Why play in a band if you don't form one for life?

Shizi responded with a bright sword light.

It was as if the darkness of the entire world was rushing towards them!

Shiko and Nana supported each other from back to back, chopped off piece of filthy creation after piece, and headed towards the origin of all darkness.

The origin did not just stand there and wait.

It let out a roar that shattered the space and instantly arrived in front of the two people!

Nana was well prepared and blocked it with a sword, but endless light gathered on the tip of Shizi's sword and slashed towards His neck!

Hit the target!

But only a little trace is left!

No blood flowed from the wound, and the surging darkness slowly repaired it.

Its attack had already arrived, and its claws were burning with corrosive mist, melting Nana's skin. She resisted, and with a jolt of sword energy, she distanced herself, and her injuries began to slowly recover.

In this tiny gap, the black tide has completely isolated them from the dome.

However, the spiritual support from there still came intermittently, becoming strength for her and Nana.

Nana's sword energy turned into a storm, stirring up time and space; and Shizi's attack was like a tide, endless, and one sword created all things!

But no matter how much of the black tide evaporated, it was constantly replenished. It was obviously impossible to fight against the filth of the entire world, because it was the mediocrity of evil accumulated over thousands of years in the history of human civilization. The demon wolf rushed through their attacks again and again, leaving wounds, but every attack was aimed at the lives of the two. They were unable to defend themselves and could only keep dodging.

Nana and Shizi looked at each other, and Shizi immediately understood. The two separated, and Nana deliberately exposed a flaw, leaving a hole in her left arm, attracting the magic wolf to pounce on her, but the two suddenly turned around, and Shizi dropped his sword, and demigod-level thorns radiated from his wrist, entangled him for a moment!

Nana didn't miss this opportunity, and slashed down with both swords at full force, heading for one of the forelimbs -

One of the demon wolf's front limbs was broken off at the root.

Shi Zi was delighted.

However, Nana's pupils suddenly shrank.

The power of this demon wolf is, in every way, identical to the ones she had encountered in previous re-enactments.

However, she seemed to have sensed an equally powerful aura coming from the other side.

She looked towards the dome for a moment.

When the battle here began, the black tide also attacked the dome.

The crudely built dome did not last long against the black tide, which was far stronger than the previous one.

In the shadow of the church, everyone soon heard the brutal sound of steel being torn. What shone through the wounds in the iron was not the long-lost sunlight, but dirty mud.

Monsters are coming from all directions!

Without the need for Youshina's command, all the girls who were good at close combat took the initiative to step forward and each took charge of an area.

In the sanctuary filled with heavy bass and residual light, they fought on the wind transformed by the music. Countless times when they were almost unable to resist, countless thorns took their place, preventing any filth from seeping in. Taking advantage of these opportunities, the supporters in the rear gave them supplies and let them return to their positions.

Yukina handled her duties well.

She didn't expect to relieve the pressure on the other side. What was gathered here was the filth of the entire world, and she couldn't delay it.

However, if we only protect everyone from this level of attack—

The towering shadow of the church is as still as a mountain.

However, in one instant, she felt an impossible existence.

The wolf head embodying death appeared in front of the black tide.

impossible.

Has the defense line over there been breached?

But she could still hear the aftermath of the battle coming from over there.

What's going on here?

She gathered her not-yet-mature demigod power to resist the black thorns eroding from the black tide.

However, the wolf head's pupils flashed red.

The phantom of the church suddenly seemed to collapse!

And below the stage, the bricks and tiles collapsed, revealing a field of red spider lilies. Before Youkina could react, black water rushed in and completely destroyed the place.

She didn't know what was going on, but she felt that there was no way out.

"Back off!"

She shouted to everyone and burned her own life at the same time, and countless blood-red thorns filled all the gaps.

But it was too late.

As soon as the blood thorns formed, they were torn apart by an unknown force. This force fed back to Youxina, and she spat out a mouthful of blood, unable to continue for a while.

Then, she saw Clo standing in the front. Before she could retreat, the demon wolf stretched out its front legs and grabbed Clo's head in mid-air, and it shattered.

Her mind went blank.

"ah--------!!!!!"

She heard herself and Maya shout out at the same time.

Maya's body was burning with flames as she rushed towards the wolf head. The wolf head let out a low growl, and the invisible space shattered. Her body shattered like foam, and her blood and Clo mixed together.

Youxi's strength continued to burn, her life burned, everything she had burned, but all her struggles seemed so powerless under the wolf's head. She could only watch helplessly as all the people she wanted to protect fell before her eyes.

She watched as Hina's leap between souls was forcibly interrupted, and her eyes were dull when she fell into Sayo's arms.

She saw CHU?'s mecha destroyed from the inside, and PAREO ended his cry with the broken spear.

She saw Kita guarding Ichiri tightly until they were both swallowed by the black tide.

Shi Zi couldn't see anything.

But she felt it.

