Chapter 104: Not My Bro? You're an Emanator?
"The power of the Stellaron is with me!"
"You... are nothing but the death throes before the collapse of the old world!"
Cocolia's furious roar echoed across the blizzard-swept peak.
Just as her voice faded, the passionate, driving anthem of "Wildfire" paused for a single, perfect beat—
Then, all its accumulated energy burst forth.
[We've made a choice, to fight against your fate!]
The lyric and the downbeat landed in perfect, explosive synchronicity.
"Holy crap, she actually hit the beat! That's just shameless!" Stelle's eyes widened, a comical mix of annoyance and grudging admiration on her face.
How irritating. She hadn't managed to sync up her own attacks that perfectly just now.
"Is this really the time to be worrying about that?!" March 7th looked like she wanted to facepalm. 'She's still focused on this?! This is a battle!'
[Aha: This is truly entertaining! Ahahahaha!]
High above, Cocolia spread her arms wide. A vortex of golden storm clouds gathered behind her, churning violently. Countless twisted, conical constructs of metal and ice pierced through the clouds, intertwining and condensing until they formed a colossal lance forged from the Stellaron's power. It blotted out the sky, casting a shadow of absolute destruction as it began its heavy descent upon the earth.
And at that very moment, the melody of "Wildfire" surged to its stunning climax.
The sheer oppressive weight of the attack sent a wave of cold dread through everyone on the battlefield.
"Wait a second... seriously, who's the villain here?" Seele couldn't help but complain aloud. "It feels like the song is cheering for Cocolia."
It was an obvious fact. Cocolia's every grand, destructive gesture kept landing perfectly on the song's most dramatic beats, making her look less like a final boss and more like the story's avenging protagonist.
"Ooooh, it's getting hyped!"
"Flame Lance, charge!"
"Heavenly Fire, unsheathe!"
Facing Cocolia's world-ending attack, Stelle and Caelus showed no fear. On the contrary, their excitement flared. Their counterattack also slammed perfectly into the rhythm of "Wildfire."
The Flame Lance tore through the air, merging with the blazing firelight that erupted from Caelus's hands. The two attacks combined into a crimson torrent that rushed skyward, smashing fiercely into the descending Stellaron weapon.
The moment the two forces collided, the chorus of "Wildfire" exploded like a volcanic eruption—
[Pain will come with the blade!]
Innumerable golden cracks spiderwebbed across the surface of the colossal lance. High above, Cocolia's floating figure trembled, but she did not retreat. Instead, she spread her arms wider, and a storm of smaller twisted spikes poured down from the clouds like metallic rain.
"Scraps of the old world... you dare contend with the will of the Stellaron?" Her voice overlapped and echoed amidst the increasingly passionate drumbeats, as if countless versions of her were whispering in unison.
Seele's form flickered between the shadows, her scythe drawing a phantom arc of violet light as she precisely severed several spikes just before they could impact the ground.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Whether by coincidence or design, Seele's every evasive maneuver and every deadly slash landed squarely on the beat. It wasn't just her; the attacks of the entire group had fallen into a strange, violent harmony with the music.
"Perfect timing!" Stelle shouted, a manic grin on her face as she spun her Flame Lance into a fiery wheel. "Now it's our turn—!"
Caelus didn't speak, but the same fiery light burned in his eyes. He made a grasping motion with both hands, and threads of intensely white flame condensed from the void, unfolding into a pair of almost tangible wings of light behind him.
[Aha: Ahahahaha! Yes, yes, just like that! Make the movements even more chaotic! Make even Destiny miss the beat!]
[Aha: Fighting while hitting the beat... now that's truly entertaining.]
Of course, the song could not last forever. As the final segment of "Wildfire" faded into the wind and snow, a figure appeared without warning, materializing in the space between Cocolia and the Trailblazers.
"Alright," Leon said, clapping his hands softly. He offered a gentle smile. "This show ends here."
"Benefactor."
The ice crystals encasing Cocolia rapidly dissolved. The monstrous, non-human form of the Mother of Falsehood receded like a tide, revealing her original appearance. She bowed slightly toward Leon.
Leon raised his hand and made a casual grabbing motion. A Stellaron, circulating with a strange, eerie light, floated out from Cocolia's chest and landed obediently in his palm.
[Stellaron: Master, how was my acting? Was I convincing enough?]
Everyone: "..."?
Seeing the universe-destroying cancer of worlds act like a sycophantic pet, everyone was struck dumb.
"W-wait a minute..." March 7th stared at the respectful Cocolia, then at the fawning Stellaron, her mind utterly failing to process the situation. "Cocolia called you 'benefactor'? And why is the Stellaron behaving like that...? Leon, what exactly did you do?!"
'Could Leon be the mastermind?' Seele's body went rigid, and she subconsciously tried to pull Bronya behind her.
"Seele, relax," Bronya said, gently pressing a hand on her arm. Her eyes were filled with a deep apology. "Later... I will explain everything."
"Huh?!" Seele was now completely bewildered.
"I get it!" Stelle suddenly slapped her fist into her palm, a look of dawning realization on her face. "Bro, you had Belobog under your control from the very start, right? Cocolia and the others were all just acting according to a script you gave them!"
Leon: "!!!"
"Who are you?!" he demanded, deliberately putting on a stern face. "To see through the truth so instantly... Get out of Stelle's body!"
"Ahhh, the Stellaron controlled me! Help, help me—" Stelle immediately clutched her heart and dramatically collapsed to the ground, her performance a masterpiece of over-the-top theatrics.
Everyone: "..."
"So..." Welt pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his steady voice cutting through the confusion. "After you separated from us, you went straight to Qlipoth Fort and took control of the Stellaron."
He paused, his gaze sharp. "Everything that followed—including Cocolia's 'betrayal,'Bronya's'struggle,'and even this decisive battle—was a'script' you wrote. Just as Elio does for the Stellaron Hunters."
"This was all done to ensure the Astral Express crew's Trailblaze experience wasn't ruined, while also preserving as much of Jarilo-VI's strength as possible."
Leon nodded with a smile, acknowledging the deduction. "Otherwise, either you would lose the meaning of this journey, or Belobog... would shed far too much innocent blood."
March 7th opened her mouth, but no words came out. She was completely speechless.
"Alright, the story is over." Leon turned and walked slowly toward the cliff edge of Everwinter Peak. Cocolia's gaze followed him, her eyes also turning toward the sky.
"I say, let the ice and snow dissipate, and let all things revive..."
Leon raised his hand and lightly drew a line across the frozen heavens. A warm, golden light flowed from his fingertip. It began as a stream, then surged like a river, finally transforming into a pillar of light that connected heaven and earth, shooting straight into the sky.
The perpetual clouds were gently, yet firmly, pushed aside.
The temperature began to rise at a clearly perceptible rate.
The ancient glaciers began to slowly melt under everyone's astonished gaze.
The subtle sounds of cracking ice scattered across the land, like the first pitter-patter of spring rain, gracing this territory that had been sealed in ice for seven hundred years.
Light descended.
Topaz, who had been following Leon and was currently holding Numby, felt her jaw drop.
'Wait, my guy...'she thought, her mind reeling.'You're an Emanator?'
[Leon: Not that weak.]
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