In an age where life is endless, no one invented the word "cherish"—because all the beauty in the world can be seen an infinite number of times; and all established connections need not be feared to break.
"The so-called Golden Age was an era devoid of virtue and action. People did not live... but merely existed in the world, wearily walking and waiting."
"Perhaps the Styxia chose to embrace death not because they were fascinated by its sinister and terrifying aspects..."
"It is the impulses and desires that accompany the finite life that intoxicate and madden them, making them unable to extricate themselves."
Castorice was slightly moved. "So..." death is not a cold, hopeless thing, but rather...
"That's right, Castorice. She is the reason we part with tears in our eyes... and the spark that initially ignited the passion in mortals."
"If you intend to strip the world of 'death'... then be prepared to witness the world return to stagnation and indolence."
"I understand, Your Excellency Amonet. Limited life... shapes everything we love and know."
Even the Titan of Death has no right to tear it from a person.
" Moneta's Love... The initial blessing of the Cocoon of Gold was probably not understood by most."
"It wasn't until after the arrival of Thanatos that people Guild to interpret this wonderful gift."
"Queen Styxia delivered my baby... you brought me into Aidelia... Aglaea invited me to join the Journey of Flame-Chase... if there were no death, none of this would have happened."
"And I... naturally, have never truly lived, let alone experienced happiness."
Castorice stepped forward and embraced Amonet's phantom. "Thank you, my mother..."
"... I will use all the 'love' I have accumulated in this long life to accomplish the final miracle."
"My teacher Anaxagoras gave me the wisdom of the Ena of all things."
The alchemy array hummed as it activated. Castorice knelt at its center, holding the " Philosopher's Stone " that emitted a scarlet light in her hands, and softly chanted:
"I call forth here... the shattered remains of Death Dragon-- "
Countless waves seemed to be summoned, surging and climbing towards the Twinmoon Spire.
"Ascending from the earth to the heavens, descending from the heavens..."
The raging waves surged into the tower, and Xing swiftly twisted the necklace, instantly enveloping her and Castorice in a dazzling golden shield.
"The lower part is like the upper part, and the upper part is like the lower part..."
A perfectly round embryo emerged from the waves in front of the Castorice, and the outline of a giant dragon gradually took shape.
"This is the power of all forces, capable of destroying the tough and uprooting the strong."
"You great work that governs all death, I will grant you my embrace!"
The Death Dragon Dormancy in the River of Souls was awakened once more by the alchemy and transformed into a withered, decaying corpse.
It was once the Titan of "death," flowing upstream along the River of Souls, leaving the realm of nothingness and becoming stranded in the mortal world.
It once surged onto the earth with the tides of the River of Souls, branding all things in Amphoreus with their destined end.
Those beings that are dying or already dead will feel a tremor deep in their souls upon its return.
However, the Pollux before them was merely the remains of a former dragon.
Its embryonic form was far from mature and had no ability to move.
Upon its revival, it followed its own instincts and displayed pure hostility towards the nearby Castorice and star.
"Be careful, though it's only out of instinct, it's gathering rage—" The Castorice conjured a weapon and stood in front of the Star.
Though the River of Souls Ferryman's decaying bone wings could not flap, they suddenly stirred up a foul wind carrying the chill of death.
Deep within the unseen eye sockets, two dark flames flickered violently, their silent roars shaking the air, and an invisible pressure crushed down on the two of them like a mountain.
"Has it just been resurrected and hasn't recovered yet?"
Xing let out a low shout, flicked his wrist, and the seemingly ordinary baseball bat instantly extended and hardened, transforming into a heavy giant hammer gleaming with a cold metallic light.
Without hesitation, she strode forward, the giant hammer slamming down with a whooshing sound as it struck the most prominent joint of the dragon's skeleton.
clang--!
The deafening clang of metal against metal and the immense recoil made Xing's arm go numb.
However, on Pollux, there were only shallow indentations on the dragon bones, and rotting flesh fell away, revealing an extremely eerie bone structure.
Almost simultaneously, the massive tail of the Death Dragon's remains lashed out, sweeping with tremendous force toward Xing's waist.
Xing's pupils contracted slightly, and she gripped the hourglass pendant around her neck with her other hand.
Buzz!
After a buzzing sound, a strange force field spread out from her center, and the surrounding light slowed down instantly.
The fatal bony tail slowed abruptly the moment it touched the force field, as if sinking into an invisible swamp, its trajectory becoming clearly visible.
Xing narrowly avoided the attack by rolling to the side, the bone tail grazing her clothes, the force of the wind still stinging her cheek.
"The girl I once saved... have you truly vanished?"
Castorice attempted to awaken Pollux' dormant will, she sheathed her weapon, formed hand seals, and the alchemical array beneath her feet lit up once more, even more intensely than before.
Using the Philosopher's Stone as a guide, crimson light gathered in her palm, transforming into several scorching energy beams that precisely struck the gaps in the skull of the Death Dragon embryo, which were not yet fully closed.
"Or perhaps, after the resentment dissipates... it will be able to reappear?"
boom!
The energy beam collided with the dark soul fire, erupting with a blinding halo and a sizzling corrosive sound.
The Death Dragon's body trembled violently, emitting even more painful, silent howls and mournful groans, as if the attack had touched a sore spot deep within its chaotic consciousness.
Star's giant hammer fell again, this time aiming at the relatively vulnerable wing joint.
The hourglass's slowing force field remained effective, allowing her to find openings in the Death Dragon's sluggish counterattacks.
First, a hammer strike! Then, a dodge! Finally, another hammer strike!
Each heavy impact caused the keel to groan under the strain, and made the mournful cries even more intense.
Castorice's attacks never stopped. Whether it was because she was spending more time with Xing or something else, she actually decided to use a two-pronged approach!
Meanwhile, the energy of alchemy, like a serpent, relentlessly searched for weak points on the embryo's outer shell, attempting to penetrate and awaken the true consciousness belonging to Pollux in that incomplete state.
She wanted to take out her weapon again; she'd heard Xing mention it before—outsiders called it 'beating therapy'?
The battle raged fiercely on the top floor of the Twinmoon Spire. Every attack from Star and Castorice was more than just a physical collision; it was as if they were knocking on a tightly closed door leading to an ancient consciousness.
The mangled remains of the Death Dragon Pollux struggled in pain and chaos, the ghostly flames flickering within its embryonic form swaying violently under the shockwaves of the Starhammer and the scorching heat of the Castorice Alchemy Energy.
"Elder sister..."
Pollux murmured softly, and with each dimming of light, a faint glimmer of clarity seemed to struggle to emerge from the depths.
"Please... don't turn back towards the Underworld..."
Xing leaped high into the air, transforming the giant hammer into a giant scythe similar to that of Castorice, and the necklace began to absorb the energy escaping from the embryo of Pollux.
"Death... may you rest in peace."