"But the price is that she must stay in 'yesterday.' I'm afraid she won't have the chance to go with you to 'tomorrow.'"
"Herta" sighed. Playing the villain really wasn't pleasant.
"Choose."
Her gaze fell upon the two of them, awaiting their answer.
Demiurge's answer didn't matter; there was always only one that did.
"Perhaps we still have a third option."
Leon immediately gave his choice.
He had never resigned himself to fate. Not before, and certainly not now.
As for whether a third option actually existed, it didn't matter at all.
If he said there was one, then there had to be one!
"Heh."
"Herta" wore an expression of zero surprise.
She knew it. This was him. This was the choice Leon would make.
"Do we... have any other time?"
Demiurge gave the opposite answer.
She couldn't bring herself to sacrifice the future of others for her own future.
Amphoreus was the homeland everyone had fought so hard to protect.
It was a miracle created by Momoko and the heroes through thirty million cycles of reincarnation.
How could she let it just vanish like this?
Leon glanced at her.
Demiurge simply smiled at him, then shook her head.
It was enough.
Whether it was Cyrene or Demiurge, they both gave the consistent answer with their smiles.
"Of course. Let him send you off, then."
"Herta" nodded, fulfilling her wish.
"Thank you."
Demiurge smiled happily.
Yes, there was no need for him to do anything more. This was enough.
"Then..."
Demiurge turned around, facing him directly.
"Partner, are you willing to flee towards destiny with me for a while?"
Demiurge extended her hand, palm facing him, issuing an invitation.
"From the very start of your journey, let me become a part of your journey too."
"Along this road, we won't abandon each other, and we won't resign ourselves to fate."
"Until the very end of death!"
Leon didn't answer. He simply took her hand, silently accepting her invitation.
"Partner is the best!"
Demiurge broke into a radiant smile, taking him to roam within the long river of "Remembrance."
After she exerted her power as an Immaculatus, the two of them vanished from sight.
"Why do I feel an inexplicable sense of defeat?"
After the two left, "Herta" muttered to herself.
As a woman, she could feel it. The way she looked at him wasn't exactly innocent.
Hmm... Was she defeated?
No, she hadn't even officially started competing yet, so where did this talk of defeat come from?
No matter which Herta it was, they had never suffered a defeat in their lives.
Failure was something that did not exist in a Genius's dictionary.
No matter how difficult the subject, even if she was temporarily stuck, she would always solve it smoothly in the end.
Since she had never lost in any subject...
Then, she should be the same in interpersonal relationships as well!
Xianzhou Fanghu.
"Partner, why are you lying on the ground?"
Demiurge pointed at him—who was pretending to be a corpse with a flower on his chest—and asked.
"I am COSplaying my favorite, Teacher Tom."
Leon told the truth.
Demiurge was confused. "Who is Teacher Tom?"
"A designated specialist for crippled legs in the voice acting industry," Leon replied.
"If there's a chance, I'd really like to hear it."
Demiurge let out a curious "Eh~?"
"However, I didn't expect the 'I-Can-Do-Anything' Partner to have such embarrassing moments."
Demiurge deliberately dragged out the tone.
It seemed she hadn't expected that he, who always said "I can do it," would have a moment like this. She felt happy discovering a new side of him.
Leon chuckled, "Heh heh heh," refusing to answer.
This wasn't dark history; this was the road he came from!
"Really now, you can't abandon yourself, Partner! Hurry up and run!"
In Leon's memory, a pink-haired girl who originally shouldn't exist appeared, forcefully grabbing his hand and running with him.
"No need. There's a saying that goes well: 'All men are brothers within the four seas.' It's time to let you witness the authority of a Freljordian's 'Brother'!"
He grabbed her hand back, stopping the escape. He opened his Domain directly, and under the girl's "Are you crazy?" gaze, he shouted "Brother!" and obtained Lan's blessing.
"Is this the start of Partner's legendary path?"
Demiurge asked with a light laugh.
"Yes."
Leon answered, and simultaneously asked a question in return:
"Then is this what you wanted?"
To go see the world outside Amphoreus—is that your wish?
"I won't tell you~"
Demiurge had perfectly inherited Cyrene's playfulness.
Hearing this, Leon didn't pursue it further.
After that, he and the girl began to roam the battlefield.
