"We won."
Watching the scene on the light screen, Ron let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed lazily onto the bed, a relaxed smile gracing the corners of his mouth.
He hadn't expected to win so easily. The Synthetic Legion and the Titan Legion were his first hand. Upon discovering that this hand was completely incapable of crushing the Antimatter Legion, Ron had unhesitatingly played his second, a card he had been holding tightly.
The Star Destroyers, which had arrived on Jarilo-VI long ago as part of his deal with Topaz, had been kept hidden. Ron had concealed them on the planet's dark side, using the world itself as a shield to hide their presence from the direction of the Antimatter Legion's approach.
He lured the Legion to land on the surface of Jarilo-VI, stripping them of the high-speed maneuverability they would have had in space against New Belobog's fleet. He trapped them, ambushed them upon the very soil of New Belobog, pinning them in a designated location with the expendable Synthetic and Titan Legions. Then, relying on Herta's power to shield the sky above, he drew the attention of the Lord Ravager, Star Howler, preventing her from discovering the false heavens...
The next step was to have the Star Destroyers begin charging their main cannons. At a calculated power level—insufficient to pierce Jarilo-VI's mantle but more than enough to obliterate every single footsoldier of the Antimatter Legion present—he would wipe them out in one fell swoop.
In truth, Ron still held several cards. The Silvermane Guards, modified by the "Savior" serum, had yet to even see action. They were still garrisoned in the most heavily fortified city blocks outside New Belobog's residential districts. They were, in fact, the true elite fighting force of the planet.
These Silvermane Guards, whose actual performance rivaled that of elite Pathstriders despite their inability to use Imaginary energy, were by no means weaker than the Antimatter Legion. Especially with the blessings from Qlipoth the Preservation, granted through Cocolia and Bronya, these guards could crush ordinary Voidrangers in single combat and were capable of launching a ferocious counterattack.
If even the Silvermane Guards proved unable to defeat the Antimatter Legion, Ron still had a fully developed Stellaron clutched in his hand. It could be retrieved from beneath Alexandra Square at any moment and used as a spectacularly brilliant sacrificial detonation to bombard a specific target.
While the price would be an immediate and nearly unsolvable energy crisis for New Belobog, that was a problem for after the victory. When the time came to use the Stellaron, Ron would not be stingy, nor would he hesitate for a single second.
And if even the Stellaron wasn't enough to break the Antimatter Legion's momentum, then Ron would truly be out of options, forced to play his final, ultimate trump card—the blessing from Aha the Elation.
In reality, Ron had long been prepared to use Aha's blessing. After all, he knew exactly what kind of enemy he was facing.
The Antimatter Legion was one of the undisputed natural disasters of the cosmos. Their rampage across worlds was a testament to their ferocious power. Ron knew how difficult they were to deal with and how weak New Belobog was in comparison.
But now, the situation was looking good. Everything was proceeding smoothly according to plan.
If Ron could annihilate the Legion's ground forces with these ten Star Destroyers, the rest of the war would become incredibly easy.
Once the footsoldiers were cleared out, even though Star Howler was a top-tier Emanator, she would be powerless against the current New Belobog.
After all, she would then have to face not only Herta's puppet and Ron himself, but the entire military might of New Belobog.
She would be making an enemy of an entire world. No matter how powerful an Emanator she was, she couldn't simultaneously face another Emanator only slightly weaker than herself while also dealing with so many troublesome "ants."
Ron knew that even in such a scenario, Star Howler would not be killed on New Belobog. She was, after all, one of the strongest Emanators. Losing a fight was one thing; escaping was another matter entirely.
But...
Could it really be this simple?
Just as Ron breathed a sigh of relief, celebrating that his plan had reached the dawn of victory in only its second stage, he saw that the image on the light screen did not freeze. It continued to play.
---o---
Gazing at the cannon muzzles shining in the sky, Star Howler closed her eyes, sensing the intense heat from 3,000 kilometers above the surface. She inhaled the terrifying scent of planetary destruction carried on that heat flow. Then, she slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Ron.
"I admit, your strategy did indeed deceive me."
Her voice was calm, her gaze placid, as if the army about to be annihilated was not her own.
"For a mortal, you've done very well... Though I'm not sure why [Erudition] hasn't granted you the status you deserve, I must say, it's actually a good thing."
As she spoke, she gently snapped her fingers.
