Hyacine, Phainon, and even Stelle, after hearing what had become of the Skyfolk, all fell into a long silence.
The audience had speculated about countless possible truths. But when the real ending was finally laid bare before them, they were still shaken beyond words.
What had been smelted away was not merely life itself. It had also erased Seliose's ideals, along with everything she had fought for before.
...
: She actually killed them all.
: Not a single "kill" is mentioned, yet every line is overflowing with murder.
: This part of the story is absolutely shocking.
: The greatness and ugliness of humanity, how divinity distorts people, the clash between ideals and reality, it's written so brilliantly.
: What's even more tragic is that the road of resistance begun by Seliose ultimately ended in failure.
: Watching this from our perspective makes it even more impactful. We witnessed how radiant and high-spirited Seliose used to be. The brighter she once shone, the greater the contrast now!
: These Skyfolk too... those who deserve hatred often have something pitiable about them. Without their god, they simply couldn't survive.
: Ignorance, foolishness, shortsightedness... no words describe the Skyfolk better.
: Humanity can only liberate itself. Others cannot do it for them.
: At the very least, if Seliose had been replaced by others, they definitely wouldn't have placed such high expectations on these people.
: Seliose simply expected too much from humanity, so her disappointment became absolute.
: It's so hard to put into words... Looking at this ending, I don't even know whether I should feel sorrow or grief...
: This struggle was far too complicated.
: But what about Hyacine? How did her ancestors survive?
: The records of Hyacine's clan clearly state that they are descendants of Seliose. But from what we've seen, Seliose probably never would have had children. She had become far too disappointed in humanity.
...
The audience eagerly poured out their thoughts through the comments.
But this story was obviously far more complicated than it appeared. No amount of comments alone could fully analyze it.
Compared to analysis, however, the audience was even more curious about one final mystery.
Just who exactly were Hyacine's ancestors...?
On screen, after a brief silence, Phainon was the first to shake his head.
"After learning about everything she went through... I can only feel regret... but I can't condemn her choice."
He was neither a saint nor an executioner. That was how Phainon viewed Seliose.
And in his opinion, the ultimate failure was not Seliose's fault, but the result of the era itself, humanity, and countless other factors coming together.
In Phainon's eyes, Seliose had already done everything she possibly could. If it had been him in her place, he wasn't confident he could have done any better.
After a moment of silence, Hyacine thought of something else.
"If this is the true history, was Seliose's fusion with Aquila truly meant to save humanity from ruin?"
She couldn't help but begin questioning everything she had believed until now.
Lunabis explained, "By touching the Coreflame, Seliose gained insight into the Titan's fear... and glimpsed their cold indifference."
"Aquila never yearned for mortal devotion. The establishment of the sky civilization was merely the result of humanity's own doing. The celestial globe, said to be gifted by the Titan to the Skyfolk in the myths, was in truth a creation of mortals."
Hearing this, Hyacine opened her mouth, yet found herself unable to say a word.
The audience, meanwhile, was completely dumbfounded.
It was absurdly ironic. Utterly ridiculous.
...
: So the Eye of Twilight, that incredible structure, was built entirely through the wisdom and labor of the Skyfolk themselves??
: Holy shit, the celestial sphere could even manipulate the weather!
: Isn't that basically a terrifying weather-control weapon?
: If they possessed such wisdom and such power, then why attribute all those achievements and accomplishments to the Titans!?
: Aquila didn't even care about these people at all!
: Why were they so desperate to find someone to rule over them?!
: I seriously can't understand how these people think!
: The funniest part is that such a society only works when the gods possess power that humans don't. But the Skyfolk had clearly already mastered power of their own.
: There absolutely has to be a god, someone high above everyone else, to serve as the supreme authority.
: The limitations of civilization.
: Sigh... this is honestly making me depressed.
...
Solabis continued the tale.
"Disillusioned with humanity, Seliose began to long for the detachment of divinity. She sent Lunabis and me to the earth in search of a forbidden art said to fuse human and Titan souls."
This statement wasn't unfamiliar to the Chrysos Heirs present. They remembered Anaxa's alchemy.
And by this point, Solabis and Lunabis had already told everything they knew. Hyacine slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with confusion.
"Seliose, who passed fatal judgment on the Skyfolk, had turned her back on humanity..."
"If this was the path she chose, then whose wish have my ancestors and I been guarding all this time!?"
The question was far too cruel.
No one dared answer it for her. Stelle sighed softly, walked over to Hyacine's side, and gently patted her shoulder. "No matter what the truth is, I'll stay with you."
Phainon also stepped beside her and said firmly,
"So will I. If you want to learn the truth, then go. But Hyacine, remember this, you'll always be an irreplaceable member of the Flame-Chase Journey. You'll always be our companion."
The warmth of her companions gradually melted away the fear in Hyacine's heart. She took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and looked toward the two winged beasts.
"The final fragment of history lies just ahead. Go and claim it, Miss Hyacine."
Lunabis said.
Her gaze also shifted toward a cluster of memoria not far from Hyacine.
This was the final piece of memoria here. It was also the end of the history of the Skyfolk, carrying the final remnants.
With Stelle and Phainon supporting her, Hyacine slowly walked over.
Countless images flashed through her mind. The records and the teachings of her elders.
The stories and myths her grandmother had told her when she was little. And the praise their clan had received from all the others.
"We are the descendants of Lady Seliose..."
"You must become an outstanding Sky Priest and inherit Lady Seliose's path..."
"Hyacinth, you must grow into a hero just like Lady Seliose..."
"Are you one of the Skyfolk? How impressive... So you truly are a member of the clan that inherited the bloodline of the Gale Sovereign!"
"Thank you for healing me, Lady Hyacinth. Seeing you is like basking in the glory of the Daythunder Knight it fills one with renewed courage."
