The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

The path of evil signifies suffering and darkness, hardship and a farewell to the beautiful and ordinary things of the mortal world.

Aoko possesses the joys and sorrows and personality of an ordinary person, and is attached to everything that "ordinary people" have.

No matter how much magicians craved the mystery called magic, for Aoko, the magical heritage of the Aozaki family was something cold and unreal.

However, at this moment, for the first time, Aoko felt angry at her own immaturity and ashamed of her past laziness.

This was also the first time Aoko experienced the inability of her rationality to continue, and the sense of powerlessness that arose when experience and thinking could not keep up with the gap between the huge goal and her own ability.

Even though she had only been practicing magic for a little over half a year, and even though she was originally just an ordinary girl who had lived in a world unrelated to the mysterious for fifteen years.

When the torrent of fate sweeps in, how can it make an exception for someone's immaturity and take a detour?

A compassionate fool, or a ruthless sage?

That was on the day she received the imprint, stemming from a choice between her grandfather, who gave her a chance but also destroyed her future.

This is a question she has yet to answer and has remained unresolved to this day.

[Everyone will one day encounter a situation where they must fight no matter what. If you don't want to lose what you cherish most, then strive to hone your skills before that day arrives.]

It was a few words I overheard from that boy during a rest in the Black Forest.

It turned out to be the case.

It turned out that it wasn't, as he claimed, a passage he had stumbled upon from a book.

Rather, it is the child trapped in prison who holds the conclusion called enlightenment.

I was defeated by a child, both in terms of awareness and rationality.

"What are you thinking, you piece of trash? I haven't even started playing and you're already dictating my eulogy???"

"..."

What? So that guy can hear me?

So, what I was thinking just now was accidentally transmitted to the other side through the [channel]?

"Honestly, I was planning to grind some more levels and gear before challenging the Boss, but after you arrived, not only did you attract a bunch of minions, but you also secretly went and raided the Boss's lair while everyone was sleeping. Who do you think caused this situation? So instead of wallowing in self-pity, you should take responsibility for yourself!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't expect those three golden retrievers to be that kind of thing. If you had told me beforehand, I wouldn't have gone and provoked them."

"Are you an idiot? How could those kinds of puzzles and easter eggs be clearly written in the walkthrough?"

"Even if you had just said something clear, this wouldn't have happened! You're such a withdrawn kid."

"Huh? I even gave you the secret gadget that can take you home, and you're saying I'm autistic!?"

"Besides attracting the underground river, that cat-ear headband actually has that other function? Next time, please include a proper instruction manual!"

"There won't be a next time! And stop pushing your luck, you arrogant and greedy woman! Now is the most crucial moment, so shut up and don't think nonsense. And don't recite any eulogies for me. If you cause me to mispronounce the spell and transform into the wrong form, you won't be able to go home after losing to that serpent. If you don't want to end up in hell with a monster like me, then you'd better stay on the sidelines and watch the battle!"

"Okay."

"Yes, that's more like it..."

"I will take responsibility and go to hell with you if we still lose after trying our best."

"..."

"?"

"..."

"Little believer?"

"...I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"It's too much trouble, let's talk about it all at once."

"Well, the good news is that I've finished reciting the incantation."

"What about the bad news?"

"The bad news is—thanks to what you just said, I misrecited the incantation..."

"..."

The next moment, a melodious long cry came from a more distant place above the sky, its exquisite range even clearer and more ethereal than that of orchestral music.

The mysteries beyond human comprehension hang high above the celestial realm, and for these dazzling mysteries to manifest as miracles on earth, they must be accompanied by a descent process called "descent."

Above the sea of ​​clouds, Qingzi raised her head as if sensing something, and saw a starry sky that did not exist in the darkness.

The blazing or desolate light emanating from countless celestial bodies, the twelve brilliant Milky Ways intertwined to form an infinite curtain of light, and the azure sun spread its wings and flew out from behind that curtain, finally descending upon the sky above this sacred ruin.

It was a blue-green bird bathed in blazing flames, with wingspans of thousands of miles and long phoenix feathers. It carried the sun on its body and hung above the dark ocean.

