A brilliant golden radiance, like the edge of a sword, sundered the world. A rose-colored mist followed like a shadow, shrouding the golden splendor, and in that instant, it masked the light that could have illuminated an entire galaxy.
Ron had torn open the barrier of the "Tree of Existence," the very structure of the cosmos, tearing a rift between reality and the imaginary domain...
The Ron of before would never have made such a move.
After all, to tear open the boundary of reality, to connect the imaginary domain with the structural rift of the Tree of Existence itself, was to stand face-to-face with the omnipresent IX, [The Nihility], within that domain—and Ron had never believed he possessed the ability to thoroughly vanquish IX after a direct confrontation.
But now, urged by Aha, [The Elation], to take the stage sooner, and having just vanquished a clone of IX, he knew that, according to Aha, the current IX was likely reeling from the excessively powerful holy light Ron had just unleashed...
Adding to that the calculation made by Nous, [The Erudition]—the "Moment" when Ron would inevitably die at the hands of Terminus, [The End], seven days from now...
All of this had provided Ron with the conditions for a gamble.
Since he was already prepared to risk his life in these seven days to light a fire in this sea of stars, he might as well take some risks—his life was already on the line, so why not bare his fangs and try to tear a chunk of flesh from both Terminus and IX?
And so, Ron unhesitatingly relied on the power of the Guiding Spirit Lantern to tear open the boundary between reality and the imaginary domain, simultaneously calling for the aid of Mythus, [The Enigmata]...
Although he had decided to take the risk, it was best to avoid a direct confrontation with IX if possible... After all, even if the current IX was wounded from the failure just now, as Aha had said, and even if Ron was predicted to die at the hands of Terminus in seven days according to the "Moment" of Nous, a truly alarmed IX would still slow his steps.
And the task Ron had to accomplish was not so simple... If he were truly bogged down by IX, seven days would not be enough time for him to complete his plan.
A clear, bright light tore through the sky, yet the rift in the firmament was veiled by a rose-colored mist—even though the holy light Ron had just unleashed had practically pierced this entire star system, not a single living being in this part of the galaxy, whether on the Xianzhou [Luofu], in Belobog, or on the Astral Express... no one discovered what had just happened.
Even Bronya and the others, who were watching Ron with their own eyes, only saw a flash of light before them. In that instant, Ron vanished, and only the dissipating snow around them confirmed that he had ever been there...
The rift between reality and the imaginary domain was immense. Peering through the gap toward the inner side of the world, one could glimpse the entirety of the Tree of Existence—an endless tide of imaginary energy poured in, coalescing into a chaotic storm, yet it did not truly draw in even a shred of power from IX.
Ron felt no sense of everything turning to nothingness. His will remained resolute, not a bit of it dissipating... Mythus, [The Enigmata], had successfully concealed his actions. This reckless move of his had not drawn anyone's attention.
...A perfect, flawless opportunity.
Gazing at the imaginary domain before him, Ron couldn't help but take a deep breath. His heart pounded in his chest from the tension, the clear, dull thumping sound vibrating his eardrums, as if it were the only sound left in the world.
No... this feeling should perhaps not be called tension.
Ron gently closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, feeling the endless imaginary energy flow into his lungs with each inhale, nourishing his nearly withered "Path." He felt his own blood begin to burn.
This was... excitement.
How long had he waited?
Though Ron had always been beset by anxieties, constantly making preparations, always held back by fear from directly raising the flag of rebellion, now that the plan was truly in motion, he felt that what he faced was not the fear that had long coiled in his heart.
At the moment he truly made up his mind, stood in this place, prepared himself to fight enemies like IX and Terminus, and prepared to overturn the old order of this entire sea of stars, the fear that had always lingered in his heart, like a dead vine, was shattered by his pounding heart and incinerated by the flames that had practically ignited within him.
Ron suddenly felt like a new recruit who had just stepped onto the battlefield... Perhaps before truly setting foot on the battlefield, the fear of death and the attachment to life had him shackled by dread. But once he was truly on the field, his heart no longer had the capacity to consider such things.
