abruptly.

A creature with a bizarre appearance slowly emerged from within.

It was three to five times the length of a person, and its entire body, including its back, was covered in dense, eerie purple eyes.

Its speed was astonishing; it streaked past Stelle and lunged fiercely toward Firefly.

The gale stirred up by its flight nearly knocked Stelle to the ground.

When Stelle stumbled to steady herself and looked up at Firefly.

Her pupils constricted sharply.

She saw the bizarre monster circling Firefly at high speed.

The intense wind pressure it generated sent Firefly's body spiraling into mid-air.

Though Firefly had not yet been wounded by the monster, crystalline tears had already welled up in her eyes.

In the next second, the monster's sharp tail tip pierced deeply into Firefly's chest.

Stelle's eyes widened instantly, her mouth agape, her face etched with heartbreak and disbelief.

She rushed toward Firefly like a madwoman.

Acheron's hand hesitated over her blade, unable to draw it.

Black Swan also wore a look of shock, standing frozen in place, at a loss for what to do.

Yet, as the monster's tail pierced through her body, no blood flowed from Firefly.

Instead, tiny, glowing blue particles began to emerge.

With eyes filled with deep apology and glistening with tears, she used all her remaining strength to struggle out her final words to Stelle:

"I'm... sorry..."

As soon as Firefly's voice faded, the monster's tail tip struck again, driving deeper.

The excruciating pain that followed caused a look of agony to cross Firefly's face.

Tears streamed down her cheeks like two broken brooks, uncontrollable.

The monster yanked its tail free.

Firefly's body plummeted from the sky like a kite with a broken string.

As she fell, a large amount of glowing blue liquid, resembling blood, seeped from her body.

Heart-stricken, Stelle dropped her baseball bat.

She spread her arms and leaped with all her might, catching Firefly steadily as she fell from the sky.

She tried desperately to hold Firefly tight, but the Firefly in her arms shattered into a pile of blue-purple glowing liquid, scattering across the ground.

Stelle braced her hands on the ground and fell heavily to her knees, her face filled with the agony of self-reproach and helplessness.

At this moment, Acheron walked slowly in front of Stelle, staring solemnly at the monster in the sky.

Black Swan opened her palm, and on the weapon in her hand, countless cards flipped rapidly.

High above, the monster that had assassinated Firefly slowly curled its body, merging back into the black-purple smoke.

Finally, it vanished completely from the spot.

Stelle slowly climbed up from the ground, looking at the puddle of liquid Firefly had become and the glowing green bubbles floating in the air, her eyes rimmed with red.

The scene shifted at this moment. Dahlia sat opposite, her voice slow as she explained to Stelle—or perhaps to all living beings watching the Sky Screen:

"She hoped to use her own [Death] to reveal the truth of the dream to you."

"In the instant she was pierced, even the Emanator of Nihility would have reservations, hesitating as the blade was drawn. This was the best of both worlds she had chosen."

"It is a pity that fate played a joke on her; the Memetic Substance transformed so rapidly that she didn't even have the chance to offer a brief explanation."

"After that, she arrived at the Dreamflux Reef... a land of exile, the true Penacony. Using [Death] as a pretext, The Family did their utmost to conceal its existence."

"However, she could not venture deep with peace of mind at that time. Failing to reveal the truth meant the situation she had been worrying about continued."

"She was burning with anxiety, desperate to turn back and lead you away from the battlefield."

"Fortunately, a gentle and warm-hearted lady was still watching over her—I extended a helping hand once more."

"The scenario she feared most did not come to pass; [Death] receded on its own, and you were able to retreat unscathed."

"Partner... at that time, Firefly's death was a choice she made herself. What a gentle and strong girl she is."

Mimi had recovered a significant portion of her memories.

Yet, back in Amphoreus, her memories contained only those fragments concerning Stelle.

She had also felt immense heartache witnessing the scene where Firefly died before Stelle's eyes.

Now, learning why Firefly had chosen to die in such a manner before Stelle, her heart was filled with even greater pity.

Gazing at Firefly, who always wore a look of determination beside Stelle on the Sky Screen, Mimi's eyes were already wet.

Large, heavy tears fell, pattering down one after another.

"My lord, if you feel unwell, we could find a quiet place to take a nap, would that be alright?"

Witnessing the death of one's own friend and kin is an agonizing experience for anyone.

Castorice walked slowly toward Stelle, her voice soft as she offered the suggestion.

Stelle, however, stared fixedly at the sky, at the spot on the Sky Screen where Firefly had dissipated.

She clenched her fists tightly, her tone filled with unwavering resolve:

"No, I must keep all of this in my heart!"

"Firefly's devotion to me, her sacrifice—these are not just things of the past; they are the determination that makes me stronger in the present!"

The people on the Douluo Continent were overcome with a complex mix of emotions after witnessing Firefly's story.

What they saw was not a fierce battle of blood and tears, nor a long-winded, sentimental farewell.

The petite, silver-haired girl in the image looked so pitiable.

Yet, she possessed such unyielding resolve.

She had hidden behind Stelle only to help her recognize the truth.

And when death drew near, she appeared resolutely before Stelle, waiting for the agony of her body being pierced.

It was hard to imagine how such a fragile girl could ever bring herself to do this.

Especially the way she silently cheered herself on in the face of death—it made countless people feel a heart-wrenching sorrow, unable to hold back tears of pity.

According to Dahlia's later introduction, Firefly had wanted to reveal the truth of the dream to Stelle the very first time her body was run through.

One could feel her pain when she uttered the words, "I'm sorry."

Yet, she had planned to endure that excruciating pain to reveal even more of the truth.

What made it even more pitiable was that the death exposed on the Sky Screen was merely Firefly's first.

There were, shockingly, two more such instances of pain and parting to come.