After some time, the [ Luminary Wardance Ceremony ] ended, and the real [ Wardance ] was held.
Ye Yan watched the entire match from the comfort of his milk tea shop. Overall, Luka's performance exceeded his expectations.
The reason is simple: ever since the Church of Eternity intervened in Jarilo-VI, the planet's technology tree has been expanded considerably.
Luka shone brightly at the [ Wardance ] using the robotic arm developed by their Church's chief scientist, holding his own against many masters. His promotional efforts were truly impressive.
Come on, gauntlets with automatic target acquisition are so cool... What, the Church of Eternity even has a chief scientist?
Sigh~ The Acting Priest is omnipotent, known as Little Chair Blake, meaning the next Chair has already been designated as Star, otherwise this position would have to be given to someone else.
As for Luka's match, he fought his way through the competition. With the [ Eternity ] gloves, he was able to easily defeat all the other fighters except for Yanqing, who was defending his title at the end.
At the Oti Mall, a well-dressed man walked up to a bubble tea shop, his thoughts drifting back to a long time ago.
That was after the " Embryo of Philosophy " was shot down. He was taken to the lounge by the blond, blue-eyed Church Chair, where they had a profound conversation.
--
Flashback to past events, in the Church's medical room
"You must be wondering why I have such patience with a chosen one like you who dares to overstep his bounds?"
Blake stepped forward, his emerald green eyes seeming to pierce through one's soul. "From that precious Remembrance of your childhood, may I interpret it this way...?"
"For you, the essence of Eternity is happiness. Isn't that right?"
The silence of Sunday was like a stone thrown into a deep pool, creating heavy ripples in the air.
After witnessing firsthand the pure will embodied by the Church of Eternity at the Penacony Grand Theater, his deepest doubts about Eternity began to surface like cracks in solid ice.
"Remember?" Blake's voice struck Sunday's heart with its clarity, "[Building a Paradise where everyone can find Eternity peace] -- this was your shared ideal with Miss Robin, a promise made through blood, wasn't it?"
Blake's eyes locked onto Sunday: "If I said that the Path of Eternity could grant you this wish..." He paused slightly, then asked, enunciating each word clearly:
"Your Excellency, on Sunday, would you be willing to... have a frank conversation with me?"
The air froze.
A constant, dim light streamed across the silvery-white walls of the medical room, so quiet you could almost hear stardust falling to the ground.
On Sunday, she lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her pale cheeks, concealing the turbulent emotions within.
[ Paradise of Eternity peace]... This dream, which he and the Robin promise under the starlight, was now being brought up again in an almost seductive way by someone he had recently regarded as an enemy.
Blake's words were like a key, precisely inserted into the depths of the newly formed cracks in the Bulwark faith, attempting to pry open the Cornerstone he had upheld for countless Years.
"Honesty...?"
Finally, Sunday raised his head, his golden pupils like shattered glass, gleaming with wariness and a hint of wavering—a wavering that even he himself was unwilling to admit, a wavering of his deepest desires.
His voice was unusually dry, carrying a weariness and tension from a high-intensity mental shock; the damage caused by [ Eternity ] was still too great for him.
"Sir Blake, you who act in the name of [ Eternity ], on the Penacony, together with the Nameless, crushed my plans with the 'will' of the entire Church."
"The power that shattered [ Order ]... and now you tell me that [ Eternity ] can fulfill my ideal?"
Sunday let out a short, soft laugh, her fingertips unconsciously rubbing together.
"Doesn't this sound more like a condescending mockery of the loser, or a meticulously planned... trap?"
"Does your so-called Eternity peace equate to completely subjugating me and Penacony under the gaze of the Aeon behind you, turning us into a soulless 'specimen' Paradise?"
On Sunday, he questioned, trying to mask his inner turmoil with sharp words.
The teachings of [ Order ] echoed in my mind: stability, rules, and the predetermined Path must not be transgressed.
And [ Eternity ]... the immense will contained within it seemed to share the same origin as [ Order ], yet it carried a chilling quality that unsettled the depths of his soul.
Blake was not angered by the accusation; instead, he laughed even harder, as if he had already anticipated the other party's reaction.
He turned slightly to the side, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall and reaching towards the vast sea of stars.
"Specimen? No... Mr. Sunday, you've misunderstood the picture of the [ Eternity ] pursuit."
Blake's voice grew distant, " Fulisina is obsessed with the Eternity of battle; it's her understanding of 'existence is meaning'."
"And what I see as Eternity..." He turned his gaze back, the light in his pupils as deep as a vortex, "Is the constancy of [state], the perpetuity of [value]."
"The starlight you saw in your childhood came from a long-extinguished star. Its physical form has perished, but has the light, hope, and the happiness of the promise you made to your sister that it carried also perished?"
"No... it transcends time and continues to illuminate your heart, giving you the strength to move forward. Isn't that a kind of [ Eternity ]?"
He stepped forward, his gaze fixed intently on Sunday:
"Isn't the core of the ' Paradise ' you yearn for the hope that peace, happiness, and the ideal state shared with loved ones will never fade?"
"[ Order ] provides you with a framework and rules; it may be the Cornerstone, but do you believe that the cold rules themselves can truly protect that fleeting happiness?"
"How long can you protect Penacony's 'Harmony' amidst the covetous eyes of the [ Interastral Peace Corporation ] and various other forces?"
Blake's words struck like a hammer blow against the shaky Bulwark faith on Sunday.
" The Nameless of [ the Trailblaze ] defeated you; we suppress you with the will of the Church, not to Destruction you or what you protect."
"On the contrary, this is to show you another possibility—a possibility that transcends fleeting Strife and allows your and Miss Robin's dream to truly become eternal."
"A kind of... [ Eternity ] that can ensure that the promise made under the starlight will never be extinguished by time, war, or any external force."
He extended his hand, but there was no power gathering in his palm; it was merely an invitation.
"This is not a trap. It's a... deal."
"Use your clinging to old beliefs to gain an opportunity to realize your true ideals."
"Blindly following the rules in exchange for the power to define that Eternity peace."
"Tell me, for the Robin, for that pinky promise, what is the price... you..."
"... Are you willing to take responsibility?"