At worst, it was only death.
The desire for victory had already suppressed everything else... Ron's heart was as clear as a mirror, reflecting only a single thought.
He wanted only to burn this rotten world to the ground and bring true hope to this sea of stars.
And now... was a fine opportunity.
He took a deep breath and suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp and bright as he looked at the rift torn in the fabric of the cosmos. He slowly raised the Guiding Spirit Lantern in his hand.
For the original Ron, in his cautiousness, he had considered many plans... but now that he had taken the stage ahead of schedule, these complex plans had been twisted and turned by the current situation, and in the end, there was only one path left.
He slowly lifted the lid of the Guiding Spirit Lantern. A brilliant golden holy fire burned within, its flames leaping out, yet they coiled around his fingers, obediently licking at his skin.
When he said he wanted to light a fire in this sea of stars, to burn the boundary between the Tree of Existence and the imaginary domain, he truly meant to light a fire—
The holy fire of [Salvation] possessed the ability to incinerate the Tree of Existence... With enough fuel, this decaying old world would sooner or later be burned clean by the fire of [Salvation], reduced to cold ashes.
But Ron, even as an Aeon, was weak, and his stamina was even weaker—he had been left panting and on the verge of exhaustion just from roasting a clone of IX for a while. How could he possibly provide such a massive amount of fuel, enough for the holy fire of [Salvation] to burn down this decaying old world?
Even if he found the root of the Tree of Existence and started the fire from there, letting the flames engulf the entire great tree from bottom to top, how could he fan it from a few "sparks" into a true "conflagration" before it was extinguished?
The answer... lay within this imaginary domain.
Looking at the constantly surging tide of imaginary energy, Ron felt the infinite power. His own strength was also constantly being replenished, bit by bit returning to his peak state.
This world is fair—though the imaginary energy within the imaginary domain gave birth to an existence like IX that controlled "Nihility," even It was powerless to control the entire domain.
In this vast and boundless imaginary space, the endless imaginary energy was the most impartial boon...
It didn't care who was using it. It simply existed, filling this vast imaginary domain, maintaining a bizarre peace in the structure of this cosmos.
Therefore... it was also the best fuel for Ron's little spark.
A single spark can start a prairie fire.
And this very moment was the time to light that spark.
Ron calmly tilted the lantern, and the brilliant golden liquid fire poured out without reservation onto the rift where the Tree of Existence met the imaginary domain...
Under this cold and furiously surging hurricane of imaginary energy, the brilliant golden liquid fire, though it seemed to seep into the rift like a sickness clinging to bone the moment it fell, still flickered erratically in the storm, as if it would be blown out at any moment...
But Ron was not discouraged.
He simply maintained his tilted posture, and a steady stream of brilliant golden liquid fire poured from the lantern, drop by drop staining the rift in the Tree of Existence...
Time flowed by like water, and a week easily slipped away.
In this week, Ron was, for the first time, like a stone statue—he did not move an inch. The lantern in his hand tilted, and the brilliant golden liquid fire flowed down, as firm and unyielding as his will.
And this will was finally rewarded—
At first, it was a small, bright spark that was no longer blown away by the surging hurricane of imaginary energy... Then, the sparks gathered more and more, coalescing drop by drop into a tiny flower of flame.
But... that was all.
Seven days is not a long time, nor is it short. But for a plan to burn the entire sea of stars, it was like a fleeting moment, a useless second... It was a flash, not even leaving the friction of time slipping through one's fingers.
The brilliant golden holy fire ignited a tiny flame on the rift of the Tree of Existence. This flame swayed precariously in the hurricane of imaginary energy, as fragile as a candle flame in a cold wind, seeming as if it would be extinguished at any moment.
Such a tiny spark, such a fragile flame, on the grand scale of the sea of stars, was as insignificant as if it didn't exist...
Ron had wanted to nurture this flame, to make it bigger, to burn brighter—but he was out of chances.
"Tick-tock."