In an instant, the Star Destroyer cannons, which had been on the verge of firing, suddenly went silent.
Ron could see the energy gathered at the muzzles slowly dissipating, as if the charging process had been halted and an emergency shutdown initiated. The torrent of energy that should have been unleashed was gone.
He looked down and saw the battlefield below, which should have been a chaotic quagmire of life-and-death struggle, fall into an eerie stillness.
Countless Synthetics and Titan mechs ceased functioning, allowing the Antimatter Legion's counterattacks to shatter their control chips. They collapsed to the ground, reduced to scrap metal.
At the same time, many of the deactivated Synthetics and Titans' eyes lit up with a malevolent red glow. The diagnostic lights on their control panels flickered erratically—white, yellow, red, then green. No one knew what was happening, but finally, the green light indicating normal operation stayed on, and their mechanical joints began to move once more.
But they no longer aimed their weapons at the soldiers of the Antimatter Legion.
They turned. They stepped. They ran. They flew.
They aimed their guns at the distant main districts of New Belobog. Like rabid dogs, they charged towards the city, the weapons in their hands glowing with a dangerous red light as they all entered automatic firing mode.
Their enemy had, in this instant, completely changed.
Seeing the astonishment on Ron's face, Star Howler spoke with an air of calm predictability.
"If you were truly an Emanator of [Erudition], perhaps you would have seen through this long ago..."
She glanced at Herta, who had fallen into deep thought and whose eyes suddenly widened in realization.
"It's a pity you haven't received that one's power, and she is merely a weak puppet, far from capable of wielding her true authority..."
"This [Destruction] was proclaimed by Lord Nanook's personal edict; it is a task the Legion must complete. The Legion sows ruin across the stars, and we do not rely on arrogance or underestimation."
"Even though you are just a weak civilization that has recently ended its Great Freeze, one that other Lord Ravagers could have flattened with ease, we still did not take you lightly. I have always valued efficiency, so I called a few more people over."
She offered a polite bow to a figure that had just precipitated from the space beside her. The figure, whose gender was indistinguishable, was shrouded in a hazy veil woven from zeroes and ones. She introduced them calmly.
"Lord Ravager · [Iron Tomb], my colleague. While Burning Wind was drawn away from this star system by that Emanator of [Elation], and while I led the Legion to invade this world, he destroyed this planet's network defenses and seized control of your automatons."
The figure shrouded in the veil gave a courteous nod to Ron and Herta. A voice, suffused with a mechanical quality, reached their ears.
"Your method of programming automaton AI is quite interesting. But unfortunately, these beautiful but fragile creations shatter at the first touch in war. You failed to win even half a city in our cyberwarfare..."
As he spoke, he casually brushed aside the veil of zeroes and ones, which reformed into an incredibly complex equation. After a quick calculation, he concluded:
"Thank you for your automaton legion. With the assistance of your Master Control AI, the rate of your civilization's destruction has increased by an average of 67%, meeting the war objective 'efficiency first' set by the commander of this campaign, [Star Howler]."
"Of course," his tone shifted, "it also suits my own purpose... I have once again witnessed the defeat of technology. Please be excited for this. Yay."
He uttered a flat "yay" in his cold, mechanical voice. It was hard to discern any emotion from the sound alone, but within that dry, icy tone, Ron could hear an intense joy.
Iron Tomb was fulfilling his aesthetic of destruction. He could already smell the imminent collapse of this self-proclaimed civilized world, brought about by its own advanced technology. Nothing was more thrilling than watching something plunge into ruin from such despair.
The image on the light screen faded, and new text appeared.
[You failed to detect the Lord Ravager · [Iron Tomb], and thus were unprepared to counter him.]
[He effortlessly infiltrated your Master Control AI and, at the most critical moment, halted the Star Destroyers' cannons, stopping the firepower that was about to vaporize the Antimatter Legion's forces.]
[He has taken control of all mechanical creations on New Belobog that rely on the Master Control AI, incorporating them into the Antimatter Legion as its vanguard and launching a preemptive assault on New Belobog's main city.]
Reading the text on the screen, Ron felt his heart stop for a moment. He nearly choked, almost fainting from sheer rage.
Iron Tomb... Goddammit, how is there an Iron Tomb too?!
Was the Antimatter Legion insane? Not only did Nanook himself show up, but now three Lord Ravagers have appeared, and who knows if there are others hiding in the shadows...
Did the entire Legion mobilize for this?