Amidst a declaration of "I am here to end this war," the Third Abundance War was brought to a close.
The first day of the journey came to a temporary pause.
"Partner, did you know?"
Demiurge put her hands behind her back, smiling faintly.
"Actually, I'm not the only one who wants to say goodbye to you."
She spoke softly, and the scene around Leon changed once again.
"Go see her. She's been waiting for you for a long time too."
Castrum Kremnos.
When Leon's vision returned, he had arrived in a small village filled with a rustic atmosphere.
Directly in front of his gaze was a petite figure sitting on a swing.
The swing swayed back and forth under her momentum, her fair calves dangling in the air along with it.
"You've come?"
As if knowing Leon had arrived, Cyrene grabbed the ropes on both sides of the swing, stopping her movement. She looked back, a sweet smile on her face.
"Is this the start of closing the causality?"
Leon stepped forward and asked as he got closer.
Cyrene's reappearance signified that Demiurge had chosen to embrace her fate as an Immaculatus.
"Mhm." Cyrene didn't deny it.
When he walked behind her, she cast her gaze forward again.
"Castrum Kremnos. My home is a very beautiful place, right?"
She didn't want to discuss heavy topics, so she quietly shifted the subject.
"I've always wanted to let you see it."
Her tone was gentle as she spoke. "This place I love... the place that loves me."
"Do you want me to push you?"
Leon looked toward where she was gazing; the maple forest and the shimmering water surface were all in full view.
Cyrene shook her head.
She scooted a bit to the right, then patted the swing, as if signaling him to sit down.
Of course, Leon felt this was a bit ridiculous.
This swing wasn't big; sitting two people was completely an excess burden.
Cyrene's eyes curved slightly. She didn't speak, only smiling at him continuously.
Leon couldn't figure it out, so he stepped forward.
Just as he walked to the side of the swing, appearing as if he intended to actually sit down as she instructed...
Cyrene suddenly stood up, and while he was caught off guard, she tugged at his sleeve.
She made him sit alone on the swing.
Before Leon could voice any meaning of this, she treated him as a cushion and sat right on his lap.
The two sat on a single swing in this manner.
Cyrene's figure was very petite; clinging to him made this point amplified and especially obvious.
Whether it was her frame or her figure, she was a size smaller.
There was a faint scent of wheat fields on her body, causing a sense of coziness to involuntarily rise in one's heart.
Cyrene pressed close to his chest, the girl's delicate body transmitting a unique sensation through their clothes.
"Does Partner like swinging?"
She looked up slightly, her gaze meeting his downcast eyes perfectly.
"It's alright."
To Leon, when bored, even the introduction table on a food wrapper was 'Medium Cup' (extremely interesting).
"I like it very much."
She smiled shallowly, a smile that—if one wasn't careful—would make people wish they could stuff honey into it.
"When the swing sways with the wind..."
Cyrene pushed backward, rubbing against him for a moment, seemingly wanting the swing to start moving.
Leon satisfied her wish.
"The heart also flies so high, so high, as if it can catch up to distant thoughts."
The smile on Cyrene's face grew even more profound. The two gently swung like this.
Not fast, not slow. Everything seemed like quiet, peaceful years.
Hearing this, Leon casually said, "If you miss someone, just go see them. Wouldn't that be fine?"
"Yes."
Cyrene blinked. "That's why I came to see you~"
"We'll see each other every day in the future."
Leon's meaning was that he could take her away.
"Swing higher, Partner."
Cyrene kept smiling, but she didn't answer that question.
He swung the swing a bit higher.
Then, he saw the surprise the girl had prepared for him, and understood why she had invited him to swing.
In a blind spot normally invisible to the line of sight, there was a scarecrow.
Only by swinging up could one use the momentary height to look down upon its figure.
"I made it from memory. Is it... not very similar?"
There was some uneasiness in Cyrene's words, as if she was worried this gift wasn't made well.
The number of times the two had met wasn't actually that many.
Counting this time, there were only four times in total—countable on one hand.
Cyrene also didn't have many opportunities to carefully observe his face.
So the scarecrow only adopted a few prominent symbols.
Hair, clothes, and the most important Ten-Stone-Weight Tenor.
"It's missing something."
In Leon's view, it was quite perfect—the restoration was very high—but missing a face was a bit of a pity.
"Missing a face, right?"