Just as the sun must rise every day as a matter of course, just as a man will die if he is killed... The cold shell of Nous, [The Erudition], skipped a process. The "tick-tock" of the clock sounded. The destined moment had arrived.
The river of fate had surged forth. Terminus, [The End], had journeyed a long way, successfully crossing an endless expanse of time, and at the end of all things, arrived in this world, now...
Black and white threads poured forth from the river of time, tracing a cold trajectory to outline a finger, a palm, then an arm, a torso—finally, they completely sketched out a humanoid form woven from black and white threads. But from the moment of its appearance, it was shrouded in a deep, silent black mist. Everything was obscured, and no one could see what kind of existence had truly arrived.
Terminus, [The End]... had come.
Watching the figure not far away, shrouded in the silent black mist and woven from black and white threads, Ron finally stopped his actions and looked in its direction...
And then, he could feel that everything around him seemed to be turning to nothingness. Among them, only this Aeon shrouded in black mist revealed an intense sense of presence. Everything seemed as if it were about to become void.
It wasn't just Terminus, [The End]... Even IX, [The Nihility], had arrived before Ron at this moment.
Seeing IX appear at this time, a flash of understanding rose in Ron's heart... Perhaps IX had discovered what he was doing long ago, but had simply not appeared. It wasn't because of Mythus's concealment, but because IX had already suffered a loss at Ron's hands and, unable to see through his true strength, did not dare to let its injured self face him again.
After all... it still had to be wary of Aha's existence. Choosing to play it safe, waiting for Terminus to make a move and then following behind as insurance, was the best choice for it.
In any case, even the "Moment" of Nous had already predicted Ron's death. IX didn't need to take this risk to achieve its goal, so of course it wouldn't act beforehand.
But... it was because it hadn't acted that what Ron was doing right now truly had meaning.
Looking at the two Aeons that had appeared, Ron gently closed the lid of the lantern, clipped it to his waist, and revealed a calm smile.
"We meet again, you two."
But for Ron's meaningless greeting, both Terminus and IX clearly had no intention of responding.
They simply looked at Ron calmly. Their gazes held scrutiny, doubt, curiosity, and incomprehension, but more than anything, it was an impatience composed of disdain and disinterest.
How many Aeons with ideas like Ron's had appeared throughout these countless restarts?
Perhaps even Terminus itself had lost count.
Because they had all lost... No one can defeat fate, just as no one has ever defeated [The End].
This sea of stars always had a fixed ending. Regardless of who was in control of this ending, who was pushing this sea of stars toward that fixed conclusion, anyone who wanted to exert a counterforce against it would ultimately be crushed into dust.
And Ron, compared to those previous existences... seemed to be nothing special.
So... just get rid of him.
Just as this thought appeared in Terminus's mind, in the next instant, Ron was met with a tragic end—
A pitch-black mist was about to sweep over Ron's body. During this, a rose-colored mist precipitated from space, and a phantom-like existence resembling a jellyfish emerged from within.
That was Mythus, [The Enigmata]—its body refracted "colors" and "light" that did not exist in this world. Rays of light wrapped it in a triangular circle, and then it transformed into colorful fibers flying through the air, leaving a hidden radiance that scattered all over Ron's body...
Those flickering, mottled symbols compiled themselves, leaping and boiling in the vacuum, turning into a pattern like gray matter, transforming into the tentacles of countless jellyfish, using metaphor and illusion's overlapping barriers to erase the future that was about to happen, turning certainty into uncertainty, hiding the path Ron had once walked...
But this was no longer the situation from the simulation.
Truly facing Terminus, [The End], Mythus was unable to protect Ron—the black mist just floated by lightly, and the full, dream-like jellyfish was drained of all its spirit, shriveling up bit by bit, and finally, it completely withered, turning into specks of light that scattered.
Mythus, [The Enigmata], was dead. It was that simple, that clean. It had easily met its end.
Of course... Terminus had not treated it as an opponent. Although it had died, the Path of [The Enigmata] was not affected—perhaps it had already awakened at the end of its Path and once again donned the crown of [The Enigmata].
But regardless, Mythus was no longer able to act for their plan, no longer able to protect Ron...
