At eight o'clock in the evening, Xiao Qing was gently brushing Yoshiko's silver hair.
Yoshiko's expression was calm, devoid of any outward emotion, yet a faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips.
Xiao Qing's expression was equally serene as she gazed at Xiao Yoshiko with her familiar, gentle smile. Deep down, however, she felt a pang of sorrow; Yoshiko was no longer the person she once was. With each reincarnation, she had grown increasingly quiet and withdrawn, becoming ever more skeptical of existence and the people around her. Seeing her like this, Xiao Qing's heart ached.
"Mother Xiao Qing, may I ask—why have you stayed longer this time than you did in the past?"
Xiao Yoshiko's voice was calm as she glanced at Xiao Qing from the corner of her eye.
Setting the comb aside on the floor—her faint smile still gracing her face—Xiao Qing pulled Yoshiko into an embrace, resting her chin atop the girl's head.
"I stayed for several reasons, the most important being to spend time with my little one—my Xiao Yoshiko."
Her tone was tender and warm, brimming with love for the one she regarded as her own daughter.
Upon hearing this, a soft smile spread across Yoshiko's face, radiant with a sense of comfort and happiness. Nevertheless, Xiao Qing had remained at the Great Versalkin Academy for several months, for a variety of reasons—most notably to be with Xiao Yoshiko, and to await the completion of Feng Liwu's third trial.
To justify her stay, she took on the role of providing private instruction to the students; after all, she was the most powerful entity in this world, the icon of the righteous path, and a Saint of the United Righteous Sect. She also used her desire to be with Xiao Yoshiko as another pretext for remaining within the academy.
Consequently, there was virtually no suspicion surrounding her presence. Even had she lacked any reason to stay, she held absolute control over all the mechanisms within the Great Versalkin Academy. Furthermore, as the most formidable figure in the righteous faction, no one would have dared to challenge her continued stay.
"Xiao Yoshiko, remember this well: life among those we hold dear is the most beautiful, yet also the most cruel—for the blows dealt by those closest to us are the most painful. Do you understand, my dear?"
Xiao Qing's tone remained as calm as ever, even as she held Yoshiko in an embrace, much like a mother cradling her child.
"Understood—I shall keep your words in mind, Mother. Now, I must be going; it is time for bed."
With that, Yoshiko rose and departed, leaving Xiao Qing to gaze up at the crescent moon. It was the third day of the month of Rajab, and the moon was still in its early, waxing phase. A few minutes after Xiao Yoshiko left her room, Xiao Qing stood up and brushed off non-existent dust from her clothes.
She then stepped out of her room, heading toward the garden of her estate.
"The time has finally come. A life sails across the sea of time, steered by the winds of destiny toward its eternal salvation. Everything has a beginning and an end; yet, not everything written or read is the truth.
In a world built upon a curse, even the narrative itself is riddled with the lies of fate. It is like a wind blowing across the sea of time—a wind that constantly shifts its course, now toward the west, now toward the east."
"Spring follows winter, summer follows spring, and autumn follows summer. Such is life: after destruction and ruin, a spark of evolution and prosperity emerges.
Winter—with its harshness, cold, and decay—leaves behind only the strong and the resilient, who become the spark of evolution that heralds the spring. When spring arrives, the earth is draped in a green carpet, and abundance begins to flourish.
Then comes summer, representing the pinnacle of evolution and prosperity. It is followed by autumn, which brings with it the spark of bloodshed and the annihilation of all that growth—all because of the greed of those who hold power and command the order of things. And so, every cycle of evolution and prosperity meets its end."
Xiao Qing's tone remained calm as she gazed up at the star-filled sky with a faint, detached smile.
Even now, her thoughts were occupied by the matter of the Five Trials. With each reincarnation she underwent, she faced a test—one per lifetime, with no test ever spanning more than a single life. Yet, she had failed to grasp the conditions for success; it was as if her own mind—despite her being omniscient—refused to comprehend them.
It should have been simple, but she felt as though something were preventing her from conceiving a solution or an answer to this deeply complex dilemma.
Only two tests remained. Perhaps they would finally reveal the secrets behind these trials, the hidden passages, and Yuta's connection to it all.
Although his behavior that day had seemed natural, she sensed he was concealing something—something that concerned her, as well as Armin's companions: Yorichi, Grey, Beatrice, and Lucy.