As Cyrene spoke, she lifted her head again, expecting him to look down.
"Then Partner must properly let me memorize your appearance in my heart this time."
"No need."
While she was speaking, Leon had actually already perfected it.
He Photoshopped a Rabbit's arrogant smile onto his own face (mentally/magically).
"Hmm? Let me see?"
Hearing this, Cyrene looked over.
When the swing rose to a certain height again and she saw the scarecrow once more...
It already had a comical emoji face on it.
"What is this?"
She said somewhat uncertainly, "Rab... bit...?"
"This is the Blood Wolf Broken Army that never leads the rhythm."
Leon answered truthfully.
"Sounds very interesting."
Cyrene didn't understand, but as long as he was happy, she was happy.
"Partner, I am very happy today."
Cyrene smiled.
"I hope I can be this happy tomorrow too, so, see you tomorrow~"
With that sentence, the scene before Leon's eyes began to change again.
"It's all your fault! If you couldn't fly, you should have said so earlier! We're going to crash!"
A coquettish cry of blame pulled Leon's consciousness back.
Demiurge was constructing the journey from his memories.
If nothing unexpected happened, this should be the time he just got on a Starskiff but encountered a bridge-blocking dog and crashed.
"Don't panic. Keep this plane crashing. I'll be right back. I'll definitely send that orphan's whole family to a reunion. I guarantee a million-point extraction before the crash."
Leon performed a wave of "Warm wine slays Hua Xiong."
"Mm, Demiurge turned into a little fairy with the appearance of a pink puppy, following him to escape from the crash disaster, and then faced Celenova head-on."
This time, he was no longer alone.
In the end, unsurprisingly, Celenova was beaten back to her true form.
Saving the small bird, million-point extraction, reminiscing about the touch of the ear feathers.
Only this time, there was a difference: someone had an opinion about it.
"I have a beautiful pair of ears too! Why did you have to touch someone else's?"
Demiurge, in pink puppy form, put her hands on her hips and spoke angrily.
"What meaning? I'm not into Furry, hah."
Leon indicated he had no special fetishes.
Demiurge puffed up her cheeks.
"Then what about this!"
Then, refusing to admit defeat, she flew to his right cheek in fairy form. Just as she was about to touch it, she instantly turned back into her human form and planted a kiss like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Leon glanced at her.
Such a fast special interaction. Is the next step supposed to be a CG?
But did he send a gift to grind dialogue and increase affection?
My 'Galgame' doesn't seem to work like this.
Forget it, SKIP.
"What are you looking at me for? I'm not in fairy form right now!"
Demiurge was made somewhat shy by his gaze, looming blushes visible on that magnificent face.
"Partner, when our journey reaches its end, can you promise me one thing?"
She plucked up her courage, using this opportunity to speak.
"If you have something, say it straight."
Leon didn't promise.
"Our journey has only just begun, and this trip won't have an ending time."
Demiurge was slightly stunned, then she raised her smile again.
Only this time, the smile contained a trace of regretful bitterness.
"Then next time. Next time I'll tell Partner!"
Amidst Demiurge's sentence, Leon went to another world once again.
Castrum Kremnos.
"Falling asleep so defenselessly..."
Leon opened his eyes at the sound. The face he had parted with not long ago appeared in his field of vision again.
"You might get targeted by bad guys. Be careful, okay?"
Having said that, Leon felt he was currently like a shared bicycle that these two had locked up and treated as a private car, standing up to pedal hard.
"From my perspective, you are the bad guy you mentioned."
Leon sat up. This time appearing...
"Hmm?"
Cyrene wouldn't accept this slander.
"How could I be a bad guy? A bad guy wouldn't look like a girl as gorgeous as flying flowers, and certainly wouldn't issue an invitation to you to hang out~"
She put her hands behind her back, leaning her body forward, speaking in a tone almost indistinguishable from acting spoiled.
Logically speaking, one should be able to see some beautiful scenery at this moment, but unfortunately, she and Herta were six of one and half a dozen of the other.
"What should we do today?"
Cyrene issued an invitation to him just as she said.
"Being with Partner, I feel like nothing we do will be boring."
She spoke sincerely, then thought of something.
"Oh right, how about we go fishing?"
Cyrene proposed an activity.