The black mist floated past Ron's body and finally settled on the tiny flame of holy fire—the target of Terminus was not Ron.
To it, an ant like Ron could be crushed at any time. But a fire starting in its backyard was the most important thing...
Because if one was not careful with this thing, sooner or later it would turn into a great fire that would burn everything. If one didn't want to fight the fire when it was already raging, then one had to act when the flame was still just a tiny spark and snuff it out completely.
But...
The tiny, brilliant golden flame, though it swayed precariously in the hurricane of imaginary energy and was dim in the black mist, somehow held onto its last spark, and was not truly extinguished.
This flame... was much tougher than imagined.
"Did you feel it?"
Ron's voice suddenly rang out from the side. It was as calm as a deep, rippleless pool of water, yet a subtle hint of mockery could be heard within it.
"Once a fire is lit, it's not that easy to put out..."
"A single spark... can start a prairie fire."
Ron calmly raised the lantern in his hand. The brilliant golden flame within flickered and leaped, exuding a scorching aura.
"And the flame of [Salvation]... will burn this rotten old world to ashes."
"You, too, should welcome your end, Terminus."
Hearing Ron's words, for the first time, from within the form of Terminus shrouded in black mist, came an extremely heavy voice, as if suppressed by some great weight—
"It won't."
"You are formidable, but only just so."
This voice, though suppressed, held a natural self-confidence—
"For this sea of stars, this spark is far too insignificant... Although the place you lit the fire is a bit tricky, making it a bit more troublesome for me to deal with, it does not mean it truly has any effect on me."
As it spoke, it gently waved its hand. Black and white threads suddenly shot out from the black mist like nimble snakes, and in an instant, they reached Ron's side, stitching up the torn rift in the world like real needle and thread.
The burning golden flame was also bound by these black and white threads, wrapped up layer by layer into a dumpling.
The next moment, IX, [The Nihility], at the side, quietly raised its eyes. The ball of thread, woven from black and white threads and a golden flame, flickered with chaotic fragments... It was as if it were distorted, twisting existence between worlds bit by bit, becoming more and more illusory, flickering—
And finally, it turned to blankness.
"You see," Terminus spread its hands. It was much more talkative than imagined, and even more formidable than imagined—at least, it was not a program completely devoid of thought; it could even speak and mock others.
"Though it was a bit troublesome... what difference does it make?"
"Everything you have done is meaningless..." As it spoke, the air beside it distorted. IX was there, and a different voice came, clearly its own:
"You cannot even prove that you have been here."
Cannot... prove that I have been here?
Ron looked at the two Aeons before him. Although everything they said seemed to be his coming end, there was not a trace of crisis in his heart.
He even... let out a soft laugh.
"Really... is it that simple?"
He murmured softly, looking at the two Aeons before him, a smile he couldn't hide on his lips.
"At least now... I have already completed this goal."
"Many people will remember me, after all..."
Ron looked at the roaring flames in the lantern and said softly:
"The fire, it has already been lit."
"...?"
Hearing Ron's words, IX and Terminus finally felt a hint of something being wrong.
One was a fish-out-of-water that had been waiting for Terminus to act before it was ready to follow, because it had been wounded. The other was a Terminus that had just rushed here from the end of the river of fate... Their attention had been entirely on Ron, so naturally, they had paid less attention to a place that wasn't that important to them...
But... that was the truly important place.
A brilliant golden light flared up in a distant star system. Looking from afar, it was the direction of the Herta Space Station...
Seven days ago, the moment Ron tore open the boundary between reality and the imaginary domain, Herta had already received the notice from Mythus. Under the shroud of the rose-colored mist, with the help of Mythus, she had finally, at this moment, completely ignited an entire star system...
The brilliant golden holy fire had ignited the root of the Tree of Existence, burning the starting point of the Tree—the conflagration had already bared its fangs.
The black mist stagnated for a moment, then seemed to stir with some disquiet...
Terminus no longer spoke. IX, too, lost interest in speaking.