Still, she chose to set the matter aside until the right moment. Letting issues pile up would only complicate things further; waiting for the opportune time, however, would make everything far more manageable.
Xiao Qing let out a deep sigh, heavy with both bewilderment and exhaustion.
It was not a physical, mental, or spiritual fatigue, but rather a different kind of weariness—one born from the unknown and an utter lack of control.
Unlike her counterparts in other works of fiction—entities belonging to the "Irrelevant Layers into Boundless" tier—she found herself unable to exert easy control over her own world.
In those other stories, entities of the same rank could command their worlds with total ease, fully aware of every hidden detail and secret within them. Yet, Xiao Qing—or Tom Fragelson—was unable to exert control over the world of the novel in which she lived; she remained oblivious to 99% of its secrets.
Even as the Master Guardian of the Tree of Existence, she remained in the dark regarding the unfolding narrative—as if something were actively preventing her from perceiving the true nature of the story she inhabited.
At the time, however, she chose to set this aside, occupied as she was with numerous pressing matters—foremost among them, the protection of the sacred Tree of Existence.
.......................
In one of the towers at the Great Versalkin Academy, Feng Li Wu sat gazing at the crescent moon, a sardonic, crooked smile playing across his lips—a look directed at every single being on the planet.Feng Li Wu's features remained obscured; his face was hidden behind hair whipped about by the blowing wind.
"The third trial is nearing its end. Only two more to go, and we shall put an end to this farce."
"Since the 'Master of Trials' has revealed himself, I suspect the finale will be a spectacle—brimming with action and horror, much like something out of a frenzied anime. Xiao Qing and I shall play the roles of Guts, while the Master of Trials takes on the part of Griffith. A fitting little drama, though we certainly won't be screaming 'Griffith!'—hahahahaha!"
His tone was laced with cold mockery as he gazed up at the crescent moon.
Minutes passed, and the atmosphere grew increasingly still—reaching a level of silence so profound it became eerie and unsettling. The world fell completely mute; not a single sound could be heard.
Feng Li Wu's eyes narrowed at this transformation in the world—as if every living thing were too terrified to utter a word or make the slightest noise.
Vanishing from his spot, Feng Li Wu reappeared beside Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing glanced at him—appearing out of thin air—with an indifferent expression. Her focus remained on the unfolding situation, though she was well aware that it stemmed from their previous actions—the killings and the terror they had sown.
Unlike in the two preceding trials, neither of them felt a shred of remorse for what they had done, nor for what they were about to do—now or in the future.
Neither Feng Li Wu nor Xiao Qing spoke a word. Both knew that this was no time for idle chatter; their attention was fixed entirely on what was to come.
Moments later, a surge of invisible energy erupted—steeped in a thirst for blood, the stench of death, and absolute power—causing the world to literally turn upside down.
The sky and the earth traded places.
The beautiful stars that once adorned the heavens turned pitch-black, transforming into eyes marked with pentagrams, weeping tears of blood—a mixture of deep black and vivid, striking gold.
The pentagrams differed between the eyes: those shedding golden tears bore a standard, traditional pentagram—a symbol of goodness, unity, and life—while those shedding black tears bore a sigil associated with the worship of demons.
The sky shifted from its natural black to a blood-red hue, tinged with darkness. The crescent moon morphed into a black eye—a void containing two pupils, glowing with a pale, golden light.
It resembled an abyss, devouring everything in its path—even the very light that would otherwise reveal it.
Xiao Qing and Feng Li Wu narrowed their eyes, sensing a grave and imminent danger.
The world had been completely transformed; its fundamental laws and concepts were plunged into utter chaos. Had they not been present, the world would have descended into an uncontrollable state of disarray.
"It seems our actions influence how each trial concludes, wouldn't you agree, Feng Li Wu?" Her tone was sharp as she looked toward him—sharper still when she spoke his name.
Yet, Feng Li Wu ignored her completely. He knew what she had done: she had erased several sects—home to nearly five million people, along with all their ancestors—wiping them from existence and non-existence alike, striking them from the very narrative of the world.
And so, he chose to ignore her. Unwilling to let an argument distract him, he remained focused on his mission.
