Similar clothing, a similar face, the same hair color, and the same golden eyes. At this moment, everyone from the Astral Express stood frozen in place.
"Long time no see, everyone from the Astral Express."
Behind Caelus, a twisted, dark, and chaotic sun hung high in the sky.
The Interastral Peace Corporation's fleet had just entered the Asdana system when it suddenly detected a terrifying energy reaction above Penacony.
Moreover, according to the energy readings, it was mixed with terrifying, nearly explosive, and extremely unstable energy from the Path of Nihility.
"Retreat!"
As the highest-ranking Corporation official on the scene, Jade, one of the Stonehearts from the Strategic Investment Department, ordered the fleet to evacuate the Asdana system without hesitation. No, to get away from here immediately.
"It's you! I remember now. We met at Herta Space Station!"
Stelle, March 7th, and Dan Heng suddenly recalled their brief encounter with Caelus at Herta Space Station.
Even Welt remembered that this person seemed to have boarded the Astral Express and spoken with him about the Trailblazer.
"Who exactly are you?"
Stelle asked.
"Me?"
Listening to the music the system was playing specifically for him, filled with the oppressive aura of a boss, Caelus said slowly,
"I could list many identities, but for you, I only have one. I am the collection of the many possibilities that were not chosen and were discarded."
"Everyone from the Astral Express, as expected, you defeated Sunday and destroyed the possibility of him ascending to godhood. For the sake of the future, for the sake of continuing the Trailblaze, and for the wish to let all living beings welcome a better tomorrow, you steeled your resolve and defeated him. Originally, I should applaud you and record your victory, but unfortunately, I must also participate in this story, so now, it is the second round."
Nihility transformed into a great sun hanging overhead, looking down at the living beings on the ground. There was no emotion in his eyes, as if he were the most indifferent god in this world.
Remembrance froze everything. The will of the entire Asdana system was fixed at this moment, and the awakened beings could not move, but they all cast their gazes toward the arena of this decisive battle.
Abundance took root and sprouted. Countless plants grew from the collapsing arena, spreading toward the firmament and shaping a massive battlefield.
Among those countless plants, some kind of eerie power seemed to be surging. Eyes, complex and filled with various emotions, opened one after another. There was even some unknown existence in the air, peeking, grinning, and whispering in their ears, making them irritable and restless.
A huge purple hourglass slowly appeared in the air. Then, as the sand flowed backward, the previously exhausted Astral Express crew suddenly felt all their fatigue, all their pain, and even their depleted Path energy fully replenished.
Afterward, snowflakes made of ash fell continuously from the sky, as if volcanoes were erupting in the distance and bringing thick volcanic ash to this arena. The surrounding temperature kept rising, and as the dust fell on their skin, it even caused a sharp, stinging sensation.
Yet in this place, which should have fallen into chaos because of conflicting forces, there was a strange sense of Equilibrium. This subtle balance allowed multiple powers to achieve perfect Equilibrium here.
Sunday's body slowly floated up and landed on a distant spectator stand, while Caelus floated up from where he stood, looking down at the group from the Astral Express standing in the arena.
"I want to create a beautiful dream in Penacony that can be chosen. Those who are so desperate that they have given up all hope for real life can enter that beautiful dream. In that dream, they will live an absolutely beautiful and happy life, but as the price, they will die inside it and become fuel for the dream's growth."
"And I have set two trials within the dream. Only those who pass both trials will truly enter the third, eternal dream."
"If the dream continues to grow, one day it will cover the entire universe, giving every corner of this galaxy the right to choose. And by then, this dream, having grown enough, will make those who oppress all living beings and force them to seek an empty dream even at the cost of their own lives pay the price they deserve."
"I have defined a bottom line for the universe. I want to make karma a visible, real existence. So now, everyone from the Astral Express, are you going to stop me?"
The Spiral of Contradiction appeared in Caelus's hand at this moment, the power contained within it constantly rotating, even tearing the surrounding space apart.
"Your actions are wrong. You are inducing others to give up on reality sooner, to accept spiritual bliss while abandoning their existence in reality!" Welt said.
"Once people know that such a shortcut exists, they will only give up faster. They will no longer think about persevering and working hard. More people will think that it is no big deal to just throw themselves into the dream and give up everything they have in reality. People will only become weaker!" Himeko said.
"I know there are many people in this world who are living very hard and difficult lives, but that is not a reason to easily give up on life. As long as people keep living, there will always be hope!" March 7th said.
"Life should not be given up so easily." Dan Heng was concise.
Caelus nodded. "Fine. Since words are useless, let the battle prove it."
Moments after his voice fell, a woman's light laughter rang out. The group from the Astral Express, preparing to fight, was instantly engulfed by Remembrance.
Welt saw the most unforgettable person in his memory, a blond man with an annoying, punchable smile on his face.
"You lost your father, but you still have me, don't you? I can completely act as your guide in life, can't I, Joachim?"
"Otto!!!"
Dan Heng saw March 7th's chest being torn open by Caelus. The longsword in the opponent's hand also sliced through Himeko's body. In the next step, the opponent appeared beside Stelle, the longsword about to descend.
"Stop!"
Stelle, on the other hand, saw the Memory Zone Meme appear suddenly once again. Firefly, who had appeared out of nowhere, was about to have her chest pierced again. Even if she knew it did not matter, even if she knew everything before her eyes might be a sudden hallucination, could she really sit idly by while this experience seemed to repeat itself?
"Firefly!"
Before March 7th's eyes, she saw another version of herself, a version of herself with pitch-black eyes, no light in them, and an umbrella in her hand.
Before Himeko's eyes appeared the Astral Express, the Astral Express from her memory that had not yet been repaired and had been sleeping for who knew how many years.
A person's obsession is the hardest thing to shake off. It was not a hallucination, nor was it a dream. It was the deepest obsession in one's heart appearing before them at this moment.
Welt, who was attacking Otto, suddenly manifested a black hole in his hand, which then knocked away the dazed March 7th.
Stelle, rushing toward the Memory Zone Meme, swung her baseball bat down mercilessly, knocking Welt to the ground.
In order to protect the Stelle in his eyes from being attacked, Dan Heng swung his spear forcefully, intending to knock that guy away or repel him. Instead, he swept away Himeko, whose eyes were filled with the image of the past Astral Express.
Everyone regained their senses in an instant, only to realize in shock that they had not attacked the phantom of their obsession, but their own companions beside them.
Dan Heng watched Himeko, who had been knocked away by him, and his entire body trembled.
Before he could react, a powerful impact hit his side, and he went flying.
Stelle looked at Welt, who had been knocked to the ground by her baseball bat, and scratched her head in embarrassment. Just as she was about to reach out to help him up, a large hand ruthlessly pressed down on her head, smashing it downward without mercy and burying Stelle's upper body directly into the soil.
As the five of them were injured, memories surged back once more, and more scenes from the past flashed before their eyes.
Cyrene smiled as she leaned against Caelus's back, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Caelus hovered high in the air, looking down at the members of the Astral Express, who had all fallen to the ground just seconds after the battle began, with icy crystals of memory spreading and growing all over their bodies.
Nihility weakened one's will, Remembrance manifested one's obsessions, Abundance interfered with one's body, Finality confused one's thoughts, time disturbed humanity's end, and Destruction drove one's thoughts to extremes.
The Third Magic of the soul allowed the soul to be permeated by pollution.
The black sun expanded and grew once more.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)