A few days after the Penacony eternal dream incident, on the former Radiant Feldspar, now the Trailblazer's Tail.
"It's simply divine! Caelus, you really are amazing! Can everyone on the Path of Finality do this, directly interfering with time itself and resurrecting people who died in the past into the present?"
Stelle sat at the bar, still holding a bottle of iced SoulGlad, her face full of admiration.
"I don't know. I haven't met many people on the Path of Finality. But I should only be able to do this because I'm special. Also, I really have to go now. I need to reach the Xianzhou earlier."
Caelus had come out to drink with Stelle this time mainly to record the experience of their trip to the planet he had not known about before, and to answer her questions along the way. Now that he knew what he needed to know and had said what he needed to say, he had to go and deal with his own affairs.
"Caelus, did you go easy on us when you fought us?"
"I only fought you at a level that wouldn't take your lives."
After Caelus finished speaking, he disappeared from this dream.
...
A young man with blood-colored pupils and long dark green hair that faded into dark red at the ends stood in a forest. He looked at the foxian girl with silver-purple hair standing beside a snack stall buying bird skewers, the expression on his face indescribably complex.
"Yo, yo, yo! Isn't this Yingxing? How did you turn into such a handsome young man? You dyed your hair and got plastic surgery! Which girl did you fall for? Dressing up so handsomely!"
The foxian girl holding the bird skewers smiled and teased her friend. However, after seeing the indescribably complex expression on the other person's face, the smile on her face gradually faded. She tucked her hair back and then said.
"Actually, this matter can't entirely be blamed on you. Although that guy Dan Feng usually looked calm, if something really went wrong, he was probably more anxious than anyone. Even if I hadn't been the one who had an accident, after you grew old, that guy might have used the Dragon Transformation Technique, and by then, he might have messed things up too.
"The hurdle you all could never get over was the one in your own hearts. Yingxing, what is your name now?"
"Blade."
"By taking such a new name, do you consider yourself a work left behind in this world by the former Yingxing? Clearly, because of the curse of Abundance, you will not die, nor will any scars remain on your body. Yet your hands are wrapped in bandages. Are you using this to show that you have abandoned your former identity as the Furnace Master?"
The white-haired foxian girl chattered away, but the man remained silent, looking at the girl before him. Finally, after she had said a great deal, recounting many things, both past embarrassments and hopes for the future, she stopped talking.
"Yingxing, before you came here, I knew you were exhausted. You've always wanted to embrace death. But as your former partner, even if I'm just a phantom in your memory, I won't allow you to give up on your life right now. Go back. If you still consider me a friend, go back and live on."
The man remained silent. Then, a woman's hand, seemingly still covered in frost, rested on his shoulder and pulled him backward. After that, the cold silhouette of a woman walked past him in silence.
"Yingxing, dying obscurely in some corner. I don't think that's a fitting death for you. You once said you'd rather be a firefly rushing into the flames than a useless tree living forever. Besides, don't you have new partners now? Don't you have things you promised others you would do?"
Another pair of hands rested on the young man's shoulders. A youth with fluffy long hair finished speaking with a smile, then sighed with some distress before also walking forward.
Accompanied by the sound of flowing water, a black-haired man with dragon horns brushed past Yingxing's side.
"Sorry."
Leaving behind only a brief apology, the man walked farther and farther ahead.
The young man looked at the backs of those walking past him. A sword appeared in his arms, a longsword covered in cracks that looked as though it could shatter at any moment. He tried to swing the sword at that person's back, but in the end, he could not bring himself to strike.
What was the point of striking a shadow of the past from one's memory?
"Bladie, you've slept long enough. It's time to wake up."
A woman's voice came from behind him. He turned his head and saw another familiar person, wearing what must have been a newly bought coat, looking at him with a smile.
Beside that woman was a girl who looked several years younger, blowing bubble gum.
"You promised to play games with me later. You can't break your word."
Farther away, a silver mecha was watching them.
The man stood in the center, with four friends from the past in front of him and the companions he worked with now behind him.
"Yingxing."
An aged, frail voice sounded. The young man turned his head to the side. At some point, a short, white-haired old man wearing a bamboo hat had appeared.
"Master."
The old man only watched him, saying nothing more.
Cough, cough!
Blood-red pupils snapped open. The man sat up from the bed and looked at Kafka and Silver Wolf, who were sitting on the sofa nearby. After a long silence, he said, "What a pity. I failed to die again."
"It seems he was right. You couldn't even pass the first of the two dream trials he set up."
"Meddlesome. With something like this set up to dissuade people, how many would actually be willing to die?"
"That's exactly why those who can pass are the ones who have truly given up on reality completely, with nothing left they want to do and no attachments to hold them back. People like that are the ones who truly ought to let go of everything."
Silver Wolf spoke, then handed over the game console in her hand. Looking at the awakened Blade, she said, "You promised me. After this dream session ends, you would play games with me."
"Mm."
Blade responded and took the console, then accompanied Silver Wolf in playing games.
Kafka watched the two with a smile, then stood up, intending to go to the stasis pod to check on Firefly's condition.
The memories regarding certain matters in Penacony should be starting to adjust.
Though Kafka felt that, given the current situation, once they reached Amphoreus, the memories that were originally supposed to be deleted might not actually need to be. After all, a certain fellow who existed outside of fate would surely interfere with the story there.
Stelle, who was drinking at the bar, felt that the drink in her cup became sweeter and more fragrant with every sip, carrying an intoxicating quality. Eventually, as if she were truly drunk, she slumped onto the bar and fell fast asleep.
Then, a flicker of blue flame suddenly appeared.
Part of the memories concerning Penacony in Stelle's mind began to gradually burn away, to be replaced by new memories.
(To be continued.)