We're Going Home

Inside the academy's Ritual Hall, all the anomalies vanished in an instant, leaving only ashes to scatter through the air. Yet, even as the visions dissolved into nothingness as if they had never existed, a profound sense of terror remained etched into the hearts of everyone present.

The moment the crushing pressure dissipated, some began to scream and wail. Others, their hearts having stopped for several seconds due to the intense aura of death, now knelt in agony, their bodies twitching uncontrollably.

The trainees who had fallen into the logical hell of "why do I exist?" now returned to normal. They looked dazed, seemingly unaware of what had happened just a moment ago. They didn't even try to think; they simply lay there, blank and empty, their senses temporarily failing them.

In the Garden Hall, several professors returned to their seats with sighs of relief. They were all at least at the level of Great Mage, yet there were moments when, despite the protection of the academy's magic array, they had felt their lives were in danger.

They panted with relief, seeing the lingering fear reflected in each other's eyes. They understood the horror of a deity better than anyone—especially that deity who surpassed death and represented the end of existence. They knew She was impossible to gaze upon, yet they had inevitably been affected.

What kind of shock, terror, unease, and anxiety would any living being feel upon seeing themselves die in the way they feared and loathed most?

“What happened in that moment?”

The question arose in everyone's minds, yet they all knew the truth: in that single instant, the God of Death had personally descended upon the world, departing only after slaying a deity.

“I thought... She had long since vanished,” Ishtar murmured. Her left eye changed from a grey-black back to emerald green, as if something had regained its vitality.

She covered her left eye, flashes of memory returning to the scene from seconds ago. The blood-red roses had reflected the image of her own body turning to ash. As a Calamity-rank magic user, she would not quickly forget these divine miracles; they would instead become “memories” that served as material for her nightmares.

“Before I saw Her, I shared that same thought.” Albert let out a long breath. The result was now before him; all that remained was to adapt to it.

“I have a meeting, so I won't stay here any longer. Everyone, please hurry and complete the cleanup and the post-disaster reconstruction.” Albert adjusted his coat and hurried out of the Garden Hall. He could no longer maintain his signature carefree smile, leaving only a forced, bitter grin on his face.

The others didn't linger long either. They exchanged casual nods before leaving the Garden Hall one after another. The academy's array had been almost completely permeated by the magic of death. The moment the blood-red roses bloomed, various barriers outside the magic array had shattered. Repairing them would be a massive undertaking. Furthermore, many trainees had been severely traumatized, and even most Mages in the medical department were currently unable to look after themselves.

The last time such a scene had occurred was during the all-out war between the academy and the Royal Court, where the arrays were shattered and the medical departments of the Five Great Academies could not accommodate all the wounded trainees.

Ishtar remained dazed for a while. She moved all the red roses in the garden to a corner where she couldn't see them, then sat in a cradle filled with flowers, curling into a ball. Her shoulders trembled slightly. Her ring pulsed continuously with light from incoming messages, but she kept her eyes closed, ignoring them.

A card depicting a crown of thorns turned to ash. At that moment, in the ocean near the Southern Continent, a figure fell from the sky. She plunged straight into the sea without a single struggle, sinking toward the depths.

“‘I’...” Li Yue murmured softly, her eyes half-open. Through the seawater, she looked at the full moon in the sky. The cold moonlight shone upon the world, yet it could not penetrate the murky deep sea. Only the shallow waters still rippled with a faint, pale yellow glow.

She sank silently, falling from the shallow sea toward the abyss. Her vision was gradually swallowed by the pitch-black space until the light from the surface was reduced to a small, mottled speck.

Ripples of orchid-blue light pushed aside the seawater that was dragging Li Yue down. An arm suddenly grabbed hers, and a powerful force acted upon her wrist, pulling her toward the surface.

In her blurred consciousness, she could barely make out a blue silhouette pulling her hand, trying to take her to touch the white moonlight dancing on the sea.

“Phew!” Clo surfaced and let out a long breath. She held Li Yue tightly—whose body had almost no warmth left—repeating, “It's okay... it's okay...”

“Clo... you actually knew... who I was... all along... didn't you?” Li Yue murmured softly, her body leaning weakly in Clo's arms. “Then... what is the meaning of ‘Li Yue's’ existence?”

“It's to make me fall in love with you... you dummy.” Clo held Li Yue tightly. Her warmth slowly dispersed the bitter cold, pain, anxiety, and loneliness from Li Yue's body.

“...” Li Yue didn't speak. She raised her strengthless hand and rested it behind Clo, allowing Clo to kiss her, letting her boldly bypass her slightly parted teeth to claim her tongue.

“If you put it that way... then meaning itself... has no meaning...” A slight curve appeared at the corner of Li Yue's mouth. Leaning against Clo's shoulder and surrounded by a warm sense of security, her consciousness gradually faded into silence.

“Let's go. We're going home.” Clo held Li Yue as their silhouettes vanished from the sea. The ring on her hand shimmered, but she didn't seem to care at all. Compared to all her responsibilities, duties, or missions, she didn't care about any of it. All she wanted was to keep the current Li Yue by her side, by any means necessary.

I'll handle everything else. Get some rest, A Yue.