"Of course... no problem. What made you think of that?" Firefly asked curiously. "It's nothing... I just wanted a chance to talk to you." Hanxing hesitated for a moment, then said no more. He took Firefly's hand and led her toward the bustling streets.
"Why... the rush?" Firefly looked a little helpless. "Never mind that. I'll take you to get an Oak Cake Roll!" A hint of urgency entered Hanxing's voice.
"But... do you have any money?" Firefly asked tentatively. Hanxing froze. That was right-the money he had on him was still Belobog's Shields. "Never mind, my treat!" Firefly shook her head understandingly, then walked over to a small stall.
"Two Oak Cake Rolls, please!" The vendor handed Firefly and Hanxing two plates, each holding an Oak Cake Roll. Without another word, Hanxing ate his in one bite. Firefly watched him, finding his behavior a little strange.
"What... is going on with you?" Firefly asked with concern. "It's nothing..." Hanxing shook his head and watched Firefly put the Oak Cake Roll in her mouth.
"Cough, cough-ever since I recovered from Entropy Loss Syndrome, this has been less and less to my taste..." Firefly sighed, then took Hanxing by the hand again and led him to a drink stall. "Two bottles of SoulGlad and two straws, please!" Without asking any questions, the vendor handed them two bottles of orange soda.
"How are you... so familiar with this place?" Hanxing asked. "I... have been here before." Firefly simply answered and pushed a bottle of SoulGlad into Hanxing's hand. She opened one for herself and drank through a straw. "Just as I thought. Fine things like this in the dreamscape are what suit people with a normal sense of taste."
Hanxing said no more. He opened the SoulGlad and drained it without even putting in a straw. "Wait! You'll! Get drunk..." Firefly called out a warning, but it was already too late. The bottle of SoulGlad disappeared in a flash.
"Uh... are you all right?" Firefly looked at Hanxing with concern, only to notice a flush on his face. He was clearly drunk. "How about using Star Eyes to recover?"
"No." Stars danced in Hanxing's eyes, but he kept his gaze fixed on Firefly. "This state is better suited to what I want to say." He paused, then spoke again. "Do you know somewhere... secluded and atmospheric?"
"Well..." Firefly lowered her head and thought for a moment. "I've heard Dream's Edge is nice. How about we go there?"
Hanxing nodded, tore open space with his bare hands, and brought them both to the place called Dream's Edge.
"This place is quite suitable." Hanxing looked at the scenery around them. It was like a rooftop. Meteors fell constantly in the distance, and the courtyard-like decorations lent the place a touch of beauty.
"It really is beautiful," Firefly said, then turned to Hanxing. "So... what is it you want to say?"
"I want... to tell you the truth about my past." Hanxing managed a smile, then launched into a lengthy account.
"I'm a 'copy,' extracted from myself in another timeline. The only reason I was created was to satisfy some bored whims of so-called superuniversal wills. They brought me and a few others into a dueling arena and made me fight them. In the final battle against Gu, I was forced to open a portal and came here."
"By rights, as a string of data, I should have disappeared as soon as I left the arena. But I still exist, which means... this universe will also be eroded by Eternal Finality."
"Eternal Finality is a superuniversal consciousness formed from the fusion of the true gods of various universes. When Eternal Finality is fully completed, the entire multiverse will reach its end: destruction."
"And I am the destined 'Eternal Finality'..." Hanxing shook his head. "My name... is Yinchen. As for my surname... it doesn't matter."
"So... you've been carrying such a heavy burden..." Firefly said with feeling. "It looks like I should tell you more about myself too."
"Glamoth was never an empire. That was just used to brainwash the Iron Cavalry. Glamoth was a republic from beginning to end. The empress was only a puppet, and the whole country was... a constitutional monarchy." Firefly's very first words were surprising, but she didn't stop there. She drained the SoulGlad in her hand and continued, "Glamoth was a battlefront in the firmament, the front line of resistance against Propagation. After one battle and then another, the Glamoth Republic's losses had long since become incalculable. So they used genetic modification to establish the Glamoth Iron Cavalry. Many instincts were sacrificed for combat."
"But besides fighting Propagation, the Glamoth Iron Cavalry had another purpose: to serve as the empress's private military force. The empress intended to use us to seize power. But in the end, the queen's plan was exposed, and the parliament brought her to account. As for us, we met our own destruction: we were sent on a mission that was no different from suicide-to kill an Emanator of Propagation. In the end, the Glamoth Iron Cavalry was wiped out in that battle. I drifted through space for I don't know how long before Kafka finally picked me up."
"The destruction of the Glamoth Republic remains a mystery to this day, but it's all history. It's all gone. Now, I'm just Firefly." Firefly sighed. "My designation... is AR26710." A cold string of numbers tried to encompass her entire life, but the brave girl simply shook her head. "At least, it's much less than what you're carrying."
Hanxing said nothing more. He reached out and pulled Firefly into his arms. Firefly was startled, but she soon embraced him in return.
On that night of cold stars, a firefly flew among them. Like a hidden star, it proclaimed unyielding courage...