"Let me tell you quietly: the fish in Castrum Kremnos all know mind-reading magic. Unless they are willing, they absolutely won't take the hook."
"Heh heh, my slogan is 'Never Air Force' (Never empty-handed)."
Leon indicated that he had never been 'skunked' while fishing.
"Mm-hm, then let everyone see Partner's skills~"
Saying so, Cyrene took his hand and led him running forward.
Leon didn't resist. He followed her to the location of the swing from not long ago.
There was a river nearby. The two found a spot by the bank and sat down.
Then Leon understood what Cyrene meant by:
"The willing take the hook."
There was no bait here, just a wooden fishing rod.
And this rod couldn't really be called a fishing rod, because it was just a line tied to a straightened wooden stick.
No wonder she said it relied on personal charm for the willing to take the hook. So it was basically trying to get something for nothing (White Wolf) with empty hands!
"No, Sister, isn't this too shabby?"
Leon issued a soul interrogation. Is he even fishing?
"Is it?"
Cyrene rested her elbows on her knees, cupping her cheeks with her palms. Shaking her fair legs while admiring the river view, she shook her head.
She let her gaze fall back onto Leon.
"I actually think 'plain and simple is true'~"
Cyrene smiled at him, giving a romantic answer to his interrogation.
"Castrum Kremnos itself is just a small village."
"There aren't many people who like to use fishing as a pastime. I even had a hard time gathering the materials to make this rod."
Cyrene looked at him with a smile, softening her tone very gently.
"Could Partner just make do with it?"
It was no different from openly acting spoiled.
"The rod is no problem, but where is my bait?"
The rod wasn't the main point for Leon; the bait was.
What a vicious woman.
Trying to get something for nothing (White Wolf) from him was one thing, but to even try to get the fish for nothing?
"I can catch them without a rod, you know."
Cyrene chuckled lightly, avoiding the topic in the form of a provocation.
"After all, my charm is just that radiant. Could it be that Partner can't catch anything without bait?"
She gave him a look that said, "Does the 'I-Can-Do-Anything' Partner have times when he can't do something?"
"Then you're awesome."
Without a rod? What, going down into the river to catch them yourself?
Then there's nothing more to say. I'll just give this round to you.
"Not going down the river to catch them."
Cyrene seemed to see through his thoughts and explained.
"It is: The. Willing. Take. The. Hook!"
Her eyes curved, looking at him with her face cupped in her hands.
Leon chuckled, "Heh heh. 'The willing take the hook,' is it?"
Fishing without a rod, and not going into the sea to catch them. Are you expecting the fish to jump out of the river onto the shore themselves?
That's quite imaginative.
"Hmm? Does Partner not believe it? Then shall we have a competition to see?"
Cyrene proposed, intending to prove she wasn't speaking empty words with actual action.
"Within thirty minutes, if Partner can catch one fish, it counts as a win."
"If Partner wins, I'll give you a reward~"
Cyrene's eyes contained a smile.
"If the condition isn't met within the time limit, it counts as a failure. If you fail, you have to accept a punishment."
"Conversely, if I successfully catch a fish without using a rod, it counts as my victory. At that time, you have to give me a reward!"
Cyrene issued a challenge.
"Challenging a God is in itself imprudent."
Leon hadn't been 'Air Force' (empty-handed) since he was a child. He advised her to avoid his edge.
"Then it's settled."
Cyrene nodded, shifting her gaze back to the water surface.
Observing the movement of the fishing rod and the changes in the battle situation.
Time passed minute by minute.
Within nearly fifteen minutes, the fishing rod only had movements agitated by the ripples of the water surface.
Aside from that, there was zero harvest.
There was completely no sign of fish taking the hook.
Or rather, the fish came to take a look and left.
The ripples affecting the fishing rod on the water surface were created by their disdainful tail wags.
"Partner, add oil (do your best)~"
Cyrene swung her legs. She didn't persuade him to give up, but offered a blessing from the heart.
Only, to Leon's ears, this blessing was even more mocking than persuading him to give up.
Could it be that his legend of being born 'Air Force'-proof was going to be defeated here today?
No, Leon would not admit defeat!
"Hmph. An Air Force regrets, yet does not regret!"
With a command, the calm river surface finally had some small movement.
"Hahaha! Heaven never bars one's way!"
So what if I'm fishing with an empty rod!