Every word echoed through Hyacine's mind.
This was her past. It was also what had shaped the culture of the remaining skyfolk.
The Daythunder Knight.
Glory. Heroes.
At this very moment, a thought suddenly crossed Hyacine's mind.
Wasn't this, too, a kind of faith? It was these very "beliefs" that had carried them through their darkest days.
Yet everything she had witnessed along the way kept reminding her that their history, their convictions... had all been lies.
And now she was about to face the truth herself. Countless thoughts raced through Hyacine's mind, but in reality, only a brief instant had passed.
As she approached the Memory Fragment, Mem, who had been waiting nearby, activated it.
Under Hyacine's gaze, a woman, trembling uncontrollably with fear, knelt on the ground with her hands clasped in prayer, pleading devoutly:
"Great Seliose, I beg you, spare this humble life!"
"I've never harmed anyone... The punishment you deliver out of rage is far too harsh for someone innocent like me!"
Beside her, the two winged beasts serving as executioners paid no attention to her pleas. They simply urged:
"The time has come, mortal-"
"...it's time to face your destiny."
They stepped forward. The movement terrified the kneeling woman even more, and she hurriedly cried:
"Wait! Please, let me speak with Her Highness, the warrior goddess!"
As she spoke, she quickly stood up and produced a sharp blade, slicing open her own arm.
Golden blood flowed from the wound. Holding up her bleeding arm, she cried desperately:
"Look! Can you see it? Golden blood is spilling from my wounds! I am a Chrysos Heir too... chosen by the prophecy, just like Lady Seliose!"
The two winged beasts paused.
People could lie. Golden blood could not.
Lunabis looked toward the sky.
"Seliose, what will you do with one of your own?"
Previously, whenever the Skyfolk facing execution pleaded for mercy, Seliose had ignored them.
But upon seeing the golden blood, Seliose, finally spoke.
An enormous eye emerged from the clouds, its voice utterly devoid of joy or sorrow.
"A Chrysos Heir... you are no different from the rest."
"You were once one of the Sunborn... Did you ever rise to defend the weak when your kin oppressed others under the guise of the Titan's favor?"
Hope had appeared on the woman's face when Seliose answered her. But after hearing those words, she lowered her head in shame.
"I... did not."
Seliose continued: "You abandoned your old faith and made me your new god after Aquila's fall."
"Did you offer your help when your comrades turned their blades on the faithful who refused to convert?"
The woman lowered her head even further.
"I... did not."
Without the slightest change in tone, Seliose asked once more:
"When the Prophecy of Genesis reached all beings, calling the Chrysos Heirs to become heroes of this fractured world..."
"...did you overcome your inner weakness and heed its urgent call?"
Three questions in succession. The woman was overwhelmed by both shame and fear.
"I... failed to do so."
Neither disappointed nor angered by her answers, Seliose calmly declared: "Look, Chrysos Heir... you are no different from the rest..."
"My judgment is just, only burning gold can purify your sins..."
The woman was nobody of importance. Everything Seliose had said about her was true.
She had never harmed anyone, but neither had she ever helped anyone.
She was skilled at choosing sides, always standing with whichever side best ensured her own survival.
Now, seeing that Seliose still intended to judge her, she continued struggling, just as she had once abandoned the Sunborn to become a follower of the new faith.
"...Wait, Lady Seliose, please, grant me a moment to explain my cowardice!"
"Your divinity indeed casts our mediocrity in a harsh and unflattering light. Humanity has walked this earth for many ages, enduring life's struggles and witnessing its shameful imperfections..."
"Yet, despite everything, we built great city-states and thriving civilizations! Even when trapped in the mud of malice, we continued to struggle and push forward..."
"Because beyond our flaws, the virtue that we all share is tenacity!"
Her voice was hoarse as she spoke from the bottom of her heart.
Seeing the two winged beasts drawing ever closer, she became even more frantic.
"Even if it means risking everything I have and everything I have yet to gain... I must kneel before you, begging for a chance at life. I need to prove that mortals are capable of redemption!"
By the time she finished, her entire body was trembling like a leaf. She had already said everything she possibly could.
If it still wasn't enough, she would be melted down in gold like everyone else. The eye in the sky remained silent for a long moment before speaking.
"To admit your weakness in such a righteous manner... it seems you have completely abandoned your dignity."
How could Seliose fail to see it? Every word the woman had spoken was merely another attempt to save her own life.
To survive, she could adorn herself with the virtue of tenacity, or even beg to be treated like a rat or a dog.
Truly she had no dignity left. Yet there was one statement that caught Seliose's attention.
"You say you're willing to risk everything you've yet to gain... Tell me... what kind of miraculous bet is that?"
The woman, already drowning in despair, seized upon those words like a lifeline.
She hurriedly replied: "It's simple, Lady Seliose..."
"Should you grant me a chance at life, I will ensure that your epic is passed down through generations, sung by my descendants until the end times buries all civilizations and legends."
"Should the Prophecy of Deliverance we've heard hold even the slightest chance of becoming reality..."
"Then my descendants will return here one day to prove to you that even the flawed and imperfect mortals you disdain can bear the weight of the world!"
After speaking, she waited anxiously for Seliose's answer.
A moment later, Seliose's voice sounded in her ears like heavenly music.
"Release her, Solabis, Lunabis."
"From now on, she and her descendants will carry both the sky's blessing and the curse of their history. No matter how long it takes, I will wait for the one who is destined to arrive..."
"When that time comes, I'll take pleasure in mocking these mortal children on how their progenitress sold their unborn lives."
The Memory Fragment ended there. Whether it was the Chrysos Heirs or the audience watching... after witnessing all of this, their minds were left with only a single thought.
A ceaseless buzzing filled their heads.