What replaced them were black and white threads that struck like a swift and violent gale, and a dark, lightless jet stream...
There was no more time for taunts... The current Terminus and IX finally felt an extreme sense of urgency.
This fire had finally been lit.
This was not like the tiny little flame Ron had just lit... The holy fire of [Salvation] that was burning an entire star system was not that easy to extinguish, especially since what was burning was the starting point of the Tree of Existence...
They had no more time to waste on Ron. Instead, they unhesitatingly struck at him, preparing to crush this bastard who dared to break the rules that had stood since ancient times, and hurry to put out the fire before it truly burned to a point where it could not be resolved...
But...
"Boom!"
A brilliant golden holy fire erupted from the Guiding Spirit Lantern, in an instant swallowing the black and white thread and the dark jet stream that were hurtling toward him.
"In such a hurry to leave? Since you've both come to me personally, why not stay and chat a little longer?"
Ron looked at Terminus and IX, who seemed to want to leave, and a dangerous smile spread across his lips.
"Your power..."
Terminus couldn't help but frown... Ron had suddenly become far, far too strong. Even if that was just a casual blow from it, it should by no means have been something Ron could withstand...
How did he do it?
But it was impossible for Terminus to know that right now, the holy fire of [Salvation] had already burned through the cosmic structure of the Azure Star system. Endless imaginary energy was pouring in, and it had already transformed the Simulated Universe into a "false cosmos" similar to the Tree of Existence...
And before this, Ron had had Herta help him plant the faith of [Salvation] in the intelligent beings within the Simulated Universe. Right now, they had received endless imaginary energy and had all become Pathstriders of [Salvation].
The faith of an entire world, the bit of hope accumulated by the endless Pathstriders of [Salvation], had finally converged into the grand wish of an entire Salvation, becoming the provision that supported Ron in standing before Terminus and IX...
Seeing the hint of madness emanating from Ron, Terminus frowned and stopped in its tracks, but it didn't waste a single moment—
With another wave of its hand, endless black and white threads surged forth, preparing to ensnare Ron's four limbs, ensnare his Path, and turn him into its own marionette...
And a pitch-black mist swept forth, intending to swallow Ron completely.
IX was not to be outdone. Its cold gaze fell upon Ron, waiting for his spirit to falter for just a moment, ready at any time to turn him into a nihility that had never existed...
Ron had become much stronger... but what did that matter?
Before the true master of this sea of stars, Terminus, and the one who was practically the incarnation of the imaginary domain, IX, even the current Ron only just had the qualification to stand before them...
Perhaps Ron's power could already be considered formidable, but if he really wanted to fight Terminus and IX to a victory, he was still far from it.
But...
"Tch!"
The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh rang out. A black and white thread once again passed through Ron's body. The seemingly soft thread was at this moment as sharp as a blade, easily piercing his body.
A brilliant golden holy fire wanted to gather at the wound to heal it, but a pitch-black mist filled the gap, preventing Ron's body from healing...
Wounds like this had already appeared by the hundreds on Ron's body.
"...Why aren't you dead yet?"
Terminus looked at Ron, its voice tinged with a hint of impatience and disgust.
It had never imagined that Ron, who should have been just an ant, had actually managed to drag it out for so long...
Compared to it and IX, Ron was clearly as weak as a cub, yet he had managed to bare his sharp fangs and hold them off for so long, so long that the brilliant golden holy fire seemed to have already passed through the boundary of the imaginary domain and arrived at the Jarilo system...
They knew clearly, this was no 'seemed'.
This was a sign that the fire of [Salvation] could not be controlled and had completely spread...
If it could spread to the Jarilo system, it could spread to other star systems. If it could burn the Azure Star system to ashes, it could burn other star systems to ashes... Sooner or later, the Tree of Existence would be completely reduced to cold ashes under this holy fire of [Salvation]. If they couldn't solve the problem of this pest, Ron, who was like chewing gum stuck to the bottom of their shoe, how could they possibly go and extinguish the raging fire that was about to burn the Tree of Existence...
"My work isn't done yet... How could I die?"
