From ancient times to the present day, resurrection has never been a simple matter. Even with the use of the card, this revival still carried the risk of failure.
But Fu Li didn't hesitate for a single moment. He used [Resurrection of the Dead] immediately, because he could not accept such an ending, because he had no other choice.
Because of the terror in his heart—the feeling that a precious treasure was about to be lost forever.
First, there was [Detachment].
It was as if his very soul was being drawn from his body, parting a kaleidoscope of darkness to step into a sea of endless warmth.
Next came [Embrace].
It felt like returning to the origin of life itself—ignorant, unconscious, able to see only hazy images.
And then, there was [Light].
Fragments of light glittered in the darkness, and one by one, gleaming souls sank like infants to the bottom of the sea.
There was no fear on their faces, no hesitation, only blissful and serene smiles. But even so, it sent a chill down the spine of the only conscious being in this ocean.
For some reason, a passage Fu Li had once read surfaced in his mind.
"Life... is truly a fragile thing."
"Someone once told me that the souls of the dead are eternal, that their spirits will ascend to the heavens. Generation after generation, humanity delights in deceiving itself with such lies."
"They believe in a so-called afterlife, believe in the eternity of a single lifetime. They disguise the world as a place where death does not exist..."
"Until death suddenly seeps into their lives, descending upon those they love. Then, they will redouble their efforts to deceive themselves... believing that love can transcend all things, convinced that affection can last for eternity."
"Alas... that is a lie."
"The rules of the world are not so. Death is indeed the dissipation of consciousness, the end of everything."
"We cannot continue the journey of those starlights that have already faded."
Those had been Otto's words, but today, Fu Li would refute them.
Fu Li decided to slightly alter his impression of his system.
This system wasn't useless at all. It was truly... I could cry!
The lifelong wish that took Otto 500 years to achieve had just been reversed by it, even if the price was his own guaranteed death within a day.
He was about to die anyway, so what was there to be afraid of?
As if guided by fate, Fu Li swam aimlessly through the sea, parting the waves and passing through the points of light, until he finally found Pardo.
Fu Li gently touched the membrane of light, gazing at Pardo's peaceful, sleeping face.
There was no fear, no despair, but...
"Pardo, you can't die here..."
A pair of hands gently lifted her. There was no pain here, no death, but there was also no future. Therefore, this was not heaven, but an eternal hell.
Pardo, she deserved a better future.
His limbs moved naturally. As he ascended, the unbearable pain in his body gradually resurfaced, like the claws of death from hell, pulling him out of the eternal paradise.
If he were willing to sink into oblivion, the pain would vanish. If he were to submit to death, he could fall into an eternal slumber.
But, no matter how arduous the path ahead, he would not easily abandon hope.
This was a quality unique to humanity, and it was the humanity that Elysia so deeply loved.
Light shone in once more.
---o---
On the moon, the body that had just lost its life suddenly twitched.
Pardo's vision shifted from blurry to clear. The warmth, like a mother's love, slowly dissipated, replaced by the endless darkness of the starry sky and the lifeless lunar dust.
The sudden loss of comfort sent a shiver through her. A fleeting moment of reluctance and confusion occupied her thoughts, but it vanished as quickly as it came.
She looked at Fu Li and saw the smile curving at the corner of his lips, and his hand reaching out in a specific direction.
'This isn't the time to indulge in warmth.'
Through Black Pardo's synchronized memories, Pardo quickly understood everything.
She did miss that feeling, like being basked in a warm sun, but now was not the time. She still had a mission that belonged to him.
Pardo opened her mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but ultimately closed it.
She knew Li's current state; speaking was an extravagance. If she made him worry, made him anxious enough to try and speak, it would only cause him greater harm.
The time they had left together was ticking away, second by second.
But what was also fading was the barely perceptible flame of life in their comrades around them.
So, she suppressed her impulse and followed the direction of Fu Li's finger.
It was Seele's position. But even as the Herrscher of Death, she too was on the verge of dying. Next to her, however, stood a black-and-white lance.
[Abyss Flower], a weapon Pardo had never used before.
Black Pardo's consciousness seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, so Pardo had no confidence she could wield the lance, but it was their only hope.
Although her body had been incidentally repaired, the wounds to her spirit were not so easily mended. Even having been dead for only a moment, the trauma it brought was difficult to erase.
Pardofelis staggered, walking toward the lance planted in the ground.
— She was Pardofelis, the very definition of luck.
— She was Pardofelis, the Herrscher of Domination. Even without Black Pardo, how could she possibly fail to control a mere lance made from the Core of the Herrscher of Death?
— Therefore, as someone who has been given a second chance at life, she would surely be able to bear the responsibility of a Flame-Chaser and bring the hope of life back to everyone she cherished and loved. After all... they were all her old customers.
The exhaustion in her body washed over her like a tide. With every step, a tremendous torment threatened to strike her down.
But she kept walking, like an unyielding warrior, pulling at the heartstrings of all who were still conscious.
Finally, she reached the lance. Trembling, she grasped it.
She forcefully pulled it free, raising it above her head with a smile of relief.
The authority of [Domination], already pushed to its absolute limit, was reactivated at this moment, reaching out like tentacles to entwine the Core of the Herrscher of Death.
But...
Pardo's expression froze. Her remaining strength was insufficient to manipulate the [Death] core, which was also at its limit.
Which meant...
"No... Don't..."
"I've already tried so hard... C'mon, move!"
Helpless tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. In that moment, Pardofelis cast all her pain aside and began to shake the lance frantically.
Those around her lowered their heads. They knew that hope had already faded.
But Pardo remained stubborn, shaking the lance with crazed desperation. She was begging, praying for hope to arrive.
Finally, an annoyed voice, as if just woken up, sounded out as a phantom hand gently closed over hers.
"Honestly, you dumbass, you're so damn loud..."
"I told you not to be lazy and to practice controlling the authority of Domination, but you ended up pushing it all onto me... But whatever, I guess it's because I'm the other you."
"Alright, alright. Let's do what comes next, together."