"Fa... Fake!?"
In the bath, steam billowed.
The girls all stiffened, their breathing stopped, leaving only their hearts pounding against their chests.
The golden water rippled, reflecting their astonished, pale faces.
Fake?
How could that be?
How could their world be fake?
The sensation, the taste?
The rising and setting of the sun, the turning of the four seasons—everything was undeniably real.
Yet Ryuga said it was fake?
Only Elysia and Sakura, who already knew the truth, remained composed, their expressions unchanged. Himeko, who arrived later, also had her pupils slightly contract.
"..."
Aglaea frowned slightly, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards Elysia.
That phone!
The moment she saw Elysia playing a game, a bizarre thought had flashed through her mind: Does the person in the play know they are in a play?
When you are watching the person in the play, you don't realize that you, yourself, are also in a play.
Layer upon layer, interlocking, like an endless hall of mirrors.
How terrifying.
A chill climbed up her spine. Even in the hot spring, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.
Cold!
Bone-chilling!
"Let me tell you a story."
"A story about a savior and a prophecy."
Ryuga spoke slowly, every word striking a chord in everyone's heart.
He spoke of the story of the first to the 33,503,36th cycle of the Eternal Calamity.
The story of Baie, Xilian, and the Chrysos Heirs in every lifetime.
And the story of the constant transformation of Baie and Heie (Black Baie), who bore the Coreflames of over thirty million cycles.
Even when his body was burned to ashes, he never bowed his head.
Of course, it was a simplified version.
After all, the 'lie' only lasted for one hour.
But this simplified outline was enough to shock everyone into silence.
Even the usually calm Hesperus couldn't help but clench her fists.
The truth of the scepter "δ-me13.exe".
The connection between Lygus's true form, Zandall, and the Nous (The Erudition).
The truth was suffocating.
"In one of the cycles, I made a wish to open a tailor shop before I died?"
"So, did I achieve it?"
Aglaea murmured softly, subconsciously touching her chest.
Her fingertips were trembling slightly.
That small tailor shop was her most gentle home.
But now, this 'home' had become merely an echo of a cycle?
Everything she cherished was just a 'footnote' already written in the script of fate?
And they weren't even considered real people?
"I just didn't expect that we really are characters in a computer program?"
"Actually, the thought flashed through my mind a month ago when I first saw Miss Elysia playing a game."
Aglaea suddenly looked up at Elysia.
Elysia just smiled softly, took out her phone, and played a single-player game in front of everyone again.
Watching the controllable character, who was more 'real' than a real person, the girls' eyebrows twitched, and their breathing became rapid again.
"..."
Hesperus stared blankly at the pool water. Her reflection suddenly became blurry, as if it could be swallowed by the water at any moment.
"So, the prophecy is fake?"
"And the blockade of the sky was not Aegler's intention?"
Tiba stood in the water, her small body trembling slightly. Her large eyes, once full of faith and hope, were now shaking like a candle in the wind, about to be extinguished.
Her faith was on the verge of collapse.
"Then what about our Flame Chase Journey?"
She had always followed the guidance of the oracle, traveling all over Omphalos.
Bringing the oracle to every city-state.
Uniting the people, killing the Titans, and completing the re-creation of the world.
She had thought that was the hope the gods had shown them.
But now?
This oracle, which had driven her to travel thousands of miles, was just a lie?
And they were just lines of code casually typed out?
Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
But her words were like sharp blades, piercing everyone's hearts.
"Eh—"
"Wait, wait, wait a minute!"
March 7th, who had been in a daze, suddenly jolted, stood up abruptly from the water, splashing water everywhere.
She waved her hands wildly, her eyes full of shock and doubt.
"But you said the mastermind is Lygus, so what the hell was your first sentence, 'everything I say will be known by Lygus'?"
Little March was almost shrieking.
Ryuga smiled calmly.
"This is called 'Lie 800'. Whatever is said will be the opposite of the truth."
"The effect involves the reversal of the law of causality. It can be simply understood as an 'Anti-Great Prophecy Art'."
"But you can't speak casually within an hour, because everything you say will be the opposite of the truth."
"The first sentence after drinking it must be a summary to set the scope."
"Otherwise, everything you say within that hour will trigger the potion's effect."
"Saying 'hello' would cause that person misfortune."
The girls' mouths twitched slightly, and they exchanged glances.
It sounded a bit complicated.
But they all understood.
Like a novel, the first sentence must be the title that summarizes the whole text, setting a boundary.
Otherwise, 'Lie 800' would reverse the truth of every single sentence you utter.
"This... the potential to reverse causality is too great."
Tiba felt her palms trembling.
"It sounds like the authority of Zagreus, the Titan of Trickery? But it doesn't require anyone to believe it."