Others can't do it, doesn't mean I can't do it!
If it's me, I can do it!
Sure enough, as long as he wants to walk, the road is right under his feet!
Holding this thought, Leon abruptly reeled in the rod, directly scooping up the thing that took the hook.
"What the hell is this?"
In the end, Leon looked at the seal hanging on the fishing line directly in front of him, issuing a 'what meaning' question.
No, Brother.
This is a river, not the sea. How can there be this kind of thing even in a river?
The heroes of this world are indeed like carps crossing the river (numerous)!
But can you replace this seal with a crucian carp for me!
You're roaring loud, shoving your seal face in mine—that aside, who's going to make up for the fish I'm missing?
Is it really impossible to escape the law that a fisherman can catch anything except fish?
"Wow, such a cute little seal!"
However, Cyrene appeared very happy.
[Bro is Castrum Kremnos's strongest, most powerful Muscle Seal. As the saying goes, one mountain cannot contain two seals. Bro must prove himself!]
[Quickly go find an opponent for Bro!]
The Muscle Seal was clearly speaking in animal cries, yet Leon could unexpectedly understand its meaning. Too magical.
"Hmm~ It sounds like Mr. Seal is a bit lonely."
Cyrene smiled, looking at him.
"There are still 15 minutes. Want Partner to catch another one to keep it company?"
"?"
Leon indicated: You must be joking.
"Just a warm-up. I only fish for fish."
Just an accident. Leon cast the rod again.
Then, amidst declarations that he would win...
He used the remaining 15 minutes to catch another seal.
Leon, who had been set up, fell into silence.
Cyrene, who set him up, kept smiling.
[Oi, brat, you're a bit fiery!]
After the Tough Guy Seal was caught by Leon, it immediately went to confront the Muscle Seal.
This was probably what they call 'Stand Users attract each other.'
[Oh? Finally come? My fated rival!]
The Muscle Seal responded thus.
Logically speaking, according to this trend, the two should be fighting inextricably in the next second.
Leon's mood wasn't good.
So he decided to watch the show with the thought of seeing rivers of blood, treating the catch as the ticket price.
Cyrene didn't plan to stop it either, just watching them like this.
But the two seals delayed making any moves.
"Not fighting?" Leon asked.
[No need. I have already exchanged blows with him in my mind. Truly my fated rival; a winner cannot be determined for a moment!]
The Muscle Seal spoke so.
[If we really fought, this world would probably be shattered. True experts exchange blows through their eyes!]
The Tough Guy Seal gave a corresponding answer.
"Look, they get along so harmoniously."
Cyrene covered her mouth and laughed, finding it very interesting.
"Thanks to Partner, Castrum Kremnos is becoming livelier and livelier."
But Leon didn't find it interesting.
"Get the hell out of here!"
He directly kicked both seals back into the river with one foot.
Human joys and sorrows are not alike; he only found them noisy.
With a splash, water sprayed everywhere.
Under the force he deliberately controlled, the two seals were safe and sound, floating on the water surface and patting their bellies.
"Come on, your turn."
Thirty minutes had passed. Leon clearly had no chance to turn the tables.
If he lost, he lost.
Anyway, it didn't count as 'Air Force' (empty-handed). It didn't matter.
He really wanted to see properly just what Cyrene's 'willing hook' fishing method was.
Cyrene did nothing but stand up.
"Heave-ho—"
She put her right hand on her shoe, assisting with her left hand.
Then she began to take it off right in front of him.
"?"
Following the girl's movements, Leon shifted his gaze down to the jade feet that looked like ten Alpenliebe candies.
For a moment, he didn't know what she wanted to do.
"Done."
Cyrene bent down and placed the shoes neatly.
Immediately after, she sat back down beside him, extending her right leg to tentatively step into the river.
The clear, traceless water surface.
One could directly see the girl's right foot swaying gently in the river.
Leon looked, but still didn't figure out the meaning.
But in the next second, he understood.
Only a second after Cyrene put her leg in, the schools of fish in the river naturally gathered over.
Completely unreasonable. As if it really was the 'willing taking the hook' attracted by her charm as she claimed.
"How is it, Partner?"
Cyrene turned her head to look at him, asking with a smile in her eyes.
Undoubtedly, in this situation, it would be effortless for her to catch fish.
