Welcome to Rewind World Game-Chapter 1459 - 108: OE - The Last Holy Meal (5)

The golden glow expanded further, gradually becoming as dazzling as wheat awns.

People involuntarily looked up.

Su Ming’an’s vision was pitch black, silently falling downward.

"Swish!"

The crimson-gold flames burned across the sky, like the twilight glow of a sunset, devouring every inch of the firmament. It spread across the sky, majestic and spectacular.

Within this expansive crimson-gold, a figure suddenly parted the clouds, his hair falling like a waterfall in the flames, as if a deity descending from the heavens. Behind him, the crimson-gold clouds quietly parted, resembling the unfolding of fiery wings.

The clouds dispersed and the rain cleared, revealing clarity in all things.

People involuntarily held their breath.

The man’s long hair, reaching his waist, danced wildly in the intense heat and chaos, with eyes as deep as the Ink Sea, calmly gazing at the earth.

A scythe resembling a skeletal structure was held in his hand, forming a crescent shape, its icy tip aimed at Su Ming’an — aiming at the "Devour" authority behind Su Ming’an.

In an instant, intense bitterness and anger surged in their hearts, shattering the hope within them.

Su Ming’an’s face bore no smile.

...When did it start.

From the first red blade raised, the first turn going against the way, the first powerless witnessing of the end of destruction, it has been irreversible.

He began to feel confused. Both logic and actions were tightly aligned, yet why would it turn out this way? Was there something he didn’t do well enough?

"——Noel Agnini."

The visitor was not one to save the day.

But the last straw that broke the camel’s back.

Just as long as Su Ming’an’s "Devour" authority is seized, not letting it fall into the hands of the masses, the Eighth Thrones cannot be stopped.

Noel Agnini has indeed come.

Not to save the scene, but to destroy it.

A figure flickered through the air, unfolding bat wings, wearing a crown. Another figure swiftly passed through the air, bearing brilliant angel wings, black hair tied with a white bow.

Lü Shu and Lin Yin, on left and right, caught the falling Su Ming’an, like catching a descending swallow.

They protected the closed-eyed Su Ming’an, retreating cautiously, gazing at the golden figure floating in the sky.

Yesterday’s true friend has become today’s arch-enemy.

"...President!" A blonde-haired girl waved her arms, shouting high, it was Angelica of the New World Guild, trying to persuade Noel: "Turn back from the lost path, President. Do you remember us teaching music lessons to kids at the New World Guild together? Do you remember us staying up all night preparing fireworks for Su Ming’an? Those gemstones, each was sculpted by you, and that carpet, we chose the pattern together. Come back, President, shall we ride the crow together, just like we used to?"

"Turn back from the lost path...?" The azure eyes had already turned towards the ink color. The blonde-haired boy looked down, gazing at the unconscious Su Ming’an behind Lü Shu and Lin Yin:

"I was never lost."

"Su Ming’an, I don’t know if you can still hear me... Do you remember the collective wedding we watched together?"

"In the twenty-six years of life, I’ve seen many unreliable feelings. Most worldly affairs, in my view, end in tragedy. Humans are selfish, greedy, desirous... Of course, I am as well."

"Even the most eternal things eventually oxidize and disappear."

"But even so, I find myself increasingly hoping to witness things more eternal than the Universe, like fleeting love, ideals that blossom like night-blooming flowers, because their existence is so brief it cannot be traced, cannot be judged whether they have already perished, thus, in some sense, I have witnessed their ’eternity’."

"Some of you are like night-blooming flowers in existence, in my eyes, are ’eternal’."

"...So you want to kill the shining things for the so-called ’eternal’? What reason!" Flora couldn’t help but question.

Noel lowered his eyelids, the corners of his lips slightly curving:

"No. I’m not referring to them..."

His words were left unfinished.

A golden light tore through the clouds, a longsword aflame with sharp fire suddenly fell, like lightning splitting the night!

A deafening roar accompanied by the fiery impact tore through the air, causing the world to halt, as if time was frozen in that moment.

"Swish!"

Noel’s body transformed into a square card, drifting towards the ground, a flash, then appearing a hundred meters away. He touched his left shoulder, pain exploding in his mind. The fire sword grazed him, a lock of scattered golden hair turned into ash gray, floating in the sky.

He hissed, smirked slightly, pressing his right hand against his left shoulder.

With the fire sword descending, the glaring daylight recklessly poured down, initially revealing a giant golden dragon head peering out, its sharp eyes glaring fiercely, the pointed dragon horns piercing the cloud mist. Then, atop its back, stood a youth with flowing crimson long hair, He displayed a stern cold demeanor, expressionless, a flick of His wrist, another flame longsword taking shape.

