Chapter 394 - At the End of a Long Slumber
I loved soaring through the sky.
—Your name is Alv.
I loved watching the clouds drift by.
—The wish I grant is 'Freedom,' the power I entrust is 'Boundary.'
From high above, I looked down upon the earth.
—You, who are stained by all, yet stained by none, O white guardian.
I loved watching over the land as life budded and flourished.
And more than anything else,
—Please, protect this world.
The voice of my precious 'her,' brushing against my ears,
—The utopia that he loved, our utopia.
The soft, warm hand that stroked my nose,
—I, too, will watch over you all for eternity.
Her smile, full of love, was what I loved more than anything in this world.
◇◆◇◆◇
—…
—…
—…
—…
"—Tch."
The 'lightning' I had unleashed pierced the 'dragon,' and the world was enveloped in pure white light. When I opened my eyes, I was sitting on the ground.
I feel like I saw something.
I feel like I heard something. But… I don't know. I can't remember. The talent of 'Memory,' which should prevent me from forgetting things in this virtual world, isn't working.
Was it my imagination? Feeling like I'd been bewitched by a fox, I tried to look around… but my body was too heavy and refused to obey.
Instead, as I shifted, I noticed something else. Back-to-back with me, Sora and Ashe were sitting right beside me.
Our eyes met with amber pupils that were blinking in a daze, just like mine.
"……………………So, uh… did you see or hear anything?"
"I did…?"
"…?"
But Sora's response was one of, "I don't even understand the question." Ashe, listening in beside her, tilted her head in agreement.
………………Okay, I have no idea what's going on, but I'll just chalk it up to a daydream.
Alright, it's time to face reality.
After the battle with the white dragon, the three of us were sent back to the area right in front of the 'White'.
It wasn't the white dragon, which was likely its true form, nor was it the avatar that the 'Red' had been mixed up with. It was the form of the 'White Throne' from our first encounter.
A bizarre, almost blasphemous figure.
But why? As it lay there powerlessly in the center of the great crater, for some reason… it now looked profoundly sad to my eyes.
"………………"
In the dead silent world, I naturally held my tongue. Lashing my avatar, which could now move ever so slightly, I scanned my surroundings.
Everyone was here.
If my 'Memory' served me right, even those who should have been eliminated were present. Each of them stood frozen, their faces telling a story of having been suddenly plucked from the midst of a fierce battle.
Every single person was captivated by one sight.
The great crimson pit, the scars of the brutal battle that had shattered the earth… all of it had vanished. In the 'White's' resting place, now returned to tranquility.
A ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and poured down upon [Tsarkalv of the White Throne]—the white pillar at its center.
"—"
As if seeping out of the void, a red stag appeared beside the white dragon. With a strange cry that resembled the sound of the wind, it spoke something to it.
The unmoving dragon did not answer.
Its massive form, once shaped by red clouds, was nowhere to be seen. The deer, so small in comparison to the dragon, walked closer.
The unseeing dragon did not respond.
And then, at the very end.
The red stag, as one would to a close friend or a beloved, gently rubbed its body against the cheek of the prone white dragon—and vanished, as if it had never been there at all.
And then, at the very end.
"—"
The dragon that had answered, faintly lifted its body as if to gaze at the sky. It let out a beautiful cry that seemed to echo to the ends of the world, and then scattered into particles of light.
And vanished, as if it had never been there at all.
I don't know anything. My understanding can't reach it—but,
Without a word, from the shadows behind me, my hands were taken by someone and someone else….
"…………………………Haha, what is this?"
Confused, I became aware that my avatar was shedding tears, ignoring my own emotions.
To hide it, I just laughed.
—And then, the sound of a bell rang throughout the world.
◇ [Tsarkalv of the White Throne] has been vanquished. ◇
◇ The Warp Gate system has been updated. ◇
◇ The Trance system Alpha has been unlocked. ◇
◇ [Helia of the Red Circle] has been laid to rest. ◇
◇ The world's phase will now shift. ◇
◇ [Tsarkalv of the White Throne] has been laid to rest. ◇
◇ The world's phase will now shift. ◇
◇ The World Event system has been unlocked. ◇
◇ Countdown to the release of [Starry Paradise] initiated. ◇
07(days) : 10(hours) : 36(minutes) : 15(seconds)
Chapter Three, Section Three, hereby concludes.