She indeed didn't use a rod, and indeed didn't fit the broad definition of going down to the sea to catch them.
Leon was speechless.
Speechless. After all that, it turns out this pond is full of Foot-Fetish Bros.
Damn, why didn't you say so earlier!
Seeing his reaction, Cyrene smiled radiantly.
Actually, during their interaction, Leon had unconsciously ignored one thing.
Whether it was the past he was in now, or the future where Demiurge was.
In the final analysis, both were fabricated by "Remembrance."
And as an "Immaculatus," modifying the manifestations of "Remembrance" was just a casual matter for them, wasn't it?
Leon: 666. So it came from Creative Mode with custom definitions!
"What do you want?"
She was a dying person anyway. Even if she cheated, he would admit defeat, okay?
"You aren't allowed to forget me."
Cyrene's face leaned in close.
"This is what I want."
She spoke word by word, her warm breath gently hitting his left cheek.
"As well as—"
Leon could clearly feel a patch of moisture suddenly appear on his cheek.
"This is a reward for you."
Cyrene pulled away from him, her smile like spring flowers.
Leon pondered.
One left, one right. You two planned this, didn't you?
"Then what is the punishment?"
Reward and being rewarded—this was still missing one.
"Punishment..."
Cyrene's voice paused, but soon returned to normal.
"I won't tell you. You didn't 'Air Force' anyway!"
Leon didn't reply. He just looked at her like this.
After so many back-and-forths, he could somewhat sense that her time was almost over.
"Next time is the last time."
Cyrene watched him leave, muttering to herself.
"I have to prepare properly. Should I dress up in full regalia?"
Do you know? The punishment is actually also—
You aren't allowed to forget me.
This time, the journey with Demiurge was extremely rapid.
From the journey of the Garden of Recollection, picking up March 7th, to the three of them launching the Astral Express together.
The process just went through the uniqueness of Demiurge's existence once.
Then it was gone.
It was so hurried that it was simply as if she had no time left.
Before Leon could speculate much or move to find Demiurge...
After finishing his memories, he was instantly transported to a holy hall.
In front of his line of sight was a tightly closed door.
So obvious, it was simply signaling him to open it and enter.
Leon knew there was someone inside waiting for him.
Creak.
He pushed the door open and walked in.
Walking into the auditorium, the first thing that imprinted into his eyes was a pink back figure draped in a pure white veil.
"Welcome, noble and pure soul. You've finally arrived here."
Demiurge, who had her back to him, turned around, looking back with a smile.
"What meaning? Why is it set up like a wedding?"
Damn, entered a CG just like that? My 'Galgame' isn't like this!
"Mhm, it is a wedding!"
Unexpectedly, Demiurge admitted it openly.
"Partner, I probably don't have the chance to accompany you to continue down this journey."
She was smiling, but the words that came out were bitter.
"Demiurge."
"I was born based on the nourishment of Momoko's 'Love' from thirty million cycles."
"Because of love, I exist."
"But I didn't understand love, so I began to pursue it, until finally, I understood love."
"What is love?"
"Love is the weakest, the strongest, and the most [DATA CORRUPTED] thing in this world."
Demiurge [DATA CORRUPTED] him, [DATA CORRUPTED] deep affection [DATA CORRUPTED].
"Momoko used parents as an analogy [DATA CORRUPTED], [DATA CORRUPTED] risked life and death [DATA CORRUPTED]."
"I personally [DATA CORRUPTED], [DATA CORRUPTED]."
She [DATA CORRUPTED].
"But [DATA CORRUPTED]."
Demiurge [DATA CORRUPTED].
"[DATA CORRUPTED], [DATA CORRUPTED]."
"[DATA CORRUPTED]."
"To be truly complete, it seems I am only missing you as the final puzzle piece~"
Demiurge [DATA CORRUPTED].
"I [SYSTEM ERROR: DATA STREAM SEVERELY CORRUPTED... CAUSALITY BREAKDOWN DETECTED... RECONSTRUCTING... RECONSTRUCTING...]"
[...scanline noise...]
Compared to rain, this looked more like a simple scene.
"After the rain, crops will grow, bursting with vitality."
Leon just quietly listened to her speak like this, while slowly pushing the ring onto her ring finger.
"And, the most important thing is."
Demiurge looked at him, looking at his face more seriously than ever before.
