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"No. I'm afraid I'll have to travel alone."
【"Why?"】
The hero in his heart spoke with a hint of doubt, and the blurry figure seemed to lean forward slightly, as if searching for something.
"Because there is no such thing as a perfect solution in this world, Xi Lian has already embraced her destiny..."
He lowered his eyes, his fingers unconsciously clenching into a fist. When he looked up again, a deep, intense emotion, the same as that of "destruction," surged within them.
"And I, too, will throw myself into my very essence—'Destruction'—to rebel against its creator and unleash endless fury upon the darkness that sweeps across the world."
"If you were by my side, I would hesitate... but this world can no longer tolerate a hesitant soldier."
"March 7th: I don't understand. If he's an imagined hero, why not bring him along?"
"March 7th: Don't we even have the right to have wild thoughts?"
Su Chang: Yes, I don't quite understand. What does this have to do with indecisiveness?
Huaiyan: Perhaps... it's because he needs to stay rational throughout the journey ahead.
"Bai'er: I still can't imagine... what he must have looked like."
"Walter: Don't underestimate yourself, you're already a worthy hero."
"March 7th: Uncle Yang is right."
Tibo: That's right, Whitey, uh... and Blackie, you are already universally recognized as great heroes.
"Aglaia: So, Kauslana, a change has occurred. Shall we talk?"
"The Fire-Stealing Walker: I... am merely... an executioner..."
"Naka: If your brain gets fried, come here and I'll take a look."
【“…”】
The silence was as still as an abyss; this time, it was the indistinct figure of the hero who stood speechless.
["Remember when we were kids? If we drew a 'King' or 'Warrior' card, we'd cheer and jump for joy. If we drew a 'Demon' or 'Drunkard,' we'd yell that this didn't count and we wanted to try again..."]
"If you want to back out, you can. Children are always lucky..."
When he spoke of his childhood, the light in his eyes dimmed like a flickering candle, yet a gentle tenderness still lingered on his lips, as if fragments of memories were flowing between his brows.
"But the fate of adults never offers a choice to turn back."
His voice deepened slightly, and the softness that once belonged to him vanished. His expression tightened abruptly, every line conveying an unwavering seriousness.
[At this point, the hero said no more. The hazy light and shadow nodded slightly, silently conveying complete approval and support, and then spoke, offering words that stirred the blood:]
"Then go, Caislana. As you promised: deceive the world, seize the fire, and reverse fate..."
"Burning yourself into flame, wielding futility as your sword, rebel against the gods—"
"..."
In that brief pause, the air seemed to weigh a ton.
"In the name of betraying the world, I promise you..."
"We will never forget the engraving of the law."
At this moment, the scene abruptly changes...
The annihilating sun hangs in the sky, transforming into a giant countdown clock; in the flow of light and shadow, every ray carries the somber intensity of impending doom.
[Kauslana raised his hand, causing twelve flames to erupt within his body—in the instant the flames surged, he bent down to lift the scorching sun, the curve of his back resembling that of the legendary Cephalus, who bore the weight of the world.]
The golden blood flowing from the sun's core transformed into sharp pointers, spreading down his body, piercing through his worldly bones, and pointing directly at the prisoner carrying fire.
The moment that strand of golden blood pierced the prisoner's heart, Onphalus's silhouette trembled in the light and shadow, destined to be completely swallowed by "destruction."
[The world is 33550336 eternal cycles away from destruction]
Sambo: The adult world is indeed less joyful.
Walter: Adults really don't have that many choices.
Rick: Hahaha, brilliant! This picture is brilliant, so vivid and lifelike...
"Rick: This is the perfect prelude."
Silver Wolf: 666, no wonder you can make good films.
Star: Hmm? Where can I find the video?
March 7th: Huh? What are you talking about out of the blue?
"Carmelo: Who are these people trying to steal my job?!"
"Yellow Springs: Using...futile efforts as a sword...?"
"The robin: This is too cruel and hopeless."
Sunday: Sister, reality is not like a dream; it always has been.
Jiang Lin: @Sunday, why do I get the feeling you're still a little unwilling to give up?
"Star: You're not being honest, Lao Ri."
"Sunday: I didn't."
"Danheng: The countdown has begun..."
