["After witnessing Qingni's starskiff piloting, Yukong wasn't pleased; instead, her expression was unprecedentedly grim. What puzzled Qingni was that her mother's anger stemmed not only from her unauthorized piloting but also from Qingni viewing her as a role model and possessing the same exceptional talent."]
["'Parents don't want their children to face danger. I think I can understand Lady Yukong's feelings,' Welt explained."]
["'But… flying is the only thing I want to do. Because I've already touched the sky,' Qingni said, her eyelashes drooping like butterfly wings dampened by rain."]
JOJO——
Naples, Italy.
"This poor girl…"
Seeing the tears in Qingni's eyes, Trish couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. As a girl of similar age, she could deeply relate to Qingni's inner pain and disappointment.
"Ugh… Trish, if we're talking about pity, her family situation is already luckier than most of ours, isn't it?" Mista mumbled, his mouth full of tiramisu as he spoke.
Fugo's fork clinked sharply against his plate as he slowly raised his eyes. "…Mista, can we not bring up that topic during dessert?"
Giorno gently stirred his coffee, his expression calm as always. When it came to family, he had little to say.
Growing up, he had never met his biological father, and though his mother was often by his side, she had hardly shown him any maternal love. So, seeing Yukong's care for Qingni… even now, as someone in a high position, he couldn't hide the envy in his eyes.
And Trish, sitting nearby… let alone family ties, she was lucky to have escaped her biological father alive, thanks to Bucciarati's sacrifice.
"Giorno, if your parents tried to stop you from pursuing your dreams, what would you do?" Trish suddenly asked.
"My mother and stepfather never cared about me, and as for my biological father…"
Giorno looked up at the golden reflection in the glass, giving a relieved smile. "I've never met him. But if we ever do meet… I'd invite him to witness my 'Golden Dream.'"
["Suddenly, Qingni received a message from Qingzu. Apparently, when Yukong had rescued her earlier, a personal accessory was left behind in Stargazer Navalia. Qingni wanted to retrieve it to mend her relationship with her mother."]
["At Stargazer Navalia, Stelle quickly located the accessory using a mechanical bird. The accessory contained a badge of the Hunt, a small trinket pilots hang in their starskiff cabins to pray for safe flights."]
["Qingni found it strange that her mother kept this item, clearly nostalgic for her past as a pilot. So why did she not only refuse to fly now but also block Qingni from pursuing her dream?"]
["After some thought, Welt decided to help Qingni by asking Jing Yuan."]
["If they could learn about Yukong's past from Jing Yuan, they might understand the reasons behind her decisions."]
["In the Seat of Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan seemed to have recovered well after the recent battle and was handling some paperwork. Seeing Stelle and Welt arrive, and considering Yukong's outburst as Helm Master, he quickly guessed the reason for their visit before they even spoke."]
["Stelle showed Jing Yuan the holy relic crafted from the 'Embers of the Divine Arrow,' hoping to learn more about Yukong's past. But at the mention of this, Jing Yuan's expression turned unusually grave. 'This relic isn't an ordinary craft. It's practically a testament etched in blood and tears.'"]
["'Thirty years ago, the Yaoqing and Fanghu Xianzhou ships were besieged by enemies. Even in the long history of the Alliance's wars against the Abundance, that air battle was among the most brutal.'"]
["Jing Yuan's usually gentle gaze now gleamed like an unsheathed sword, reflecting the embers of that past war. 'Facing Abundance abominations several times their number, nearly a million starskiff pilots fought to the death, but fewer than a hundred thousand survived the battlefield.'"]
["'At the end of that losing battle, if the Reignbow Arbiter hadn't descended and obliterated the Abundance forces with a sky-shattering arrow of light, it's hard to say whether the Luofu would still be sailing today.'"]
Akame ga Kill——
"Nearly a million… and fewer than a hundred thousand survived?!"
"This casualty rate…" Lubbock's eyes widened in shock.
"A battle where only one in ten survives… it's truly a crucible of flesh and blood. And yet the pilots pressed forward without hesitation—what kind of conviction is that?" Najenda, too, widened her eyes, listening to Jing Yuan's account in disbelief.
As a former Imperial general, she had experience commanding legions in battle. Even during less brutal campaigns at the southwestern border with Esdeath, there were always soldiers who deserted.
"They threw themselves into death without looking back… No wonder Yukong won't let her daughter become a pilot. If it were me, I wouldn't either," Leone shook her head.
"It's like the comrade you were talking to today could be dead tomorrow—your superior, your friends… everyone you've connected with in the camp could soon be gone."
"That's not even the worst part… The key is, according to General Jing Yuan, even if those pilots staked their lives, they were facing a battle they were destined to lose," Lubbock said grimly. "In the end, it took an Aeon's intervention to turn the tide."
"Just how strong are these Abundance forces?"
——
["'The materials used to forge these relics are the embers left by the Reignbow Arbiter's divine arrows on the battlefield. For the survivors, they're mixed with the blood of fallen comrades, the ashes of enemies, and their own memories…'"]
["'Yukong was a survivor of that battle. Her best friend, Caiyi, was buried in a foreign land, never to return,' Jing Yuan said heavily. 'No one can easily let go of their past. Yukong and Caiyi were comrades who went through life and death together. She must hold some memories of their shared past.'"]
["Learning this from the General, Welt couldn't help but feel the weight of the Xianzhou's history. After thanking Jing Yuan, he passed the compiled information to Qingni, who was waiting outside."]
["But before Stelle left, she turned back to ask Jing Yuan more about Yukong's past. When talking about Yukong's childhood, Jing Yuan's tone finally lightened."]
["'…How nostalgic. Back then, that little Foxian girl, caught by the Cloud Knights for speeding and brought before me, is now the Helm Master who stands as my equal.'"]
["'The Yukong of those days was nothing like she is now, buried in paperwork and confined to a study,' Jing Yuan said with a faint smile, full of reminiscence. 'Her spirit was like a blazing fire, like a wind that never stopped. If anyone could calm her even for a moment… it was probably only that comrade of hers.'"]