I am a mindless machine.

The setting sun's eyes widened in panic as she shouted loudly, disregarding her rapidly fading life force, and hurriedly pulled Yun You, who was lying on the ground, into her arms. Although the white-haired girl's body still retained a high temperature, rapidly burning her skin, she didn't care at all.

Compared to the excruciating pain in my heart right now, what is the pain of being burned?

"...Sunset."

"What is it, Lord Yu—wait a moment, I'll be right there...!!"

"—Stop it...you can't save me."

Yunyou strained to activate the last remaining nerve connection, constructing a cooling technique. She raised her battered right hand with trembling hands, just as she had done back in the vampire town, gently stroking the delicate, tear-streaked face of the setting sun.

"—! Even so...!!"

The petite girl did not choose to stop the spell; she had never intended to stop in the first place. As the caster, she was well aware that no matter how hard she tried, she could not save Yun You—yet she stubbornly continued to expend her own life force to cast the spell.

Since Yunyou is already doomed—what's the point of her living alone?

It would be better to say a few more words in these final moments.

Through blurry tears, the setting sun gave Yun You a mischievous smile, as if to say, "Lord Yun, even if you die, I'll be with you. Don't even think about leaving me behind." It looked as if it had won.

but.

"Sunset—you must survive—because the game isn't over yet."

"The next move... will be yours to make."

Yun You, however, spoke in a calm tone that felt all too familiar to her, uttering words that could have been the final straw that broke the girl's spirit.

This should have been an impossible and unreasonable request, but Xiyang had already used the spell. It was an irreversible spell, like the dead cannot be brought back to life.

But as if by telepathy, Xiyang instantly understood what Yunyou meant by those words.

Yunyou directly withstood that unparalleled and terrifying torrent and copied it, allowing the machine to retrieve the necessary data at any time to create the [True Scripture: Star Killer].

But apart from that—that imaginary space is connected to the energy channels inside her body, although the Divine Strike could only retain a small amount of energy when it passed through this veil. But even that tiny amount of power was enough to form the Divine Essence.

Therefore, the girl had only one goal.

Arthas is indeed the strongest, and if he had existed at the moment the Star Grail appeared, it would have automatically fallen into his hands as the strongest. But—what if he possessed the power to deceive the entire world even for a fleeting moment?

If the world defines Althu as the strongest—then let's use even more deceptive methods to distort that perception—by using god-like power, in the instant the Star Grail appears, let the entire world recognize him as the strongest.

This game is already checkmated.

"Waaah... I don't want to..."

The setting sun seemed to weep softly, its tears falling onto Yun You, only to evaporate into steam in the intense heat. She clung tightly to Yun You, screaming like a spoiled little girl, "Lord You is a big liar! You promised me a happy ending, but this situation—I don't want it!!"

"........."

Yunyou remained silent.

Put yourself in her shoes; if Xiyang had died, she probably wouldn't have been able to continue living either.

Conversely, from her perspective, she also couldn't accept the sunset dying alongside her. Just like the sixteen-year promise between Xiaolongnu and Yang Guo at Broken Heart Cliff in "The Return of the Condor Heroes," even knowing that such a choice would hurt the other, she was helpless.

The power of the spell was almost exhausted, and she could feel her consciousness drifting away once again.

"...Sunset...I haven't answered the question you asked me before, have I?"

"Waaah...?"

Suddenly, Yun You spoke softly, interrupting Xi Yang's sobs. The girl looked at Yun You through teary eyes, her mind a complete mess. She could only let out a subconscious sob.

Then—she felt her lips being sealed.

It seemed as if a cooling spell had been desperately applied; instead of being hot, the thin lips had a cool sensation and a faint fragrance.

"I'm so happy to have met you—sunset... I love you too."

Yun You whispered this softly in the stunned girl's ear, then lowered her eyes. Her body could no longer support her and she fell backward.

"...I understand...This is the final task you've given me. I will definitely complete it, Lord Yu..."

The continuous sobbing stopped, and the setting sun embraced the girl who had fallen backward. Tears still clung to her face, but her expression had changed.

As if afraid of hurting the girl who seemed to be fast asleep, she gently rested her head against it.

"No... Yuu."

Then, it extended its sharp fangs and bit down on the spot it had become familiar with over the past few days.

For the first time in his life, and also against the person he loved most, he went hunting.

The Blood-Red Sunset (Part 1)

The sky was a murky, reddish color.

A torrent of light carrying the power to destroy the world carved the ground into a completely flat plain. The blue and white spirit remains that originally covered it all melted and evaporated, as if all the cover-ups had been wiped away, revealing its true, pitch-black appearance.