The flames flailed chaotically around Him, as if orchestrating a sharp elegy.

His white robe adorned with crimson-gold patterns, embroidered with flames and auspicious clouds, stepped on slightly curved black boots, with a gentle push, He detached from the dragon’s spine, thrusting a sword forward!

The fierce wind raged, causing eyes to shut tightly.

Noel’s expression remained calm, lifting a single finger, voice deep and soft:

"Rend the earth as a boundary, shatter the firmament."

"——You shall turn to dust, confined to doom, never to be reborn."

A giant iron lock gate suddenly opened on the path of the flame longsword.

In an instant, Su Rin felt a profound silence in his ears, like falling into a vacuum environment, unable to hear any sound or intake any breath.

Prior to this, merging with the Cloud City God, he lost his humanity, only feeling like an infinite wilderness within him, no matter what failed to touch his heartstrings.

If it were not for a golden dragon named Ian seeking help, claiming the world would overturn, Su Rin would not have come.

Yet, seeing Su Ming’an with closed eyes behind Lü Shu and Lin Yin, Su Rin felt his mood slightly heavy, as if entrusting something exceptionally important to this black-haired youth, a task he must complete, yet thinking deeply hurt his head.

"Swish!"

Su Rin decisively unfolded a domain, shielding the vacuum’s influence, fiercely waving his right arm, slashing the flame longsword down, falling into the deep iron lock gate.

The gate’s surface rippled heavily, like a swiftly flung stone falling into a mirror. Yet, the iron lock gate trembled madly, nearly breaking several times, still standing firm.

"...Hmm?" Su Rin displayed a mild confusion. After fusing with the Cloud City God, unbeknownst to his exact strength, but his combat power should surpass nine thousand, it shouldn’t be unable to break Noel’s defense.

From an unseen angle, Noel used two fingers to pinch the card, hiding his face, spat out a mouthful of blood, face pale, on the back of his hand, ten rose petals withered three petals instantly.

"...Truly worthy of being seen as the most reliable... God... thought you wouldn’t come..." Noel muttered to himself, smiling again.

As a companion, Su Rin is indeed reliable. But as an enemy, really terrifying...

Promptly, Noel lowered his hat, closed his eyes, hands rhythmically waved like a conductor, chanting something softly.

The blood-red robe lifted by the wind, the "magician’s" slender figure stood against the backdrop of a vast daylight, entire face hidden beneath backlit shadow, only nose bridge contour slightly visible, like an actor under the red sun, preparing the most splendid act.

Su Rin’s thoughts turned rapidly: "...At least three more strikes needed to defeat Noel, time is insufficient... Must save Su Ming’an first."

With a swift move, Su Rin appeared beside Su Ming’an, reaching out a hand, touching Su Ming’an’s forehead.

The black-haired youth had crystallized, hair like snow, body like glass, flesh turning into specks of glowing light scattering like fireworks across the expanse. His chest opened with a hollow, heart long vanished.

"Faith" authority already handed to Lü Shu, "Devour" authority still behind Su Ming’an, not yet delivered.

The Eighth Thrones wrapped in black mist around him, leaving only his cheeks not yet engulfed, showing a peaceful countenance.

"Can you hear me? Su... Su Ming’an." At that moment, Su Rin’s eyes revived with slight traces of humanity, suddenly recalling some memories. He lowered his voice, spoke near the ear: "Su Ming’an, if I kill you now, will it have use? Would something be triggered?"

Only silence answered him.

The pitch-black swallow slept quietly, eyelids closed, sinking into long-awaited slumber.

In a flash, Su Rin figured everything out in his heart:

"Killing him probably doesn’t work, otherwise, he would have committed suicide from the start... or maybe, killing him still works, but he’s willing to accept this outcome, so he’d rather be devoured than choose suicide... so, regardless of which possibility it is, I have no reason to help him die..."

"But now, Noel Agnini used a powerful defensive spell to forcibly summon the Master of the End of All Things... the situation might have slipped out of Su Ming’an’s control... do I really not need to help Su Ming’an die?"

"Is ’acting’ or ’not acting’ right or wrong?"

Su Rin closed his eyes, forcibly intruded into the spirit, using the ’Soul’ Authority to enter Su Ming’an’s dream, to get to the bottom of it.

He stepped into the dream of a dying man.

In the warm, golden sunflower field, a black-haired youth hugged a white cat, rolling around in the field. The warm sunlight fell on his face, and he looked gently at Su Rin.

