'Cyrene' reached out with a hint of wistfulness, patting Demiurge's head.
"Yeah, it's THEM. So stop thinking about sacrificing yourself. Since she's here, things are bound to end well."
Because she had beco 'Cyrene,' she could guess what the original story's outco for Amphoreus would have been.
The details were unclear, but the original Cyrene would certainly have fulfilled the causal loop as the Pure Child.
Leaving herself in the past, sending Amphoreus into Tomorrow.
But now…
Obviously, there was no chance for that anymore.
In the current situation, where was there any room left for Demiurge to step in and take over?
Of course.
The fact that Fuli's form reflected Noa's figure inside was, for now, only perceptible to 'Cyrene' and Demiurge.
To outsiders, all they saw was Fuli's appearance.
And the already dazzling giant of light erupting with an utterly outrageous energy signature.
Then they saw Noa cross their arms before their chest once more and pull them apart to either side.
An even more exaggerated, downright mind-numbing energy reaction surged wildly.
'Cyrene' grinned.
Noa was really sticking to the character's moveset, huh? She'd thought they'd just switch to their own techniques.
But this ti, the beam wasn't aid at Irontomb.
Instead, it pointed toward the empty void.
The originally slender beam began expanding at a ridiculous rate the mont it was fired.
Then, upon reaching a certain point.
The beam instantly scattered, transforming into waves of warm, tidal light.
The spread of this light-tide seed to transcend ti and space.
No matter where one was, no matter how many light-years away.
They all witnessed the spreading light and felt the warm breeze at the exact sa mont.
The threatening Equation of Destruction was silently extinguished.
The final struggle of Irontomb was completely declared a failure.
Inside the Scepter.
Lycurgus watched this scene and finally felt a profound release.
Screwllum suddenly spoke: "It's over, Lycurgus. That earlier shockwave—you set it up, did you not?"
"Yes. But it was yet another failure."
He undoubtedly respected Herta and wished to show goodwill toward Bai Ming. But before that, he was a Thought Fragnt of Zandar, he was Lycurgus.
So after all this, he made one final preparation.
If extre despair could breed hope of equal asure, then reversing the formula, one could also say, 'Extre Hope is destined to attract Destruction of equal magnitude.'
Using this principle, Lycurgus planted one last bomb.
A pity it was dismantled by that mysterious light the mont it detonated.
And even more… that warm light had graced even him, the mastermind behind it all.
An all-encompassing, all-warming light of hope.
Even if he couldn't see it, Lycurgus could guess—this likely ca from the mysterious Aeon of Hope.
"Which Herta succeeded?"
"Not certain yet. The other Herta has not appeared."
Lycurgus chuckled softly.
To dare use a mortal body to interface with Nous… he deeply admired Herta's courage.
-- --
The conversation between Lycurgus and Screwllum continued.
anwhile.
As the black tide completely dissipated, Irontomb fell into silence.
Which of the two Madam Hertas?
Which Herta had interfaced with Nous at that mont?
What happened after the connection?
They could only learn the answers upon eting the two Madam Hertas.
As for now…
'Cyrene' had just watched the reflected Noa vanish within the Path Space.
When she caught sight of an unexpected figure.
A red jellyfish, pink hair, and a black dress.
"March 7th… oh wait, Evernight? What are you doing here?"
What point in ti was this even? The Astral Express hadn't even departed yet.
This one, by all logic, shouldn't have chosen amnesiac cryosleep yet—aning she should still be on the run from the mokeepers.
Hearing this, Evernight revealed a mysterious smile: "Hmm… then consider Evernight. I'm here simply because I thought eting you might be nice."
Evernight walked over to 'Cyrene,' holding her umbrella.
She gazed curiously at this mysterious being.
"Those mokeepers you were looking for earlier—I took care of them. They abandoned their pursuit of to rush to Amphoreus. Of course I was curious."
Evernight had co to check the situation and cause so trouble for the mokeepers along the way.
But… who could have predicted witnessing sothing so stunning?
"Though I don't know how you obtained the identity of a Pure Child of Anāsrava, you must be aware of the two choices they will face, right?"
'Cyrene' nodded in response.
Either look back to the past, becoming the Fuli of that era, closing the causal loop, remaining forever in the past, losing any chance to contend to beco Fuli.
Or let it be, stride into the future, and gamble that either you'll succeed yourself soday, or the one who does succeed will close the causality for you.
"Well, now the fun's really begun. An Aeon, from the distant future, looking back upon the past through the identity of a Pure Child of Anāsrava, nding all past causality."
Evernight's smile was full of mockery:
"Looking back upon a segnt of ti allows one to beco the Fuli of that segnt. But if one looks back upon the entirety of the universe's ti… then tell , how are they any different from Fuli?"
That fellow who wanted to target her, to dig out the mories buried within her…
If they knew that in the distant future, an Aeon had used the identity of a Pure Child of Anāsrava to take over Fuli's role, gazing back upon all the past of the entire universe…
They'd probably suffer a ntal collapse on the spot.
Who could compete with an Aeon?
If this news were spread, how many in the Garden of Recollection would defect to the Land of Light on the spot?
Just thinking about it felt delightfully worth anticipating.
"That may be so… but what if THEY don't mind letting soone else have the identity of Fuli?"
The issue Evernight saw, 'Cyrene' naturally saw as well.
So when Noa was leaving, she had asked this very question.
And Noa's answer was unsurprising.
If soone was more suitable than THEM, THEY would reach out to hold that Pure Child of Anāsrava, then push the universe's tiline forward, letting that Pure Child of Anāsrava surpass her to beco Fuli.
If no one was, THEY would take responsibility all the sa.
Hearing this, Evernight's expression turned subtle.
"You're serious?"
"If you understood the aning of Hope, you wouldn't ask that."
'Cyrene' looked relaxed.
Even just glimpsing a reflected shadow from the future.
Being able to see Noa, to see that they truly answered the prayers, was enough to fill 'Cyrene' with an imnse sense of reassurance.
"But I won't leak this information either, as long as you don't use it to stir up trouble."
"You're quite easy to talk to, aren't you? That Miss Demiurge really is lucky—she doesn't have to choose anything at all, yet she can still walk straight into the future."
There was unmistakable envy in Evernight's tone.
-- --
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