"After heavy rain, people will definitely welcome clear skies."
As if she wanted to carve him thoroughly into her heart.
"The temporary haze is only for a better reunion next time. So I believe, whether in the past or the future, we will definitely meet again."
Demiurge opened her mouth lightly. The ring in his hand fixed onto the end of her ring finger at that moment.
"Let's go together, to that pink tomorrow filled with love and hope!"
She smiled. She smiled amidst the curtain of rain, her brows and eyes curving into crescents. She smiled as brilliantly as flying flowers, so much so that even the rain couldn't help but miss a beat and stop for an instant at this moment.
If it were anyone else, they might not be able to forget her smiling face in the rain for their entire lives.
This was probably Demiurge's goal.
She wanted him to think of her figure whenever he saw rain.
"See you tomorrow!"
With that sentence, everything ended right then.
Whether the hall, the flying birds, the hundred flowers, or this wedding—all turned into bubbles.
The film entered the credits. Demiurge had no more regrets.
In the pitch-black night, in the wheat fields of Castrum Kremnos.
"Partner, make a wish to the shooting star."
When Leon came back to his senses, he had arrived in the midst of a wheat field.
They say as long as you make a wish to a shooting star, any wish can come true.
Cyrene sat hugging her knees on the wheat field beside him, tilting her head and smiling as she spoke to him.
Leon looked at her and asked, "What is your wish?"
Taking turns organizing the 'Dead Wife Memoirs'—you two really want to make people depressed.
"If I say the wish out loud, it won't work."
Cyrene shook her head and didn't tell him.
"Partner, did you know?"
She spoke softly, gazing at the starry sky again.
"I've fantasized countless times about what form a shooting star would take as it streaked across. But in the countless blinking moments of thirty million cycles, I never managed to see its figure."
"However, this time, I should have the chance to complete this regret."
Cyrene clasped her hands together, speaking in a prayer-like posture.
"For the last time, let's imagine it together with everyone."
She closed her eyes, beginning to wait for the shooting star's arrival.
"What form the shooting star will take as it streaks across."
Leon, being the sharp person he was, didn't close his eyes. He just looked at the starry sky with open eyes like this.
"Three, two, one, open eyes!"
After Cyrene's countdown, the sky full of starlight streaked across the horizon in an instant.
She looked at the beautiful scenery before her eyes and chuckled lightly. There wasn't the surprise Leon had imagined.
"So shooting stars are like this."
Instead, it was a very calm tone, even leaning towards a feeling that she had known long ago.
Things unobtainable in youth, if not obtained then, might bring sighs if obtained later.
But there would absolutely never be the state of mind from back then.
But to Cyrene, it wasn't that the shooting star wasn't stunning enough.
It was that the "Shooting Star" she originally hoped for was right by her side at this moment.
She wore a satisfied smile on her face and stood up.
"Partner, did you make a wish?"
Cyrene put her hands behind her back and looked at him.
"No."
If Leon wanted something, he would fight for it himself. What kind of fraud (CJB) is making a wish?
"That really is Partner's style."
Cyrene wasn't surprised either. "Do you mind walking with me a bit more?"
"Walk for a lifetime?" Leon also stood up.
"There probably isn't that chance."
Cyrene shook her head, taking him to start strolling in this field of abundant harvest.
The two walked side by side.
"Partner, did you know?"
On the way, she struck up a conversation with him.
"The name Castrum Kremnos is actually taken from the sorrow of the gods."
Cyrene actively took control of the conversation.
"The name 'Tai Lian' is just a pen name I took for myself."
She walked a bit faster forward, and after opening some distance from him, she turned around.
"As a daughter of Castrum Kremnos, my true name has countless ties to Castrum Kremnos."
Cyrene walked backward with her hands behind her back, facing him directly.
"Mm."
Leon acted as a very good listener.
"What does 'Mm' mean?"
Cyrene wasn't satisfied, speaking with feigned displeasure.
"At this time, you should ask: 'Cyrene, Cyrene, then why are you so gentle?'"
"Why?" He followed her words.
"Ugh, really."
Cyrene had an expression that said she couldn't do anything with him, but her words held no blame.
"Because the world treated me gently, so I grew into a gentle appearance."
She stopped her footsteps, the smile on her face gentle as water.
"Gentle?"
