Chapter 102: The Orthodoxy of Preservation is on the Astral Express
Gepard knelt on one knee, his voice strained as he delivered the grim report to the Supreme Guardian. The Silvermane Guards had suffered devastating casualties in the rift. The shadows of the fallen seemed to linger in the biting wind, a silent proof of a battle that was rapidly spiraling out of control.
Nearby, Serval clutched a research report in her hand, the paper crinkling under her desperate grip. She pleaded with her dear friend, begging her to continue the research into the Stellaron, to find some sliver of hope. All she received was Cocolia's cold, unyielding rejection.
The laboratory was to be permanently sealed. The words, "There is no place for you in the new world," pierced Serval's heart like an icicle.
Cocolia stood alone by the window, her gaze fixed on the blizzard outside. A feverish light began to burn in her eyes, twisting her regal features into a mask of paranoia and zealous conviction. She had begun to despise the people who could not comprehend her grand "mission," whispering sneers at their "foolish and lowly" nature.
Even her tutelage of Bronya had become warped. In the name of "sacrifice" and "decisive action," she ordered the withdrawal of all defensive forces from the Underworld, callously hinting to her young successor that a "more important mission" awaited them both.
Stelle and Caelus continued their trek forward, the frozen past of Belobog surfacing around them as shimmering, ethereal memory phantoms.
"If I remember correctly, this is the Echo of the Path, right?" Stelle mused, watching the silent, flickering scenes flow past them. "So, which Path are we getting this time? Remembrance?"
"Stupid. Belobog is the city of Preservation. Of course we're getting the Path of Preservation," Caelus replied, stating it as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe.
Aha: Actually, not necessarily! Who knows, maybe it's Elation?
Fuli: Remembrance would not be an unfavorable outcome.
"I know that, obviously," Stelle countered, rolling her eyes. "But didn't Cocolia say that Preservation stopped looking at this place a long, long time ago?"
"Just because Cocolia said it doesn't make it true," Caelus shot back. "Clearly, her 'Preservation' isn't pure enough!"
"Then here's the question," Stelle said, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Where, exactly, is the true orthodoxy of Preservation?"
"The orthodoxy of Preservation," Caelus declared, puffing out his chest with absolute certainty, "is, of course, on our Astral Express!"
Aha: Brilliant! Truly brilliant! I knew I didn't misjudge you two. What a shame. If the group leader wasn't here, I'd have given you my blessing right now. Ahahahaha!
Fuli: Recording. Provisional Light Cone title: "The Orthodoxy of Preservation is on the Astral Express."
Aha: What would happen if we gave this Light Cone to the Interstellar Peace Corporation? Aha is very curious! Ahahahaha!
Bantering back and forth, the two unknowingly came to a stop just behind a petite, translucent figure. It had the form of a young girl, yet her presence felt ancient.
"This city is wailing," the figure sighed, her voice carrying the weariness of centuries. "The power of Preservation is fading."
"In the end, we are unable to resist the will of the Stellaron."
"It was Cocolia who gave up on Preservation," Stelle stated calmly.
"This isn't what Preservation is truly about," Caelus added.
"Why are you so certain?" the spectral girl asked, her voice a soft echo. "For the past few hundred years, this world has been collapsing, second by second. What we leave to our successors is not faith or wealth, but only boundless despair."
Her form flickered, her words heavy with the accumulated sorrow of every Guardian before her. "To watch the home you swore to preserve gradually disappear before your very eyes... it is a unique form of torture. Add to that those lingering, enchanting whispers... even the firmest will is bound to waver."
"This day was destined to come."
"His protection was also destined to leave us."
"But there are always people who won't waver," Stelle said, her gaze firm.
"Then let someone else do the preserving!" Caelus finished with a grin.
It was an ordinary exchange, but when combined with their earlier, audacious claim...
Aha: Splendid! Simply splendid! This deserves a reward!
The Aeon of Elation was practically vibrating with cosmic glee. These two Trailblazers were just too much fun.
"You... you are but mere travelers," the Guardian's will murmured, a flicker of something new in her voice. "Yet you insist on shouldering the fate of an entire world..."
She paused, a long silence stretching through the ethereal space.
"Very well. At this point, what else is there to lose? What else can't be tried?"
"Go, Trailblazers. Touch the Amber light."
"Let us see if the will of Preservation in your hearts is strong enough—" her voice suddenly grew clear and resonant, echoing with newfound power, "—strong enough to attract His gaze once more."
Further down the path, two distinct weapons materialized, floating silently in the air. One was a lance that burned with an inner fire, the other a massive, heavy greatsword.
"Which one do you choose?" Stelle asked, turning to Caelus. She had learned her lesson and decided to ask clearly first, lest they both set their sights on the same prize.
If Caelus liked the same one as her... well, she was still going to fight for it. This wasn't a question of humility; it was a formal notice before a declaration of war. That way, when the time came to act, she could do so with a clear conscience and zero hesitation.
"I feel like this greatsword suits me better," Caelus said, his brain perfectly in sync with hers. He instantly grasped her unspoken challenge, his hand already itching to grab the hilt.
"Oh? Then we're different. I prefer this Flame Lance," Stelle replied with a satisfied nod.
Perfect. The weapons left by the ancestors of Belobog were quite accommodating. There were exactly two, and they each liked a different one. A fight was successfully averted.
Stelle strode confidently toward the Flame Lance and placed her hand firmly on its shaft.
Caelus walked just as smugly toward the greatsword and wrapped his fingers securely around the hilt.
They exerted force at the same time, attempting to pull the weapons free.
The Flame Lance and the greatsword didn't budge an inch.
Stelle:?
Caelus:?
The next moment, they channeled all their strength, letting out a synchronized roar that shook the very fabric of the space.
"AAAAAAHHH—GET OUT HERE!"
Flames erupted in a violent whirlwind, and the crystalline ice of the path shattered like a thousand mirrors! A massive pillar of blazing fire soared into the sky, instantly illuminating the entire dimension.
The Flame Lance and the greatsword tore free in response.
At the highest peak of the firmament, the towering, amber figure of the Aeon of Preservation vaguely appeared, casting a brief, curious glance downward.
[Group Notification: Qlipoth, the Aeon of Preservation, has joined the group chat.]
Aha: @Qlipoth, look at what you've been 'preserving'.
Fuli: Light Cone "Aha's Questioning" created.
Fuli: Fuli has uploaded a video.
Qlipoth:?
Qlipoth:??
Qlipoth:??????????????
Flames tore through the sky. Stelle descended through the pillar of light, holding the blazing Flame Lance. The scorching airwaves around her evaporated the frost and snow into a white mist that blasted away in every direction.
Caelus, gripping the heavy greatsword, descended like a falling mountain. The burning aftershocks of his power swept across the wasteland, stirring up a maelstrom of ice, sleet, and dust that blotted out the sky.
"This is... a glance from Preservation!"
Topaz's eyes widened in disbelief.
Though she couldn't see the events unfolding within the Echo of the Path, as a Pathstrider of Preservation who had walked quite a distance down that road, Topaz was intimately familiar with Qlipoth's aura. She was no Emanator, but through the power of her foundation, she could briefly borrow power on that level.
And the aura of Preservation radiating from Stelle and Caelus... it was utterly, unbelievably pure.
That aura was even closer to the origin of the Path than that of many of her colleagues within the Corporation who bore the label of "Preservation."
'So it's true,'she thought, a slow smile spreading across her face.'The orthodoxy of Preservation really is on the Astral Express.'
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