Fool's Library

"After a full epoch of slumber, the Judgment Star Cup has been completely absorbed by me and has truly become a power that I can control at will."

"In the realm of the mind, after the Star Cup and the embodiment of the will of Heaven dissipated..."

"I am now the master of the Judgment Star Cup, the Judgment Angel in my prime."

"With the added combat power from the trial sequence, if I were facing those old Denges who have fallen into a deep sleep in the long river of history, I feel like I could take on three of them in one go without any problem."

"Is that so?"

Last's voice paused slightly.

"Xiao Ai, let me finish what I have to say."

He spoke slowly.

"If possible, I hope that when the great battle in the capital breaks out, Xiao Ai, you won't go into battle yet..."

"Once the situation becomes clear, you can then decide whether to intervene on the battlefield as part of our reserve force."

This is a reasonable decision.

Even though Amys has truly ascended to become an angel, and even though she wields the "Judgment" sequence, which is arguably the most destructive and capable of direct combat among all sequence ranks.

However, Amys was not a true superhuman.

Before being caught up in the catastrophe of spacetime collapse, Amys was just an ignorant country girl who had grown up in Canaan since childhood, never seen the scenery outside the mountains, and had never been in contact with the world that belonged to the extraordinary.

After time-traveling to the Sixth Era, Amys quickly became a member of the "Artificial Angel Project," remaining in a deep sleep and self-sealing until today.

Despite her angelic status, she had never truly trained or fought like an extraordinary being who rose from humble beginnings.

Compared to Rast, Gray, Hiltina, Cisel, and even the legends and angels of the tomb guardians... these extraordinary individuals who have experienced countless battles between life and death, who have truly emerged from trials of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and who have long since etched fighting and killing into the very instincts of their souls.

Amys is undoubtedly an exception among angels, an anomaly among anomalies.

Even those Night Travelers at Starry University, in terms of combat experience and killing skills, are undoubtedly much stronger than Amys.

If one holds an absolute advantage in position, it goes without saying that one can crush the enemy with absolute power.

However, if the two sides are evenly matched and their levels are roughly equal... then the difference in combat experience could very likely lead to unexpected accidents.

And Rust absolutely did not want to see such an accident happen to Amys.

However, the moment such a thought arose in my mind...

The next moment, Rust saw the blonde girl put the cutlery in her hand into the sink, then slowly turn around and stare at him silently.

Then, she lowered her head sadly and said:

Why would you say something like that to me?

“Because, Xiao Ai, you lack practical experience as an extraordinary being… I’m worried that something might happen to you when you confront other angels head-on.”

"Lust, I'm really getting angry."

She walked quickly to Rust, her sky-blue eyes flashing with a complex expression.

There was anger in it, but more than that, there was something deeper, something that was hard to explain.

"You mean, you want me to go to that dangerous place with Miss Hiltina and the others, to face those tomb guardian angels and demigods who are full of malice towards you... and then I'll wait for you alone in a safe place and watch over you?"

"You know perfectly well what my answer to this question will be."

She took a deep breath.

"If I were the kind of person who, out of fear of danger and death, and knowing my own vulnerability, I could accept this choice."

"Like those female protagonists in Dragon Quest games, who, while the hero ventures deep into the Demon Tower to challenge the final demon king, can only stay alone in the safe zone at the rear, silently praying and offering blessings, and then serve as decorative figures in the epilogue of the game's ending cinematic..."

“Therefore, from the very beginning, I will not accept Grey’s suggestion to become a member of the artificial angel project.”

Amys stared directly into Rust's eyes.

Sky-blue eyes met dark pupils at an extremely close distance. The girl's gaze was usually so gentle, but at this moment it was like a burning flame, unyielding.

“If you, Rust, were to leave and never return, I would do the same to myself.”

"Because for me, not only has the meaning of living been lost... but I also cannot forgive myself for not standing with you when you faced a powerful enemy, but instead just staying in the same place and waiting."

After she finished speaking, Amys moved a few inches closer to Rust.

She gently placed the fingers of her right hand on the center of the boy's chest, a slight smile appearing on her lips.

And the look in those beautiful sky-blue eyes, which had been filled with sadness and anger, softened once again.

"To this day, my promise remains valid."

"If we really have to desert, then the two of us will escape together... We'll just hide in the Night World, in this newly built Canaan town, until the end of time. No matter what happens outside, even if the world is destroyed or a great flood occurs, it will have nothing to do with us."

"Or they could simply abandon their faith and choose to side with the tomb keepers or the ancient gods, it doesn't matter."

“If you want to do this, then I’m willing to be a cowardly deserter with you.”

She opened her arms and gently embraced Rust, pressing her face against Rust's chest.

The subtle warmth from skin-to-skin contact is transmitted silently, carrying the temperature of the heart.

"However... I think that in the end, you, Rust, will not make the choice to run away."

"Because, as you just admitted yourself... to this day, the real you is still that reckless and passionate little boy living in the town of Canaan, yearning to become a champion of justice."

"It doesn't matter who you lose to, but you can never lose to yourself."

Amys's voice echoed in Last's ears at an extremely close distance.

That is the echo of time, as if it has been wandering from the Canaan town two hundred years ago to the present day, never ceasing.

"Besides, deep within the starry sea, your sister Grey is still waiting for you."