Just how binding was the command from "Fate"? Was it really necessary to send so many?
Was using a cannon to kill a mosquito fun for them?
Ron pressed his throbbing temples, feeling for a moment as if he couldn't think at all.
Lord Ravager · [Iron Tomb], one of the Emanators of The Destruction. Among the seven Lord Ravagers, his method of destruction was the most unique.
He often didn't bring many Legion soldiers with him. In many of the destructions he participated in, very few Voidrangers were needed. The enemy would collapse from within, brought to ruin by the very mechanical creations they once controlled.
There were many survivors who had fled worlds destroyed by Iron Tomb, and without exception, their intelligence reports all pointed to one thing: they had witnessed "the defeat of wisdom" on their home planets.
Inorganic AI legions would be paralyzed and turn traitor in an instant; outer space defense arrays would begin firing on the surface; flying vehicles would scatter like a swarm of flies, unable to engage the enemy...
Iron Tomb excelled at conquering civilized worlds that were confident in their technology. Every convenient technological creation would eventually become one of his tendrils, tearing apart the world's lifelines until it was utterly annihilated.
Just a few years ago, according to intelligence from the Xianzhou Yuque, [Iron Tomb] had conquered a rather famous technological civilization in the universe—the Balunza Forge. It was said they prided themselves on their synthetic human technology, and in the end, they were destroyed by their own synthetics.
And now, New Belobog was likely to repeat the fate of the Balunza Forge. New Belobog's population was far too small, and having just ended the Great Freeze, it had no time to recover. It was precisely because of this population limit that Ron had been forced to invest heavily in AI technology.
Only after completing his research into sapient AI could he rely on the power of synthetics to implement New Belobog's "Ideal City" project, transforming the world into its current state. He conquered the once-harsh nature, gave the people of Belobog a better living environment, and elevated the civilization's level to its maximum potential, allowing New Belobog to develop rapidly.
Because of this, New Belobog had developed to a point where almost everything relied on sapient AI. The Master Control AI governed nearly every aspect of life. Even the ground beneath their feet consisted of controllable Ideal City blocks, with the authority to manipulate and modify them held within the Master Control AI. When they were loyal assistants, they were New Belobog's greatest helpers. But after being forcibly controlled and turned against their masters...
They would naturally become New Belobog's greatest enemy.
---o---
[New Belobog's Master Control AI has rebelled.]
[Countless synthetics have turned traitor, all becoming enemies of New Belobog... Every machine you can touch, every device controlled by sapient AI, has now become your most merciless foe.]
Staring at the words on the light screen, Bronya sat on her bed, utterly devastated.
"How could this happen..." she mumbled to herself.
Not only had she not received news of victory, but she had received something far, far worse. On the panoramic map displayed on the screen, Bronya could see a terrifying sight.
The entirety of New Belobog was now a deep, uniform red. It was as if this was not the home they had lived in for generations, but a war forge for the Antimatter Legion, the enemy's main encampment.
There wasn't a single speck of blue left... oh, perhaps that wasn't entirely true.
Tiny blue dots were scattered throughout the fortresses surrounding New Belobog's main city districts and within the city itself. But these blue dots were completely engulfed by red ones, making the panoramic map appear as if it had been painted entirely red.
These blue dots did not include New Belobog's ordinary citizens. Even if they had survived the Great Freeze, they had little to no combat capability in a war of this scale and couldn't be counted as friendly forces. Thus, the Life Simulation Game did not represent them with blue dots.
Right now, all the blue dots swallowed by red were New Belobog's Silvermane Guards.
Thanks to the military development policy Ron had previously established, New Belobog actually had a considerable number of guards, all of whom had been administered the "Savior" serum and greatly enhanced.
Therefore, even in the face of such an unimaginably terrifying assault, they were still able to maintain some combat effectiveness. They weren't immediately crushed but instead mounted a faint yet resolute resistance.
But even seeing this, Bronya's spirits did not lift. A bitter smile touched her lips.
"How are we supposed to fight an enemy like this..."
She could no longer imagine any way for New Belobog to win this simulated war.
There was no possibility of victory. None at all.
She was certain it was impossible.
She knew full well the strength New Belobog currently possessed. Even though Cocolia had kept her confined in the New Qlipoth Fort to study the political lessons required of a Supreme Guardian, she still had ways of finding out what Belobog was truly like now.