He is neither a god nor a saint, nor a creature of scales, feathers, or shells. He merely descends in a form that can be perceived by the creatures of the earth, borrowing the divine essence of the Southern Ming Vermilion Bird as he falls.

Aoko gazed at the beautiful blue creature, momentarily lost in thought, until the voice of a dejected boy surfaced in her mind.

"Ruined……"

"?"

"I was planning to transform into a giant monster, but what is this machine? I've never seen it before..."

"..."

"Forget it, let's try anything, even if it's a long shot! Let's just stick to the original plan!"

The boy's voice, coming from the other side of the channel, had a faint sob in its final notes, a mixture of self-abandonment and despair.

The instant his words fell, everything before Aoko's eyes turned into an absurd black and white, the entire world froze, along with the destructive source of energy spewed from the mouth of the ancient dragon.

The azure bird spread its wings and soared to the top of the Holy Domain's sky in an instant. With an extremely human-like movement, it raised its wings high and plucked the dark celestial body hanging high in the sky from the heavens.

Yes, literally.

Then, carrying it, it plummeted straight to the heart of the green field!

"I slammed it in!"

With a gentle and refined cry, the dark sun, driven by the bluebird, smashed Gaia's roots, along with the entire remaining sacred domain, below the horizon.

The next moment, time, which had been frozen, began to flow again, and the brilliance of the celestial collision engulfed everything.

……

Chapter 141 The Cyan Hero (Part 12)

"Okay, that's it."

Aoko carefully tied her light blue plaid scarf around Xiaoxin's neck, adjusted it meticulously to make sure it was loose and comfortable, and then announced that the job was done.

A moment later, the two emerged from the labyrinth at the bottom of the lake, seeing the light of day again, and were immediately greeted by a fairytale-like sea of ​​pale flowers.

The sun had already set by the time of the Demon Encounter, and now the moon was high in the sky.

A pale full moon hung high in the dark night sky, casting mercury-like moonlight that imprinted a solemn and dignified color on this fairytale-like sea of ​​white flowers.

Moon stars are rare.

A long time has passed since then.

Looking back on her disappearance after school, Aoko quickly estimated that it was already midnight.

The ancient dragon species and the Emerald Garden were both reduced to ashes in the celestial impact. The inherent barrier awakened by Gaia's roots was pierced from the inside, allowing the two to escape.

The labyrinthine library built at the bottom of the lake collapsed inwards as if time were flowing backwards shortly after the two stepped out of the gate, eventually disappearing completely into the deep, dark lakebed.

Beyond the library's doors, the previously open wilderness had transformed into a pale sea of ​​flowers.

Imperceptibly, everything is changing in a subtle and gradual way.

Deep down, Aoko had a premonition that the time for parting had come.

Whether it was the dazzling starry river seen just now, or the blue creature that ultimately defeated the Ancient Dragon Sacred Domain, all signs were revealing the true nature of the little believer—she was neither a fantasy species nor a divine species, but an alien species.

In other words, He was a visitor from another planet, who happened to arrive on this aquamarine star.

This explains the mystery of why Gaia's consciousness would specifically confront this child.

Astral beings, walking on the earth, are inherently a deadly poison to the planet.

As for why the child was bound here, it can be inferred from His previous words that it was simply because the wicked had ulterior motives.

After helping Xiaoxinnu pack her belongings, Qingzi stood up, circled around Him again, and carefully checked everything before nodding in satisfaction.

After that beautiful blue creature transformed back into the familiar, childlike form that Aoko knew, the plain white hunting robe with its strong Far Eastern cultural influences disappeared without a trace.

At this moment, Xiao Xinnu was wearing a moon-white robe with a unique travel style. A cyan scarf burned with harmless blue flames, fluttering gently in the evening breeze. A matching belt was properly tied around her waist, and a pale silver openwork five-pointed star pendant was worn on her chest. A silver key hung in the center of the twisted five-pointed star, and the evening breeze blew through its gaps, evoking a clear and melodious sound like wind chimes.

"So, I guess I'm still leaving?"

Amidst the sea of ​​flowers, Aoko gazed at the boy before her, her voice revealing undisguised reluctance.