"And in the real world, in the Western Continent... there is still Miss Hiltina, fighting to protect our future, isn't there?"

"Although I have not yet been able to actually meet Miss Hiltina, I have never seen what she looks like."

“But I think Miss Hiltina must be a very beautiful woman… After all, I’ve never heard of a woman who could earn a 9.5 rating from you, Rust.”

Amise took a few steps back and gently stroked Rust's cheek with her fair hand.

“In the past, I did envy Miss Hiltina and Sister Grey... because they, who shared similar ideals with you, were undoubtedly more compatible with you, Rust.”

"But now, I no longer have such thoughts."

The girl paused slightly.

"I certainly don't have the same grand and lofty ideals as my sister Grey, nor do I uphold them with all my life."

"I certainly don't have the courage and awareness to use the holy sword in my hand to cut through all obstacles and sever all distractions like Miss Hiltina, nor the decisiveness of a chariot."

"but--"

"Only in this matter."

"Only at this moment, the feelings I have for you are no less than theirs."

She whispered in Rust's ear.

"What they can do, I can do too."

Even if it means dying for you.

Listening to the girl's whispers in his ear, Last felt himself emptying his mind once again.

This was the umpteenth time he had been moved by Amys's sincerity and strength.

Looking back now, the reason he was able to find his original intentions again from the long time loop was because of the girl in front of him who always made him let down his guard.

"oh, I understand now."

Last nodded slightly and said nothing more.

All they have to do now is wait quietly for tomorrow to arrive.

It wasn't the tense waiting before a major battle, but rather a hopeful anticipation of that day of reunion.

Chapter 267 Guardianship: The Future Between You and Me

Beijing, United Hospital.

The afternoon sunlight slanted through the treetops, casting dappled shadows in the ward.

Hiltina gently closed the door, then sat down by the bed and quietly watched the sleeping boy on the hospital bed.

Compared to two years ago when he was still a Night Traveler at Starry University, fighting alongside Hiltina in the historical echoes of the Night World, the boy's hair was now noticeably longer, with his dark, tousled hair slightly obscuring his eyes... Although she couldn't see his eyes because he was asleep, Hiltina knew that the boy's eyes, like his hair, were a deep black.

Perhaps it was due to the hospital's meticulous care, and the combined use of various methods, including medical technology, alchemical potions, the healing abilities of the Abundance sequence, and healing-type Nightblades.

His complexion had improved considerably; although still pale, it had regained some color, a stark contrast to when Hiltina first saw him unconscious two years ago—his face was deathly pale from blood loss, as if he were about to die at any moment.

Hiltina gently reached out and slipped her hand into the pristine white sheets.

Then, she quietly took the boy's hand.

The other person's body temperature is transmitted through skin-to-skin contact, carrying a faint warmth.

"It's so quiet here today... It's completely different from when I usually come to see you."

Hiltina gazed out the window at the tranquil and peaceful cityscape bathed in bright sunlight.

"My coronation ceremony will be held in a few hours."

"The reason why the people are so quiet now is probably because they are waiting for this ceremony to begin."

"In your words, this is what's called 'the calm before the storm.'"

Hiltina smiled.

Having spent so much time with Rust, she had also picked up a lot of new vocabulary and idioms from his presence.

For example, phrases like "the old gravediggers" and "curiosity killed the ferret" are words she acquired after meeting the boy.

"After the coronation ceremony is completed."

“My father… will then completely abdicate the throne.”

"And I will truly take over the position of the ruler of a country, become the Empress of the Empire, and at the same time... also bear the weight of the crown and the weight of the destiny of a country with hundreds of millions of subjects."

She closed her eyes slightly.

And so I felt the warmth transmitted through our tightly clasped hands.

Those hands were no different from the hands of the boy who had wrapped around her back and held her tightly in the icy waters of Deep Blue Harbor in the past; they still carried an indescribable warmth.

"Although I said before that I was greedy and wanted it all..."

"Whether it's the royal duty, the ideals of the shore guards, or you, Rust, I'm unwilling to give up any of it..."

"However, when that day actually arrives, I can't help but feel a little hesitant."

"After all, I was just a princess before, the future heir."

"Compared to handling political affairs, managing military affairs, and deciding the future of an entire country... based on my past life experience, it is actually easier for me to simply cut down all the enemies with a sword."

"However, once I truly become the empress of a country, I will never be as willful as before... I will have to think things through carefully on many occasions, instead of just thinking about things on a whim."

"This is the path I decided to take two years ago when I made up my mind, and these difficulties and obstacles were to be expected."

"Therefore, I will not regret making this choice..."

"Even so, to this day, I still often worry that I haven't done well enough, or that some details could have been handled better or more thoroughly, and that I haven't achieved true perfection."

Hiltina smiled with a hint of self-deprecation.

"In that sense, I was actually too weak at times."

"After all, such hesitation and indecision are things that a qualified king should never show."

"Everyone has a completely different view on the concept of being a king, the so-called 'royal way'."

Historically, some tyrants believed that "only the proud and arrogant can be kings."

He viewed "human beings" as beasts who could not celebrate life without sacrifice.

"Some rulers believe that a true king is one who shows the world his life and lives a more exciting life than anyone else."

"Only a person who gathers the wishes of all his subjects and becomes their goal and direction deserves to be called a king."

Her voice paused slightly.