She had a clear grasp of all of New Belobog's military forces. She knew that without its automaton legions as the main force, the world was left with only the Silvermane Guards.
But while the Silvermane Guards were powerful after being injected with the "Savior" serum, their strength was nowhere near enough to bridge the massive chasm in combat power left by the combined forces of the automaton legions and the Antimatter Legion.
They could try to resist, but even if they fought until the last drop of their blood was shed, they could only barely slow the enemy's advance.
Just as Bronya was lost in despair, the text on the light screen faded, and a new option box appeared.
[In this moment, your closest assistants have become your most vicious enemies... The rebellion of the automaton legions was beyond anyone's expectations, but the battle-hardened Silvermane Guards, after a brief moment of shock, immediately began to organize a counterattack.]
[The Guards have been scattered by the automaton legions, but they are doing their best to regroup, seeking out their superiors. Even a squad leader or a team captain will do—anyone to give orders, to quickly reform from scattered soldiers into organized units to fight back against the traitors controlled by Lord Ravager · [Iron Tomb].]
[As the heir to the Supreme Guardian, even though you once led a rebellion, the current Supreme Guardian, Cocolia, has not revoked your status as her successor. Though you are no longer the acting commander of the Silvermane Guards, you still hold considerable prestige among many of your former subordinates.]
[The miraculous authority granted to you by Qlipoth the Preservation has never been rescinded... The New Qlipoth Fort went into high alert the moment the chaos began. Cocolia's personal guard instantly cleared the fort of all rebellious machines and destroyed the Master Control AI's main server room.]
[But there are countless server platforms across New Belobog. Under Iron Tomb's control, the Master Control AI had already been backed up and moved elsewhere, leaving only wreckage behind.]
[After dealing with these troubles, a dust-covered Cocolia has ended your and Seele's confinement. She then rushed to the front lines with her personal guard, seeking out the remaining Silvermane Guards who are still resisting, hoping to rebuild the legion's command structure and launch a counterattack.]
[Inside the New Qlipoth Fort, you see countless synthetic maids, who were so friendly just moments before, now lying on the ground. One that hasn't completely shut down sees you. Its eyes flash red. Though it can barely move, it extends a broken, oil-stained arm, trying to claw at you, to tear out your heart.]
[You peer outside the New Qlipoth Fort and look upon the world, now a chaotic mess. You see countless frenzied automatons, madly displaying their aggression, turning on their former masters with lethal force.]
[You see a little girl, dazed, hugging a slightly dirty teddy bear. Beside her, her familiar synthetic nanny smashes the teacup in her hand and raises a sharp ceramic shard, lunging towards the innocent child.]
[You see a disabled old man in a wheelchair, abandoned on the roadside. His familiar synthetic caregiver picks up the thermos prepared for him. The high-quality stainless steel thermos is about to become a brutal weapon, aimed at the head of the terrified old man who is unable to flee due to his disability.]
[You see a poor pregnant woman lying in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Today was supposed to be her delivery day, but the synthetic doctor stopped the vehicle halfway there. The scalpel in its hand is now aimed at the woman's abdomen, about to make her "give birth" on the chaotic streets...]
[The foundation of New Belobog's society is undoubtedly the synthetics driven by sapient AI. The moment they rebelled under Iron Tomb's control, all order in New Belobog was twisted into chaos.]
[Faced with this chaotic and tragic reality, as the next Supreme Guardian, what choice will you make?]
[Will you shrink back like a coward, or will you pick up the responsibility you were once forced to abandon...]
[The decision is yours alone.]
A blank text box appeared on the screen, with a note beside it:
[This is a free-form choice. Please enter your course of action into the text box...]
...Was there any need to think?
Looking at the text, Bronya gently patted her cheeks and shook her head, forcing herself to snap out of her despair.
She knew that even resistance would lead to no good outcome in this situation. In the end, they would all be destroyed by the Antimatter Legion and the rebellious automatons, burned to ashes in the sea of stars.
But... so what?
Bronya could feel despair, she could feel fear for such a difficult and hopeless future, but even so, her hands, trembling with fear, would not let go of the gun that symbolized resistance.
The winds of Belobog have always blown wild. They have never stopped for fear.
This city has weathered the wind and snow for over seven hundred years. Its people are not infants sleeping peacefully in a cradle. They are rats—perhaps not noble, but they have fought with every fiber of their being to survive, to tenaciously cling to life in the blizzard.