"Aglaia: Kephale will never be forgotten."
"Bai E: In the name of bearing the world's burdens, the law will be forever remembered."
"And so, time receded behind me."
"The origin before all things existed."
Chaos, like an abyss, permeates all sounds and outlines. Bai E, gently embraced by the veil of time, stands silently within it, his gaze piercing through the mist, intently watching all that is without beginning or end before him.
[“Just as Teacher Xia said, in that void, the ‘Titan of the Negative World’ stood at the center of chaos, with time, space, and causality flowing from its body…”]
"When the tides of time finally subsided, it was the year 3870 of the Guangli calendar."
"The Golden War has lasted for nearly a century. The threat of the Black Tide is growing stronger and stronger, and it is unstoppable."
Two colossal beasts stood proudly behind the knight, challenging his cruel fate and the closed sky under his leadership.
"That was the era when the 'Lightning Knights' pointed their swords at the heavens. She failed to seize the flame, but she proved the prophecy true—mortals could also slay gods."
"From this day forward, the remnant of the old dynasty, 'Caesar' Crydella, issued a call to the world, summoning the heroes of the Golden Blood from all nations to declare war on the Titans—"
"That was the first journey to pursue fire, sealed away in history, ending in failure."
The First Eternal Return begins.
"Wind Violet: Thunder Knight..."
"That Summer: The Golden War, the First Journey to Chase Fire, it was actually during that time period...?"
"Star: It's about crossing teeth."
"March 7th: This is not a good thing."
Tibo: In this way, none of us will recognize Xiaobai, but Xiaobai will still remember us.
"Tibo: That way, the Golden Descendants of that era will be able to get to know Little White."
"Feng Jin: But...why did Lord Bai E become like that?"
"Aglaia: None of us have experienced this, so we can't get the right answer just by guessing. Let's keep watching."
"Gold Placer: Should the history of Onphalus be recorded separately?"
Jade: Hmm, it's still necessary. It might save us a lot of trouble in the future.
"Kaze Sumire: I'm also a little curious, what exactly is the legend about?"
"So, you mean: you traveled upstream through time, reaching this seabed you'd never been before, just to tell us—"
"Is the journey to fire, and indeed the entirety of Onpharos, nothing more than a mirage in the 'Star God's' dream?"
The woman stood still, exuding a chilling aura like a sharpened sword, yet her eyes held a calm composure. Her back was to Bai E, but she seemed not to have let her guard down towards him.
Faced with her question, Caislan nodded in affirmation without the slightest hesitation.
"That's right. So, Lord Sword Banner, please lead me to Her Majesty Krydella. I have a duty to tell you the truth."
He raised his hand to his chest, his knuckles lightly pressed together, his posture revealing undisguised sincerity and a basic respect for those in positions of authority.
"Since His Majesty is not here, there's no need for such formalities. The words 'Sword and Banner' always remind me of my homeland, which was buried beneath the abyss..."
The woman slowly turned around, a faint trace of melancholy in her voice, then looked up and softly uttered her name.
"Just call me Heather, the Nameless Swordsman."
"If I may be so bold, you already know my name."
"You mean 'Bai E'? How could that be a real name..."
[Haiserin's tone was completely flat, yet every word exposed the fact that he was using an alias, showing no mercy whatsoever.]
"But I won't delve into it. Since His Majesty issued the order to pursue the fire, heroes from all over the world have offered their pledges of loyalty. What harm would it do to add one more 'White Calamity' or 'Black Calamity' among them?"
She turned her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the deep seabed beside her, a hint of nonchalance in her voice.
"Besides, the deep sea is dark, isn't that perfect for hiding secrets that are inconvenient to show to the public?"
【“…”】
The words that were about to come out of Caislan's throat stopped, and a silence, like an undercurrent in the deep sea, silently filled the gap between the two.
"Alright, nameless swordsman. Hold onto my tail and let's talk somewhere else."
As Heather's voice faded, a chilling aura rippled around her, as if gesturing for him to follow.
"Don't you have even the slightest doubt about what I've said?"
[Karslana frowned slightly, and asked again, his tone revealing a hint of surprise.]
"Questioning is not my job..."
She turned her head to the side, her fingertips lightly touching the hilt of the sword, her voice as cold as ice from the deep sea.
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