Phainon stared at the petite figure dragging the greatsword, his mind blank for a moment.
The sword bestowed upon him by Lan, their authority was "anchoring," and it should have firmly locked Cyrene outside the core.
How could she possibly be here?
"How could you…"
Before he could finish his question, Cyrene finally dragged the ridiculously heavy greatsword in front of him.
She put her hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks, trying to look fierce, but the corners of her eyes uncontrollably curved into crescents.
"If someone hadn't helped me break free, I wouldn't have been able to get in at all!"
She blinked, a hint of slyness in her eyes, and deliberately lowered her voice, saying:
"He said, 'A companion's sword should not be a chain of restraint.' He's such a gentle yet strange fellow."
Lan?!
A jolt of electricity ran down Phainon's spine.
He had indeed been here all along!
Not a cold bystander, but a witness, a companion waiting for an answer!
"Here, I'm enough on my own." Phainon suppressed the surging emotions in his heart and said instinctively.
He raised his hand, and the Dawnbreaker reappeared, radiating an aura of finality.
However, a soft and warm hand gently grasped his sword-wielding wrist.
"I know," her voice was unusually firm.
"But this time, the two of us will face this unjust destiny together."
She looked up, her clear eyes reflecting Phainon's stunned face, "Just like the first time."
"You are no longer alone."
"We are the best of companions, after all."
Companions… Phainon froze.
Looking back at the path he had traveled, his companions in the train crew, his followers from the Chrysos Heirs, their vivid faces, their battles fought side by side, all rushed through his mind.
With their help, he had escaped crisis after crisis.
The fury and madness that had threatened to incinerate the world were, at this moment, quietly soothed.
Yes.
He was never alone.
He was no longer Khaslana, who, in endless reincarnation, could only watch helplessly as the wheat fields were repeatedly stained red, yet was powerless to do anything.
He released his hand.
The Dawnbreaker in his palm silently dissipated like smoke.
Instead, he clasped Cyrene's hand tightly.
The next instant, the hilt of the Invasion Dawn reformed and solidified in their clasped hands.
His palm was broad and cold, encompassing her slender and warm one.
Just at this moment.
Buzz—
A brilliant spark, like a cosmic Stelle, burst from Phainon's chest and slowly emerged.
—The Burdening World Spark.
Cyrene looked at the spark and smiled radiantly.
"See, Phainon."
"We are not pawns, no longer puppets. The true meaning of 'Burdening World' will be written by our own hands."
"Lan answered your call because He believes that His friend will surely find a way to break free from fate."
"Mm."
Phainon's Adam's apple bobbed; a thousand words ultimately condensed into a simple syllable.
Their figures clung closely together.
The next moment.
The Burdening World Spark suddenly plunged into the blade of the Invasion Dawn!
Boom—!!!
Dazzling light erupted from the greatsword's center!
The light of the Invasion Dawn and the life radiance emanating from Cyrene perfectly merged, transforming into a brilliant divine glow symbolizing "rebirth"!
Where the light passed, cold code was imbued with warmth, and data was injected with life!
In the distant shadows, Zandar let out a roar.
There was no fear in that sound, only the supreme ecstasy of a scholar finally conquering the unknown!
Phainon and Cyrene's bodies were lifted by this immense power, slowly floating in the air.
They exchanged glances, seeing determination and trust in each other's eyes.
"Are you ready?"
"Mm!"
Without the slightest hesitation, the two transformed into a golden meteor that tore through heaven and earth, jointly wielding the greatsword burning with hope, and charged towards the root of the twisted world, Zandar's true form.
At this moment, their will, their power, their souls, were completely in "Harmony"!
Their figures intertwined in the air, like a pair of dancing binary stars. Every swing of the sword, every turn, carried an unparalleled tacit agreement.
The golden sword light was no longer merely sharp; it carried the dual concepts of "purification" and "rebirth."
Wherever the sword's edge passed, Zandar's data was reconstructed from their very root.
The distorted and corrupted code was disassembled into the purest 0s and 1s.
And then.
Bathed in the radiance of life, it reassembled into a green data stream symbolizing hope, nourishing this world on the brink of collapse.
"Unknown, it's unknown—!!!"
Zandar let out a satisfied, wild laugh before completely dissipating.
He saw it.
The miracle named "bond" that was born when Phainon and Cyrene stood side by side.
Finally, their figures merged into one, transforming into a pure, ultimate golden sword gleam that pierced through Zandar's last afterimage.
The corruption was completely purified.
The world's "core," the giant orb where Zandar had originally parasitized, also shattered with this final strike.
It did not vanish, but transformed into billions of softly glowing fragments, like a grand meteor shower, scattering across the entire data space.
Phainon and Cyrene slowly landed.
The Invasion Dawn completed their mission and dissipated into points of light.
Cyrene released his hand and walked a few steps forward.
She looked back, smiled brightly at Phainon, and then extended her fingertip, gently touching a piece of the core closest to her.
It all happened too fast, too fast for Phainon to react.
Light enveloped Cyrene.
Under Phainon's stunned gaze.
Cyrene's petite body began to grow at a visible speed.
From the tender young girl in the wheat field, her figure gradually lengthened, her contours becoming distinct and graceful.
Finally, the light receded.
A beautiful young woman, dressed in a pure white gown, with a graceful and elegant posture, stood quietly.
Her appearance remained the same, only the youthful innocence had faded, and her eyes held the radiant glow of The Power of Years and wisdom, warm enough to contain all the stars of the universe.
"Cyrene?!"
Phainon looked at her transformation, momentarily lost in thought.
Cyrene turned around and gave him a gentle smile, as warm as ever.
"Phainon, we succeeded."
Her voice became even clearer and more melodious, "You truly… brought 'tomorrow' to this world."
Saying that, she opened her palm.
The Burdening World Spark, burning with brilliant flames, floated quietly in her palm.
Cyrene gently pushed it towards Phainon.
"This is the 'key' you were looking for."