Can something as big as the world also be described as gentle?
"Hand out."
Cyrene stepped forward, requesting so.
Leon did as asked.
He watched with his own eyes as the wheat she had picked at some unknown time was pressed onto his wrist, using it to plant a flower on his hand.
"Partner, we have to separate for a while. But it doesn't matter. As long as this mark—which belongs to Castrum Kremnos, belongs to me—is here..."
Cyrene stepped back a few paces.
"Our hearts will never be separated."
While speaking, Cyrene raised her left hand, which was clutching something tightly.
She placed it in front of her chest.
She lowered her eyes, some struggle between her brows, as if hesitating.
"Partner, did you know?"
After a long while, Cyrene took a deep breath and extended her left hand forward.
"Actually, weaving a ring out of straw is a simple matter."
She opened her palm.
A crude ring—one that could even be considered a 'playing house' style ring—entered his field of vision.
The ring was very fake in the secular definition, but the love inside was truly incomparably clear.
"Could I ask you to put it on for m..."
Cyrene plucked up her courage, but just as she spoke, she was directly stopped by Leon.
He raised his hand, halting the words she intended to speak.
Raising his hand wasn't rejection, but 'no need to say more.'
Leon stepped forward, picked up the ring from Cyrene's palm, and immediately supported the back of her hand.
"Thank you..."
Cyrene pursed her lips.
She watched the ring slide into her ring finger, not fast or slow, under his push.
Her azure eyes twinkled, seemingly holding indescribable joy.
"I will also cherish Partner's gift properly."
Cyrene broke free from his hand. She placed the ring on her chest with incomparable cherish, feeling this vow, and spoke to him gently.
"I like you the most."
What she left him with at the end was a smiling face just like when they first met.
...
"The story of Amphoreus officially comes to a close at this moment."
With the ending where an Immaculatus chose to close the causality, ending all the farces.
"Looks like you said goodbye to her quite happily."
"Herta's" voice pulled him back to reality.
"Happily?"
Leon felt that word didn't fit at all. "I don't see it that way."
"Mm, if it's not happy, then make it happy. Isn't that what you're best at?"
"Herta" crossed her arms, looking at him just like that.
"If there's anything else you need to do, go do it quickly."
"Herta" knew it. This kind of ending wasn't what he wanted.
"Just like you saved me, go save her."
She believed he could do it. If it was him, he could do it.
Hearing these words, Leon shifted his gaze to "Herta."
He just looked at her like this.
"I know I'm very good-looking, but it won't be too late to look after you come back from saving people."
"Herta" didn't mind his gaze, continuing to narcissistically tell him to hurry up and busy himself with proper business.
"Stats bringing beauty is true."
A moment later, Leon sighed with emotion.
Of course he wouldn't accept this kind of ending.
Letting the two of them stay in the past meant they would forever live under the shadows of the Black Tide and the Iron Tomb.
What kind of joke is this? We are a Space Comedy!
A Space Comedy must be a comedy!
How can people die in a comedy? There must be a happy, perfect ending for everyone!
"Herta, I admit you have a bit of charm now."
Stats bringing beauty is true, he told you.
After being crowned as a Scholar of Aesthetics and becoming a True Lord, "Herta" indeed had an extra charm about her.
He would never slander a Roadside Herta again.
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Herta" scoffed. Did her charm still need his admission?
"Then, let us rewrite this story."
Finished speaking, Leon took a deep breath.
"A story I don't like—rewrite it directly!"
One word becomes a prophecy; Superpower activated!
The camera March 7th tied to his body before coming here suddenly burst with light.
The camera began to shrink.
Immediately after, Six-Phased Ice climbed onto its body, freezing the whole thing.
The intense power of "Remembrance" was revealed without a doubt!
The opportunity to break the situation this time came from March 7th.
Magic must be fought with magic; Fuli naturally must be fought with Fuli.
"Immaculatus."
March 7th gave up her own future.
At the same time, she gave her identity to him, choosing to push him toward the throne of "Fuli."
This allowed Leon the chance to change everything.
Left fist "The Hunt" High Causality, right fist "Remembrance" High Causality.
The two Paths combined, the strongest Causality Divine Ability—
At this moment, had someone to harness it!
Whether Cyrene, Demiurge, or Amphoreus.
All "Causality," I alone shall bear it!
---
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