Ron grinned at the two Aeons before him, revealing a set of steel teeth stained with blood. His eyes were bloodshot. Though his aura was weak, there was not a trace of stammering or weakness. There was only a growing ferocity due to the pain, a taunt that sounded more and more provocative.
"You two bastards aren't dead yet, so how could I die?"
Terminus was silent for a moment. The black mist on its body trembled, and it ground its teeth.
"...Truly audacious!"
Ron held up two middle fingers toward Terminus and IX.
"I've never been one for small guts. If you have what it takes, kill me, you [Belobog profanity]!"
"You asked for this!"
Perhaps finally unable to endure Ron's insults, Terminus, who had already been using its full power, struck with rage, even more viciously than before...
And Ron, who had gradually lost his strength due to one grievous injury after another, had no power to resist this furious blow from Terminus...
"Tch!"
Countless black and white threads surged forth like a tide, piercing Ron's shell, then piercing out from his body again, turning him into a leaky balloon with countless holes, on the verge of completely exploding in that instant, his whole body deflating.
And Ron's remaining last breath was gradually dispersed by this piercing, and he couldn't hold on for much longer...
The "Moment" of Nous, [The Erudition], had arrived.
Without the slightest error, at this very moment, its "Moment" had arrived.
But... Ron felt not a shred of bitterness or regret.
He had only been meant to slow the steps of Terminus and IX. The moment he saw the Jarilo system also begin to burn completely, he knew clearly that his mission was already complete.
The fire was raging, the momentum had arrived...
Even Terminus and IX had no way to extinguish this conflagration.
Seeing this brilliant golden holy fire completely ignited, the thoughts of Terminus and IX were unsettled. They unhesitatingly took a step, heading toward the source of the flame.
There was still time... Although time was tight, there was still time.
They were strong... very strong. Even with a fire like this, they still had some chance of extinguishing it.
Now was not the time to sit and wait for death... There was still a chance to start over!
But...
"Don't... go..."
A brilliant golden flame transformed into a lasso, looping around Terminus's body.
Terminus turned its head and saw that Ron's body had a surging golden flame, even more powerful than before, supporting Ron even after death, allowing him to use his will. His obsession was now driving his corpse to manipulate the power of [Salvation], preventing Terminus and IX from going to extinguish this conflagration...
And Terminus was on the verge of going crazy—this guy was clearly dead. What kind of obsession was it that could make him use his own corpse and that power of [Salvation] to obstruct it in every way?
"I don't believe you can't die!"
It gritted its teeth, for the first time its mind clouded by anger. It unhesitatingly grabbed Ron's remains, preparing to grind his bones to dust, and then grind everything Ron had left behind into fine powder, and then crush the manifestation of the Path of [Salvation] into fragments. It refused to believe that this guy could rise from the dead again, clinging to it like a plaster!
But...
"Pardon me, but he still owes me a small debt. I can't let you completely collect his life..."
A teasing voice sounded. Terminus just saw a flash before its eyes, and then Ron's body suddenly disappeared.
It whipped its head around and saw Aha, [The Elation], holding Ron's body, but its hand was reaching into Ron's tattered chest. After fumbling for a moment, it pulled out a... game cartridge?
"What, you want to play too?"
Looking at Terminus and IX, who were staring daggers at it, Aha just shrugged and said:
"The Life Simulation Game cartridge is a lot of fun, but it has nothing to do with you."
A friendly smile appeared on its face.
"Because you no longer have the chance to play... Juniors, you should obediently accept reality."
It dragged Ron's corpse and lightly stepped into the void. Its tone was still tinged with a wisp of mockery:
"After all... this fire has really been lit."
As Aha disappeared, only Terminus was left, gritting its teeth and turning its gaze back to the ever-intensifying brilliant golden holy fire...
The fire raged, burning away the shackles of this sea of stars, and also burning away the thoughts of Terminus and IX.
The holy fire of [Salvation] was burning at their very foundation, and the will within it was far too resolute...
These two Aeons did not manage to last long against it.
Aha was right.
This fire had truly been lit.