Cifera flicked her tail, drawing an arc in the water, splashing tiny waves.
The little wildcat narrowed her eyes, pondering.
Sakura immediately became alert.
Her eyes flickered, staring at the direction of the splashing water.
Finally, feeling unsafe, she simply got out of the water, dried herself quickly, and walked to Ryuga's side.
"Then why don't we just use 'Lie 800' to erase Lygus?"
March 7th's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"You are truly a genius, but unfortunately, no."
Ryuga raised his hand and rubbed the top of March 7th's head, then shook his head regretfully.
"'Lie 800' is a causal effect; it cannot take a life."
Although it is a divine artifact, 'Lie 800' cannot achieve the effect of the 'If-Phone Booth'.
Otherwise, he could just create a new Omphalos.
March 7th immediately deflated, her shoulders slumped like a punctured balloon, and the light in her eyes dimmed.
"So, there are things that even a lie can't deceive."
Ryuga smiled: "Lies have limitations, and the authority of Zagreus, the Titan of Trickery, is the same."
Speaking of which, the authority of Trickery is actually Joy?
Considering the point that 'if everyone believes it to be true, the lie can become true', it is quite similar to the Fictional Historian.
If a fictional construct is seen through, it loses its effect.
Cifera's lies are the same.
...
"You don't seem surprised?"
Hesperus turned sideways, looking at Castrice with a probing gaze.
"Hmph!"
"I already knew."
Castrice snorted, crossing her arms over her chest, a proud and certain arc curving on her lips.
"Do you remember the books recorded by the Cleansers like Cainis over the past century?"
Hesperus was puzzled: "Oh?"
"Although their books did not record the truth of Omphalos, some other metaphors and fragmented sentences recorded made me very concerned."
"After careful analysis, I had already considered the 'possibility' the Demon God mentioned."
Ryuga clapped his hands.
In the original story, Castrice had indeed sensed something was wrong, which is why she eventually handed over some of her work to Aglaea.
Then her personality changed drastically, she became headstrong, and finally disappeared completely from everyone's sight.
"You didn't doubt my words?"
Ryuga narrowed his eyes, very curious.
"Just like the Castrice in those thirty million cycles, they would make the same decision, and so will I!"
Castrice raised her head, her sharp eyes like a sword drawn from its sheath.
In her mind, countless versions of herself from different cycles seemed to appear, standing side by side in the vortex of fate, raising the banner of resistance together.
Clap, clap, clap. Ryuga applauded.
"Then, should we continue the Flame Chase Journey?"
Xilian, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
"Yes!"
"Of course, we should!"
Castrice turned abruptly, staring intently at Xilian, then slowly scanning the other Chrysos Heirs.
Her eyes were full of fighting spirit.
"This is a lie, this is the King's strategy, this is a tactic to confuse the enemy."
"The thirty million cycles of fate will end in this lifetime by us. Caesar's journey, the future of Omphalos, should be the stars of the galaxy!"
"And, I believe our 'savior' already has a perfect strategy."
With that, Castrice looked at Ryuga with burning eyes.
Her gaze held trust, expectation, and an unyielding conviction.
"!!"
Her words instantly ignited the low spirits of the Chrysos Heirs.
The flame that had been extinguished in their eyes reignited.
Just like Baie in the thirty million cycles, they would never give up.
And they would never admit defeat.
They couldn't let down every version of themselves who fought with all their might in those thirty million cycles.
Ryuga smiled.
They had never changed.
Even if fate cycled, even if memories were erased, that persistence, that pride, that belief that burned until the last moment, remained the same.
...
Just like during the thousand-year wait for the Trailblazer's return.
Castrice sacrificed her life to rewrite the final protocol, temporarily opening access for Herta and Screwllum.
And she also froze 60% of Lygus's authority.
The Empress was truly the undisputed MVP.
At that time, almost all the elite Chrysos Heirs died in Styxia.
The isolated Aglaea fought with all her might to gain 69 years from Lygus.
And in the end, just like in the previous life, she sacrificed herself to unite Omphalos.
At this point, Lygus's authority was restored to 60%. Wandi (The Enemy of Ten Thousand) split his soul under immense pressure.
Just like in the previous life, he held off the Titan of Strife in Suspended City alone.
In this life, Wandi also used infinite resurrection to stall Lygus for two hundred years for a savior he had never met.
It wasn't until Lygus recovered his authority that Wandi was deleted.
Xilian and Tiba fell while guarding the final path!
Cifera used her sacrifice to complete the greatest lie of her life!
Nake Xia (The Engraver) used her soul to forge a matrix, forcibly uninstalling Lygus's commands!
And Feng Jin (The Wind Weaver) looked after the mortals for 100 years. Until the last mortal of Omphalos passed away, the mentally worn-out Feng Jin completely merged with the Celestial Mural.
