I Choose to Say Goodbye to Firefly

After the battle was won.

Stelle looked at the empty battlefield and murmured softly, "The Stellaron Hunters... have disappeared."

Mimi floated by her shoulder and spoke in its soft, sweet voice:

"Disappeared, temporarily."

"Memory exists... always."

Stelle furrowed her brow and hurriedly said:

"Wait a moment..."

Mimi tilted its head, gently waving its little paw:

"Farewell. There is still... time."

"Companions, regrets... leave none."

Guided by Mimi, Stelle turned to look toward the other side of the train car.

Two people were still standing there: Kafka and Firefly.

She looked at them, her gaze somewhat lost.

Looking into the distance, she quietly asked herself:

"Kafka... and Firefly. Who should I say goodbye to...?"

After thinking for a while, Stelle lifted her foot and ran toward Firefly.

Firefly turned around. Seeing the confusion in Stelle's eyes, a gentle smile appeared in her own.

"Ah... Stelle, it's you."

"The 'script' was completed smoothly again, right?"

"With you by our side, we always feel at ease."

Seeing the complicated expression on Stelle's face, Firefly froze slightly. "What's wrong?"

"I've never seen you make that expression before."

Stelle lowered her eyes, her voice full of bewilderment.

"I can't remember anything..."

Firefly's smile stiffened slightly as she softly asked:

"What does... that mean?"

Her worried eyes stared silently at Stelle.

Only after a long while did she lower her head and ask, at a loss:

"Did something happen?"

"I... I don't know if I should be asking you this."

"I just... wanted to show some concern. Concern for a companion."

Stelle looked at Firefly, her gaze wandering.

"It feels like we traveled together before..."

Firefly fell silent for a moment. A trace of sorrow appeared on her face as she softly replied, "Is that so..."

"Will this journey together also come to an abrupt end?"

But the next second, Firefly raised her head.

Her face was full of composure, along with a gentle attempt to comfort Stelle.

"But... it's alright."

"Since you appeared here, it proves that our paths will cross again."

"You're still alive, and I'll keep living too."

"The farewell that has yet to come will not be forever."

Stelle looked at her and nodded gently. "We really did meet again."

A smile bloomed on Firefly's face once more. "That's wonderful."

"I'll try my best to forget this, to seal it away deep within my mind..."

"When the day of parting comes, I'll take your words as a promise that we'll reunite."

There was a hint of longing in Firefly's eyes.

"When the day we meet again arrives, I think... I'll pretend we've never met."

"I'll get to know you all over again, and let everything begin from the start."

"And I'll do my utmost to speak my heart to you..."

"Because I still can't do that yet."

Firefly's voice was gentle, carrying a trace of longing. "That truly is a day worth looking forward to."

"Two people—not accomplices anymore, just two souls drifting through the Galaxy—meeting ordinarily, getting to know each other ordinarily..."

"...That is the greatest luxury I can imagine."

Stelle took a deep breath, and her gaze gradually grew firm.

"I should go, Firefly."

Firefly looked at her, a knowing smile flashing through her eyes.

"Yes, that's the expression I know."

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

"Because you have something important to do... You always understand what matters most."

Firefly waved her hand, her tone full of encouragement.

"Go on, Trailblazer."

"Even if you forget everything, it's all right..."

"I'll keep the promise of our second encounter etched in my heart for you."

Firefly closed her eyes as though reminiscing about something, and softly said, "I hope it will be a beautiful night with shooting stars streaking across the sky."

"So that's why Firefly appeared in Penacony..."

After the people of Douluo Continent heard the conversation between the two, they immediately connected it to the scene the Sky Screen had shown earlier.

They finally understood why, in Penacony, Firefly had been willing to die three times and still do everything in her power to help Stelle.

So they had known each other long ago.

They had even been comrades who fought side by side, sharing such a romantic promise.

In an instant, countless soft-hearted people across Douluo Continent were deeply moved.

They felt that voting for Firefly back then had been the most romantic choice they had ever made.

It allowed these star-crossed lovers to reunite beneath the Sky Screen.

The image on the Sky Screen continued.

Stelle abruptly opened her eyes.

She discovered that she was standing where she had previously touched Oronis's power.

Dan Heng, Phainon, and Castorice stood beside her, their faces filled with concern and confusion.

Looking at everyone, Stelle held her still-heavy head and softly said, "What a long memory... It feels like a lifetime ago."

Dan Heng frowned and quickly asked, "Long? What are you talking about?"

"You were just standing here. No matter how we called out to you, you didn't respond."

"This only lasted for less than a minute, and then—"

Dan Heng's gaze fell on the pink little sprite Mimi, who stood beside Stelle's shoulder with her hands on her hips, as he continued, "Then this creature appeared."

Phainon looked at Mimi, the little thing that looked neither like a dog nor a fox, and asked with a puzzled expression, "What a strange animal. It is an animal, right? I've never seen one before."

Castorice looked at Mimi, and a faint smile appeared on her blank face.

"What a cute little thing. Is it a gift from Oronis?"

Stelle turned to Dan Heng and stated with certainty, "Fuli glanced upon me."

Dan Heng was utterly confused. "Fuli? Just now?"

With one hand on his hip, Phainon immediately followed up, "Fuli? What is that?"

Dan Heng slowly explained from the side, "On our way to Okhema, I mentioned the 'Aeons' of Beyond the Sky to you. Fuli is one of them, presiding over the Path of 'Memory.'"

After hearing this, Phainon nodded thoughtfully. "Ah... 'Gods of the realm Beyond the Sky, miracles too wondrous to behold with mortal eyes'... Is that right?"

"To receive an Aeon's glance, does that mean..."

Stelle nodded and took over, "Mimi said she can help us."

Mimi planted its hands on its hips, its little face brimming with confidence as it cried in a childish voice:

"Titan, past... mist."

"Gather. Past... restore."

Stelle nodded along and added, "We need to bring the past back."

Phainon's face was full of astonishment.

Mimi stood beside them, making nothing but "Mimi, Mimi, Mimi" noises. No one else could understand what it was saying.

Only Stelle seemed able to communicate with it without any difficulty. Phainon could not help asking:

"You can understand it?"

"Gather memories and restore the past... how do we do that? We don't have much time left."

After all, Mydei was still fighting Nicadoli. Who knew how many more times he had died by now?

After hearing this, Mimi chirped in a lively voice, as though soothing everyone:

"No rush, needed! I will. Teach you."

Stelle nodded as well and told the others, "Mimi will teach us what to do."

After hearing that, Dan Heng folded his arms across his chest and spoke solemnly:

"If it truly is Fuli's creation, or if it has some connection to that Aeon, then I am willing to believe it can wield a power even greater than the 'Oronis Miracle.'"

Knowing that this power was connected to an Aeon, Dan Heng was filled with trust.

He then called to everyone, "Let's go. We'll follow it."

Just as Stelle and the others were about to turn and leave.

Castorice suddenly turned her head and looked up at the phantom of the Aeon of Chronos in the sky, speaking softly:

"Oronis, have you fallen asleep?"

Oronis's whisper slowly echoed in everyone's ears.

Castorice frowned slightly and murmured, "I don't know who the 'mother' you speak of is, but..."

But in the next instant, a gentle smile spread across her face as she said with heartfelt blessing:

"You've worked hard all this time. If you dream too... I hope your dreams are sweet."