Even facing the terrifying Antimatter Legion and the endless synthetic soldiers, facing this behemoth of an enemy, what did it matter?
No matter how small a rat is, in its final moments, it can still risk its life to bite chunk after chunk of flesh from the beast!
Bronya took a deep breath, tapped the text box before her, and wrote her short, resolute response.
[Now, there is only resistance.]
[To the bitter end.]
---o---
The text on the light screen faded, and a new scene emerged.
Countless Silvermane Guards, under the guidance of their superiors, were resisting the endless tide of the synthetic legion. Their bodies were at times wreathed in emerald gales, at others encased in deep blue ice. The miraculous authority of the Amber Lord blessed them, granting them unimaginably powerful enhancements.
At the same time, a brilliant holy light shone upon them, enveloping their armor and weapons. Under its glow, boundless confidence and resolve infected everyone. The holy light provided them with a continuous stream of strength, and the steadfast will of [Salvation] shone brightly, almost inducing a resonance with a Path—
But alas, no true Path of [Salvation] existed in this sea of stars. Their conviction was powerful enough to pierce the cosmos, but it was not enough to move the infinite Imaginary energy in the Imaginary Tree...
Their wills resonated as one, but it could only serve as a morale boost, filling them with the spirit to resist. They swung their blades at the turned synthetics, carving out small havens for the people of Belobog amidst the dense tide of machines...
But that was all they could do.
Standing in the sky, Star Howler's gaze pierced the entire planet, taking in everything.
She watched the desperate, all-out resistance unfolding in New Belobog's main city. Her tone was flat, yet tinged with a hint of mockery.
"In the end, it's just a whelp that hasn't shed its baby fur. I don't know how it got itself such a sturdy shell, but when that shell starts to twist, pointing its outer spikes inward, the frightened little beast becomes completely powerless, unable to even break its own shell."
She looked at Ron, the subtle mockery on her lips now clearly visible.
"You see, this is the fragility of civilization. Just break one point of balance, and it will inevitably slide into the abyss of destruction."
"These cancers that arise in the sea of stars are not such stubborn diseases. Find the right method, and they can be easily burned to ashes..."
As she spoke, the mocking smile on her lips slowly faded. Looking at Ron, she actually revealed a sincere smile—even if the corners of her mouth barely curved up by half a millimeter, Ron could still feel a sliver of goodwill from her.
"Do you smell it? This fragrance of [Destruction]? You carry the scent of Lord Nanook... It's not impossible for you to become my colleague."
She tapped the Blade of World Purification in her hand with a fingertip.
"You should be able to smell it... the scent of a civilization beginning to burn. It's so rich and sweet. Devote yourself to Destruction, Ron."
She raised the silver-white longsword. It gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting a brilliant radiance.
"Return to your rightful path. I can give you this Blade of World Purification. With this seal, you will have the right to ignite the calamitous fires that destroy worlds. I can let you savor the destruction of this one."
"Lord Nanook did not specify that you must be destroyed, which means there is room to bring you into the Legion." She spoke with genuine admiration in her eyes.
"I admire you. You might even bring an eighth tendency to [Destruction]. I look forward to the day you can become a colleague fighting by my side. This disease-ridden sea of stars needs more [Destruction]. Talents like you are indispensable."
"What do you say... care to consider it?"
The image on the light screen paused, and a new option box appeared.
[New Belobog has been plunged into an extremely difficult counteroffensive due to Iron Tomb's invasion. The once-excellent situation has been completely reversed, and you are now in a nearly hopeless predicament.]
[However, the enemy Lord Ravager · [Star Howler] greatly admires you and has extended an invitation.]
[She believes you carry the scent of Nanook the [Destruction], an aura similar to an Aeon's that represents the purity of [Destruction]...]
[She believes you can become a powerful warrior who will achieve great deeds within the Legion, perhaps even pioneering an eighth ultimate tendency of [Destruction] and becoming a new Lord Ravager.]
[Faced with her invitation, the current dire situation, and the impending defeat and [Destruction] of New Belobog, you must make a choice:]
[1. Accept Star Howler's invitation.
New Belobog has reached its end... You're tired of protecting these people. Even though this calamity was caused by you, they received so much from you, so why couldn't they help at all? Why couldn't they repel the Antimatter Legion? Admit it, you're no saint... You've always been willing to do whatever it takes to achieve your goals. Continuing to resist now will only turn you into an ember of destruction. Why not try serving a new master? Nanook the [Destruction] and the "Fate" manipulating things from the shadows might not be such bad leaders... With your profound knowledge, you could surely carve out a new world for yourself. Burn this world, bury your past... and devote yourself to [Destruction]!