For a moment, Su Rin hesitated whether to break the dream, but he quickly cleared his unnecessary thoughts: "Do you need my help?"

Su Ming’an shook his head.

Should that be comforting?

Finally, Su Rin realized the death rebound not at the moment of death... no, it could also be considered as such.

"After Noel Agnini summons the Master of the End of All Things, he’ll immediately seize your ’Devour’ Authority, and I can’t stop that. Only if I help you back now... will we have a new chance," Su Rin said.

Su Ming’an still shook his head.

Su Rin furrowed his brows, gently saying: "...is it useless?"

Su Ming’an smiled silently, raising a finger to his lips:

"Trust me, Engineer Su."

"I heard a voice telling me that it will be alright."

"I will do everything I can to ensure you return home safely." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Dream time lasts only a moment; he doesn’t have to worry that such a blessing will delay Su Rin’s time.

The cat fur clinging to his fingers flew around, making Su Ming’an cough incessantly. He waved his hand, giving up the suave gesture of keeping his finger pressed to his lips.

Su Rin frowned. He had struck the same pose before boarding the airship, unable to protect himself yet worrying about others.

But he still wouldn’t stop Su Ming’an.

Just like in the Ninth World, the Tenth World, facing such choices, he never stopped Su Ming’an. Because he knows better than anyone that the realization of ideals is far more useful than any comfort and happiness.

"...What if I can’t go back? You’re already gone, how will you clear our grievances?" Su Rin stood with his arms crossed, a slight fluctuation in his expression, which quickly turned into calmness.

When the time comes, with Su Ming’an gone, who would he seek for ’accountability’?

Then, the most unexpected response came for Su Rin.

A ticket-like item was handed to Su Rin.

The front of the ticket bore the image of an angel, and the back had some Pulaya text. As the ticket turned, it gleamed slightly in the sunlight.

Su Rin looked somewhat stiffly at the ticket, then quickly realized what it was.

His pupils widened instantly, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Then, please the God of Yun Shang City," Su Ming’an put a hand on his chest, offering the ticket with a slight smile:

"...With this ’Redemption Ticket’, with your generous and holy stance, forgive my mistakes."

...

[Pray to the deity of Yun Shang City, the deity will forgive your mistakes.]

[When you kneel in the church and pray devoutly, the angel in Yun Shang City will listen to your doubts. Your voice will ascend to the deity via the Burning Stone. The residents enjoying Yun Shang City will also receive your message, and you will walk out of the purgatory flames.]

[...]

[This is... a Redemption Ticket. This item can only be issued by the Church of Light; these few were likely crafted by Su Rin himself.]

[...What is Su Rin giving him these for? To whom is he making atonement?]

[Su Ming’an put away the red envelope.]

...

During the New Year, Su Rin gave him the Redemption Ticket, probably because Su Rin foresaw he might not be able to return home. With this, he preemptively prevented Su Ming’an from bearing too much psychological burden.

But Su Rin didn’t expect that this Redemption Ticket

would come to him in such a manner,

at such a time,

against such a backdrop,

in such a way.

No one would have expected it.

"You...!" Su Rin exclaimed a single word, feeling the dream slip away from him.

This was the manifestation of the dreamer’s life force being depleted. When the dream collapses, the dreamer will completely leave.

Su Rin clutched the Redemption Ticket, a splitting headache in his mind, both hands stretched to try and maintain the dream, but it was beyond saving.

In the last of his vision, in the gradually shattering dream, the black-haired youth still rolled around in the flowerbed. With a warm and joyful expression, he rolled on the grass, covered in grass and sunlight, like a naive child.

It was only at this moment, that he would reveal some pure happiness.

Then, he patted the white cat, signaling for it to leave.

The dream was about to collapse, leaving him here alone was enough.

The cat took off towards the distance, quickly disappearing.

Finally, on the gradually collapsing lawn, Su Ming’an, covered in grass, looked at Su Rin, arching his eyebrows and eyes, gently waving his hand.

His face had a kind of pure, paper-like happiness.

His lips moved silently, uttering a Pulaya word with a clumsy accent, likely something he had practiced.

...

"Thank you for accompanying me on my journey, Engineer Su."

"Goodbye."

"Knowing you was a very pleasant experience in my life."

"I am very lucky, truly."

...

"...In honor of being graced by Kotanis’s arrival."

The "Magician" concluded his chant.

As the spell fell, it seemed as if the heavens and earth trembled, and all phenomena were frozen. Time seemed to cease flowing at this moment, as the dark curtain spread.