It was a lifeless, bleak darkness devoid of any possibility of life.

Such a violent energy vortex should have triggered an equally terrifying and massive storm of spirit remains. But it didn't. Under the power of that terrifying force, this place instead became like the eye of a typhoon, with all living beings within dozens of miles perishing... Utter silence descended.

In the center of this silent space was a black-haired girl kneeling on the ground, embracing a figure in her arms.

She gently set the figure in her arms down, then stood up. Her tear-dried eyes looked up at the sky, her cloudy, purplish-red eyes dull and lifeless.

It was as if someone had taken away my soul along with it.

"........."

Given the abilities of vampires, let alone gods, even absorbing a single drop of blood from a Skywing would cause them to evaporate instantly due to the sheer size of their souls. While they possess an air of elegance, they are incapable of reaching the pinnacle of existence. Even that genius from centuries ago was merely a weakling who manipulated higher races through clever deception, winning through cunning.

Therefore, no vampire has ever truly obtained such power.

Illusion magic, after undergoing a qualitative change and reaching the level of a god, is more powerful than anyone could imagine.

The girl could feel the sweet soul she had just absorbed flowing through her blood. Endless energy surged within her. Conversely, judging solely from her outward appearance, she was now indistinguishable from a human.

Like a ghost dwelling in the darkness.

At that moment, a person wearing a black cloak appeared. He traversed space and appeared beside the girl.

"[Transfer] Successor—this is something the guide has given you—"

His voice—no, it should be said that his mechanical tone made the girl feel incredibly familiar and nostalgic.

Even though only a few minutes have passed, it feels like a very long time has gone by.

"【Dian Kai】——.0000——True Classic·Star Killer——I entrust it to you."

As the man finished speaking, a small tower-like structure appeared, its massive gun barrels pointing straight at the ground.

It just stood there quietly, waiting for someone to pull the trigger.

After saying this, the unfamiliar Machine Racer silently passed through space again and disappeared from the spot. Perhaps he knew that even if he stood aside without saying anything, as long as he, as a Machine Racer, existed, he would stir up the despair in the girl's heart.

Yunyou is still lying to the side.

After the machine-like creature left, the girl stared blankly at the huge wooden stake stuck in the ground.

If she just gently presses the trigger in front of her now, this weapon will shoot all the information (power) that Yun You gained at the cost of her life toward the ground, through the Elf Corridor, and make the Star Cup, the conceptual device that can control all things in the world, appear.

And if she simply operates as Yun You instructed—she can become the sole god of this planet without suffering any harm. Just as she had dreamed of... achieving the world peace she desired without ever killing a single person in her lifetime.

He never killed anyone in his entire life...?

How ironic.

Just moments ago, didn't she kill her beloved with her own hands? Lacking the power to bring her back to life, she could only watch helplessly as her life vanished before her eyes. How is this any different from murder?

Why...?

Where, when, and what heinous crime did she commit to deserve such an end?

In this kind of world... not killing is a sin, not robbing is a sin... even being kind is a sin, right?

Why?! Why take everything away from her? All she did was... not want others to get hurt.

—Why does this garbage-like world... even exist?

Such doubts kept swirling in her mind.

If she had been stronger—if she had overcome her weakness to drink blood earlier, then Yunyou wouldn't have died.

"Hehe...haha...hahahahahaha...!"

The girl couldn't help but laugh out loud. Her soft, childlike voice, however, sounded like a madman, sending chills down one's spine.

Her tears had all dried up, completely dried up, and there would never be anyone in this world who could make her cry again.

This world took everything from her.

So, all she can do now is laugh.

"Hahahahaha..."

"....................."

Gradually, the girl's laughter stopped. It was as if she could no longer deceive herself.

She remained silent, looking down at the white-clad girl lying quietly on the ground.

If Yu were still alive, she certainly wouldn't want to see her like this.

I'm sorry, Yu—it seems I'm no longer able to fulfill this final promise.

"—Replacement."

Then, she murmured softly, a faint glimmer of light flashing in her gray eyes.

Then, two figures suddenly appeared in front of her.

—There was a human with white hair and a machine with long black hair.

The distance of tens of thousands of miles is now just a matter of a moment for the girl.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! What's wrong with you now... Yunyou!?"

Suddenly appearing in the air, he crashed to the ground. Riku, enduring the pain of his body being corroded and nearly falling apart by the black ash, quickly surveyed his surroundings. Then, he naturally saw the white-clad girl lying on the ground, her body mangled and now appearing to be fast asleep, and the girl standing beside her. A look of astonishment crossed his face.

"............." Hughie grasped his hand, slowly shook her head at him, and showed a sad expression.