"Yes." The boy nodded solemnly. "If I stay here any longer, the next time someone comes to see me off, it won't just be a planet's tentacle. In order not to implicate you, Aoko-neechan, I have to leave."

"Even though that's the truth, I still feel like it's my sister who's holding you back, and I'm so resentful."

Aoko felt a mix of emotions.

She watched the battle from the clouds the whole time and couldn't help at all. The battle between the alien species and the planetary consciousness was not something she could intervene in for the time being.

But it didn't matter. After a brief period of discouragement, Aoko's fighting spirit rose again, and the girl's indomitable nature once again dispelled the gloom.

No matter how arduous her magical training becomes, she will grow into a capable mage before the next time she has to fight, no matter what.

"It's alright. It's not Aoko-neechan's fault. It's just that I haven't grown up enough to stand on my own yet, so Aoko-neechan doesn't need to blame herself."

The girl wasn't the only one with a fighting spirit; wasn't there another child in front of her whose inner self was almost exactly the same as hers?

"Although I failed to avenge my mother this time, I am still very happy. The old hag who imprisoned me once said that a monster like me, which originated from plunder, can do nothing but kill and plunder. However, I successfully rescued Sister Qingzi this time, which proves that the old hag was completely lying to me."

"Little Nobunaga, don't listen to the nonsense of those wicked people with ulterior motives! What determines good and evil is the heart, not ability. Grandfather even identified Aoko's origin as 'destruction,' but she's still living an upright life. In your opinion, does Aoko seem like a bad person?"

“Absolutely not.” The boy shook his head firmly, then smiled sincerely. “Aoko-neechan is a kind-hearted person who is both clumsy and genius.”

"Where did you get that strange assessment?"

Faced with that frank yet subtle evaluation, Aoko didn't know how to respond, so she could only sigh and rub her forehead.

"After understanding the Black Forest fairy tale, Aoko-neechan, who was able to leave such words, is undoubtedly a kind and gentle person."

"Little Believer"

Aoko was speechless for a moment, partly because she was moved, and partly because—actually, when she read that fairy tale, she had always thought that the "giant monster" was just a simple metaphor.

These were the words she kept hidden in her heart and couldn't say aloud.

Just like the joke she had described earlier about the blue hero.

Although she had doubts about the child's initial assessment of being a "fantasy species" because of those fantastical abilities, the series of developments that followed were completely beyond her expectations.

However, they were indeed saved.

This tiny creature, who calls himself the "Great Monster of the Black Forest," was saved by this blue being from the stars.

If she were to face those monsters, the three golden wolves, or the ancient dragon all by herself, she would be no match.

No matter which enemy she faces, she will inevitably lose in the end.

Aoko thought to herself.

"Little believer, you really are the hero, aren't you? The kind of hero who has to leave Earth and fly to another star once his identity is exposed."

"Huh? But actually, I was saved by Aoko-neechan."

"Don't tell lies against your conscience. Didn't Little Believer just say that your sister's provocation of Gaia's tentacles was a reckless act that disrupted the plan?"

Aoko reached out and rubbed the little guy's pink cheeks, correcting him in a slightly serious tone.

"It has nothing to do with that. What saved me was what Sister Aoko left on the title page of that Black Forest fairy tale. If I hadn't seen that, I probably wouldn't have made that wrong decision that I would regret for the rest of my life... If Sister Aoko had met with misfortune, I would probably have become the kind of monster that the old hag was talking about by now..."

After speaking, the boy took the bell-shaped silver key from the alien ornament on his chest, held it up with both hands, and presented it to Aoko.

"Little believer, what is this?"

"This is a thank-you gift for my sister, and also a prop from our agreement."

"I see. Then I'll accept it without hesitation, sister. Wait, could this be a secret item with hidden surprises, like the cat ear headband?"

"Yes, that's right. It seems that Sister Qingzi has fully understood it. With this key, you can easily travel freely between different times and spaces, and going home is naturally a piece of cake. Also, if you encounter danger, just use the key to run to a place where you can see the stars and call my name. That way, I can observe your signal from the outside and then fly down with a 'boom' and knock all the bad guys who bully you away!"

"Well, this is a bit of a lot of information. Let me sort it out first. So, does that mean I'll have another chance to see Xiaoxinnv in the future?!"