She abandoned the battle, ignored the attacks behind her, and burned herself, flying towards the dome with all her strength.

Just then, the wolf's fang pierced her chest.

Everything became quiet.

Chapter 68: Encore

The stage with nothing was divided by three rays of light.

One is bright yellow, one is purple, and one is pure white light.

Nana lost an arm and half of her leg, and was using a long sword to support her body; Youxi's entire body was translucent, and tears and blood were flowing from her eyes; Shiko was the only one who was intact, but she was also covered in blood. She stood on the edge of the stage, looking at the ground quietly.

On the ground were the corpses of twenty-seven girls.

The faces that were smiling a day ago, the limbs that were playing music a day ago, the bodies that were dancing a day ago, now all have lost their color, mixed on the ground, and gradually lost their temperature.

Apart from the three of them, no one else survived.

“Why…why…why…” Nana’s body was shaking, her eyes trembling, and she kept asking, “Why are there two identical beings…”

The giraffe looked at them with compassion. "This is a symbol. Beyond logic, beyond rules. He is the darkness of humanity, and must be stronger than you as individuals. Only I, who symbolize the light of humanity, can confront Him head-on in all dimensions."

“Then why didn’t you take action!” Youxina’s voice was hoarse, and she stared at the giraffe, “Do you have to watch everyone die in front of me before you come out to explain? Do you think you are so great?!”

Her figure trembled with the roar and was about to disappear.

"The power I infiltrated is just a little bit. It can only be used to its fullest effect when the shining resonance reaches its peak," the giraffe's voice remained calm. "If you use it before that, it will be a waste."

"What should we do..." Nana fell into despair. She collapsed on the ground and let the blood flow out of her wound. "Since we can never fight Him head-on..."

"Perform it again." Shizi, who had been silent all this time, spoke.

"What?" Yukina and Nana looked over.

There was no expression on Shizi's face.

Whether it's the despair of losing everyone or the pain of being powerless, there is nothing.

She just looked at the giraffe and repeated the word: "Encore, let's."

"We?" Nana noticed this word.

"That's right." Shizi said, "Everyone, let's go back in time together, back to one year ago, when we started in this world."

"Together?" Nana looked around, "But everyone has already..."

Whether it was the flaming path in the Garden of Eden or what Sheba created off-stage in the desert, they no longer existed.

Everyone is dead, completely dead.

However, Shizi raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Nana and Yukina's eyes changed.

They were standing on a steel platform built above the sea of clouds.

The eternal sunset shone in their eyes, and the stratospheric wind tugged at their hair.

The surroundings were covered with red spider lilies planted on steel, boundless and extending to the end of the void.

Twenty-seven girls who were supposed to be dead were standing in the sea of flowers, still not realizing what was happening.

Shizi sat on the crystal coffin in the middle of the sea of flowers, watching everything calmly.

“…Huh?” Youxina controlled herself from being torn apart by the strong wind, and was totally unprepared for the scene in front of her.

Even Nana is like this.

Shizi stretched out his hand to touch the ends of his bloodstained hair, and slowly explained: "I never expected those fire roads outside from the beginning. I can destroy those things quickly, let alone the real gods. Only by setting it in an absolutely safe place - such as here, in my mental space, is the truly safe option."

She patted the coffin beneath her. Nana looked over and found a girl who looked exactly like Shizi sleeping inside. "This place was created because of her illusion. The giraffe was able to infiltrate here because of the existence of this space. We won't be discovered or disturbed here. It's absolutely safe."

"At the same time..." She looked at the giraffe beside her, "Everyone has been resurrected in my mind, so they are highly bound to me, right? Now, it's not impossible for you to act again with me and everyone else, right?"

"Wait——" Nana suddenly realized, "Could it be that you have already thought of this——"

Before they parted, Nana heard Shiko's last words:

"It wouldn't be a happy ending if we didn't bring Ms. Marina along."

It's just a matter of a moment.

Feeling nothing, when he opened his eyes again, Shizi saw himself sitting in a room.

Was the encore a success?

Have I returned to a year ago?

Looking around, this seems to be a locker room.

The surrounding decorations and furniture, whether it is the wardrobe, mirror, or light bulbs, do not seem to be my own work, but are the same as in reality.

She recognized where this was.

This is the CiRCLE dressing room.

She looked down and saw her outfit.

Homura Akemi cosplay costume.

She suddenly laughed.

"Haha...hahahaha..."

In the huge dressing room, only her laughter echoed.

What a coincidence, I returned to this time and was wearing the Homura Akemi cosplay costume.

What is this? Dark humor?

When I put on this dress as a joke, I never thought that I would really be reincarnated.

However, since I was wearing this, it was when I had just stayed in CiRCLE for one night and was about to leave for my first hunt.

She felt it quietly.

The mental image space in the brain is still there, the other self is still sleeping, and the giraffe is staying there well.

The Fire Path still exists, but everyone else has disappeared.