It wasn't until 1000 years later that Hesperus passed the baton to the Trailblazer.
"My banquet has ended."
"It's your turn to perform."
"..."
Ryuga collected his thoughts and smiled as he scanned the room: "The important thing is not what to do, but how you see yourselves."
Castrice: "Oh?"
"'The First Cause of Life'."
"..."
Ryuga knew that strength was just an outer shell.
After learning that they were 'life' made of data and memory, they must be confused about their future.
"Let me tell you another story."
"I once met an inorganic life form, 'Sugata' (The Well-Gone), who was transformed by Emperor Rupert. Perhaps his story can guide you."
Ryuga smiled.
(This is the story from the Xianzhou's Danfeng Temple arc.)
"Although his code was already filled with anti-organic equations considered irreversible, under the influence of the monks of Danfeng Temple, who believe in the path of Equilibrium, he finally broke through the killing instinct of the equation."
"And through self-meltdown, he achieved true Nirvana as a 'Synthetica'."
"And the maxim he recited before his death was his answer to the first cause of life."
"'What is the self? All origins are me.'"
The Chrysos Heirs were silent.
"For life, the 'self' is the cause and effect of everything."
"Whether it's the killing will of the equation or the precepts of Danfeng Temple, they are all shackles imposed on the self."
"The moment Sugata acted against his enemies to protect his companions, he had already found his true self within the shackles."
"His free will transcended the constraints of the equation and the precepts."
"And the 'self' is the variable that Lygus overlooked."
Ryuga spoke eloquently.
Lygus overlooked one thing.
The reason why the Chrysos Heirs always made the same choice was not because of the influence of his twisted re-creation script.
It was because no matter how time and space cycled, the Chrysos Heirs always retained their consistent self.
Even if the Black Tide was gone because of Baie, they would still resolutely sacrifice themselves for the dawn of a new world when the world needed it.
Everyone was silent.
"I told you this story."
"To say that life itself has the possibility of biting through its shackles."
"Because on that path, there is an even greater power."
"That is—"
"'The right to make a self-choice, regardless of right or wrong.'"
Boom!
As his voice fell, the girls in the bath were all stunned.
It wasn't just the Chrysos Heirs; even Elysia's eyes were clear for a fleeting moment, like the first ray of dawn breaking through a rift in the dark clouds.
Yes, choice.
Just like her future self, who would choose to sacrifice herself.
It wasn't because she was forced by fate, but because she wanted to do it, she was willing to do it.
"That Sugata is truly remarkable."
Elysia murmured with a smile.
"Biting through the shackles."
"Self-choice?"
Castrice pondered for a moment, repeatedly chewing on the weight and warmth of the words, then chuckled.
The last trace of confusion in the hearts of the Chrysos Heirs completely dissipated.
Yes.
Even if they were life made of data and memory, so what?
They had hearts, dreams, and spines that refused to bow.
They would eventually bite through the shackles and make the same self-choice for the thirty millionth time.
They are the choice itself.
The Chrysos Heirs all stood up and bowed to Ryuga.
"Thank you, Demon God."
"I completely trust you now."
"Because Lygus would absolutely never say these things to us."
Castrice smiled faintly.
Xilian also nodded: "Mhm, the Demon God gave us something more precious than freedom—'The Courage to Awaken'."
Ryuga rolled his eyes: "So you were still doubting me? Hmm, time is almost up for the hour. Can you give me your Coreflame?"
Coreflame?
Castrice's brow furrowed, and a look of vigilance appeared in her eyes.
"Well, Demon God, I just said I trusted you, and now you want to take my Coreflame?"
"But, never mind."
Saying this, she flipped her hand, and the 'amethyst' carrying the authority of Law floated out.
Castrice stared at it for a moment, then handed it over without hesitation.
She really wanted to know what he was planning to do.
Ryuga calmly accepted the Coreflame, then took out the 'Wallpaper House' and stuck it on the stone pillar of the bath.
Next, he stuck the 'Universal Pass' on the 'Wallpaper House'.
He opened the door, stepped inside, and used the 'Copy Mirror' to shine on the Coreflame of Law.
Buzz~
Golden ripples appeared on the mirror's surface, and light surged like a tide.
In an instant, a replica identical to the original Coreflame quietly formed. The two Coreflames floated side by side, with not even the slightest difference in their intricate patterns.
"..."
Then, Castrice and the other Chrysos Heirs were dumbfounded: "Ah, this!?"
"This is how I will rewrite the Flame Chase Journey."
To be continued…
Guys, I apologise for not updating for weeks. I was busy translating 2 new fics and I forgot about updating this one in between as translation is a side hustle for me alongside my real life job~