In a fraction of a second, the two found themselves inside the base—the hub of the secret tunnels where most of the events had unfolded.
"Greetings. How are you, Mr. Tom Fragelsen? It seems the third trial has come to an end. Congratulations—you have completed three trials; only two remain."
The voice was cold, devoid of any genuine praise, despite their successful completion of the three trials.
The entity's words echoed through the base, yet the "Master of Trials" was nowhere to be seen—only his voice remained.
Xiao Qing and Feng Li Wu both let out a deep sigh, exchanging a long look.
"Let's meet again for the fourth and fifth trials, Xiao Qing."
"Indeed. Let us meet again—somewhere else."
Darkness began to spread, consuming the entire space, eventually swallowing the whole world.
As the darkness engulfed them, a faint smile graced the faces of both Feng Li Wu and Xiao Qing.
Their smiles were warm and sincere—perhaps the first and last time, or perhaps not. .......................
In a devastated land, the scent of rusted iron, mingled with the stench of blood, permeated the air.
Standing in the midst of this wasteland, Tom gazed around in astonishment. Corpses littered the ground, as if the world itself had reached its end.
"When Creation and Destruction are born from the womb of existence, the testing ground becomes the final crucible before the ultimate advent of Ragnarök.
Five trials stand between existence and annihilation, between the balance of peace and war, and between the sacred spirit that shall endure until the final Ragnarök.
This wretched world, which has known only ruin, must confront the truth of its own origin—cast out and cursed, it is destined to mend what is broken and accursed.
O Creation, O Destruction, O the Gathering—complete your trials and earn your power!
For the weak shall be crushed, and the strong shall crush.
What will you be? A victor or a vanquished? Creation, Destruction, or something that transcends both?
This is an irreversible choice. If you are bold, continue on your path; if you are wise, turn back."
The words escaped his lips, yet he felt no sensation of having spoken—he was not even aware that his mouth had opened at all.
He looked up and beheld a young woman with long, white hair and violet eyes, and a young man with black hair and obsidian eyes. Each held a sword pointed toward the other, showing no trace of mercy.
Then, they drove their blades into each other's hearts. A cold, satisfied smile spread across both their faces as they were drenched in blood. "This is the end... the end of Ragnarök has finally arrived!"
They both spoke at the same time, then plunged the remnants of their blades into each other's hearts.
Tom Fragelsen clutched his chest, overcome by an agony so intense it was unbearable—as if his heart had been torn apart twice over, simultaneously.
Blood began to gush profusely from his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears.
"W... w... what is happening h—What the hell is this? Why am I in such pain?"
His voice trembled, barely intelligible. Every muscle in his body was seized by spasms; he could neither move, breathe, nor think.
Pain was the only thing in this world he could perceive.
Tears—a strange, swirling mixture of pitch-black and bleached-gold—streamed profusely from his eyes.
Fear, agony, and an absolute, crushing sense of loneliness flooded Tom's heart. He didn't understand why, but he felt these emotions surging through his young heart like a raging river.
Tom was not even twenty; he was a mere fifteen-year-old boy, yet he possessed the equivalent of a thousand years of experience.
And yet, in the face of this agony, that thousand-year experience was reduced to nothing—mere scattered dust, utterly useless.
Days bled into centuries, and throughout it all, he endured the pain.
Tom cast his gaze toward the world, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He no longer cared about the pain; it had become his only companion for centuries.
"So, you think I'll give up that easily? Keep dreaming!
I am Tom Fragelsen, and I shall ascend to the pinnacle of power—surpassing the very power systems that define fiction itself, not just the confines of some ridiculous novel.
Mark my words! Let both the realm of fiction and reality bear witness: I, Tom Fragelsen, will transcend every entity that exists within the entirety of fiction—or I shall die trying." "I don't know how, but one thing I am certain of is that I will become the strongest—no matter the cost!"
His tone was cold, devoid of any emotion, as he pointed his finger toward the void.
The world around him began to crack, shattering like broken glass, and a brilliant light erupted, filling the entire realm.
As the light spread, a beautiful, melodious voice emerged from the void, addressing Tom:
"Well done, my dear—keep going. I am waiting for you."
The voice was exquisite, brimming with longing.
A faint smile appeared on Tom's face as the light washed over him.
"The fourth trial... here we come!"