Choosing this option will cause you to abandon everything you once had, voluntarily accept a "Blade of World Purification" symbolizing high merit, and be ordered to ignite Jarilo-VI, burning New Belobog to ashes.
You will trigger the ending event: "The Shattered Dawn".]
[2. Refuse Star Howler's invitation.
New Belobog has reached its end... but you still believe in the grand wish of Salvation. Even as everything nears its final conclusion, even as all has fallen into the abyss of despair, you will not completely lose that small spark of hope in your heart. Things have finally come to the most helpless juncture... You will fight with all your might, leading the remaining Silvermane Guards of New Belobog in one last counterattack.
Choosing this option, you will refuse Star Howler's recruitment and, alongside Herta, immediately engage Lord Ravager · [Star Howler] and Lord Ravager · [Iron Tomb] in a decisive battle, while attempting to lead the Silvermane Guards in a final counterattack.
You will trigger the ending event: "The End of Hope".]
[3. (Elation Blessing) Respond to the grand wish of Salvation.
Despair, death, danger, suffering... all of these are now interwoven on New Belobog. But a light has been lit in the hearts of the saviors, and their common vision has woven the grand wish of Salvation. You have never given up hope, and neither have they. You steadfastly carry out the will of Salvation, and so do they. All hardships and difficulties have now become an immovable mountain before you. You look up at the colossal peak piercing the clouds, blocking your path. This is the obstacle "Fate" has left for you. A mortal cannot shatter it and can only be helplessly blocked, eventually crushed to dust by the toppling giant. But what if you are not a mortal? What if you can perform a miracle...
Try to answer this grand wish of Salvation. In this sea of stars, only you are worthy of answering this prayer.
Choosing this option, you will ignore Star Howler and use the blessing bestowed upon you by Aha the [Elation] to summon a false fool's play, created by Aha to conceal your supposedly fixed destiny...
You will close your eyes and respond with all your heart to this grand wish of Salvation.
You will trigger the miracle ending event: "The Dawn of Salvation".]
Looking at the options on the screen, Ron's expression was calm. He had already prepared himself.
The moment this simulation headed towards certain failure, Ron's choice had been sealed.
He was not the kind of person to compromise for the sake of survival. It was just a simulation, why should he indulge these AI monsters?
So what if the [Salvation] trait got a major upgrade after he became an Aeon, and then every subsequent simulation required him to tear apart another Path to godhood, only to be hunted down and killed by the victimized Aeon?
Worst case, he just wouldn't use the trait anymore. Right now, Ron just felt incredibly stifled, beaten down by [Destruction] and "Fate."
He didn't want to feel this stifled any longer. This simulation had to end on a high note, even if it meant betting the [Salvation] trait and his own life!
With that thought, Ron grit his teeth and fiercely tapped the third option on the screen.
The option box on the light screen faded, and the paused scene resumed playing.
Faced with Star Howler's recruitment, Ron merely let out a contemptuous chuckle, completely ignoring her.
He simply closed his eyes gently. A pink sigil of [Elation] lit up on his cheek. The wine glass depicted within the sigil, once full, was now completely empty. The next moment, the sigil began to flicker, finally dissolving into pink motes of light that vanished into the air.
Star Howler and Iron Tomb both felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to laugh. The very air around them seemed to thicken.
For the first time, a deep astonishment appeared on the face of this vanguard general of [Destruction]. She stared at Ron, forcibly suppressing her strange urge to laugh, and demanded in a sharp voice:
"You... haha, you... ha... what are you doing?!"
But Ron simply opened his eyes calmly. Tiny golden specks of light began to ignite within his pupils, gradually circling them. An inexplicable power began to emanate from his body, a power that was growing stronger with each passing moment.
He looked towards the distant horizon. His voice became somewhat ethereal, as if mysterious and unfathomable, yet firm, tinged with a divinity that set him apart from mortals.
He said—
"I shall carry out the will of [Salvation], and summon the dawn of hope."
The originally dim sky froze for a moment. The dark clouds were suddenly dispelled. Beside the Jarilo system's original star, a second sun slowly began to rise.
The dawn was coming.