---o---
Cold. Shaking.
Ron felt this subtle sensation and couldn't help but shiver, sitting up abruptly. He opened his somewhat hazy eyes, and what greeted him was a pitying pink-haired girl holding her forehead—
Ron's head had shot up too fast, so fast that March 7th couldn't react in time. He had been given a solid knock on the head, and his already not-so-bright little head had become even less sharp...
"What... what's going on?"
Looking at the familiar furnishings around him, Ron knew clearly that he was on the Astral Express.
But... shouldn't he have already died in the battle with Terminus and IX? Why was he back on the train?
"I don't know," March 7th scratched her head, equally confused. "Bronya stayed behind in Belobog because of the incident at the Qlipoth Fort hub, said she was waiting for you to come back. But we've already solved the trouble in Belobog and have been sailing for more than half a month. Then yesterday, you suddenly appeared on the sofa in the Parlor Car..."
Suddenly appeared on the sofa in the Parlor Car...
Ron was slightly taken aback. He thoughtfully looked at his own hands, then suddenly felt something in his pocket. He casually took it out and pulled out a small, square block—
It was a game cartridge, with the words "Life Simulation Game" written on it.
Flipping the cartridge over, he could see a message written in what looked like a child's scrawl, but the tone was familiar—
[The Elation] Aha: The play has begun and ended. The final act is over... You won, Ron.[The Elation] Aha: A little parting gift for you. After this sea of stars is completely burned to ashes, we will meet again if fate allows.[The Elation] Aha: Doesn't it feel much lighter now that all the burdens have been lifted? Go and enjoy your own 'Moment of Elation'... Have fun.
...I won?
Ron couldn't help but feel a bit dazed. A great sense of unreality welled up from the bottom of his heart.
But how could this thing be fake... Aha had saved him, given him a small gift, and sent him to the Astral Express...
Suddenly, Ron came to his senses. He took out his phone from his pocket and saw countless messages from Herta.
But in his current dazed state, still reeling from this subtle, ethereal feeling, the first thing Ron saw were the last few messages Herta had sent—
Herta: Success. According to calculations, in less than a month, the holy fire of [Salvation] will completely burn the Tree of Existence. At that time, the imaginary domain will begin to truly merge with the observable universe. We might arrive at a higher-level world and see sights never seen before. Herta: But the Tree of Existence has not yet burned to ashes. Everything is still brewing. This might be the last period of time that this sea of stars can maintain its final appearance... Herta: I heard from the Express that you're on the train now? Don't forget to reply when you wake up. Don't rush back to the space station. The Simulated Universe combined with the imaginary domain is making my head spin. I won't have time to celebrate with you even if you come back. Herta: Follow the Astral Express and wander around this sea of stars. See the final scenery of this sea of stars, and take a good rest... This is all thanks to you. You've worked so hard for so long, you should rest. Herta: ...But don't really go too far with the Astral Express. Don't forget to come back and find me at our space station!!!
Seeing Herta's messages, Ron couldn't help but feel a sense of ease welling up from the bottom of his heart.
This kind of calm, easy feeling was something he had never known before, knowing that this sea of stars was destined to head toward [The End].
But now, after solving this ultimate problem, everything had changed...
Ron once again felt that familiar sense of laziness. The ease and peace welling up in his heart made him unable to stop the corners of his mouth from curling up.
He leaned lazily against the sofa and asked casually:
"Little March, where are we heading next?"
"Next stop?"
March 7th shrugged and casually pulled an invitation card from her pocket.
"Penacony, the famous Land of Dreams in the galaxy. I hear it's a super grand hotel—what, you want to go have some fun too, Ron?"
Ron looked at the invitation card in March 7th's hand and couldn't help but reveal a relaxed smile.
"Why not?"
"A journey always has a new stop... The last major act of the story has come to an end, but there is always new ink to fill the pages."
"This sea of stars is vast and boundless. There are still many places I want to travel to, and Penacony is just one more..."
He said, getting up lightly.
"Let's get off the train... and continue our story."
"Our journey... is still long."
(End of Main Text)