Under this strange perspective, everyone was staring at Calypso and the others gathered around the Vortex of Genesis.
At this moment, Calypso was deciphering a prophecy.
"You shall wither, and through that, the dead will sprout again from the remains, and be reborn with the dead flame"
"It is a pity that fate is such a cruel mistress."
Gnaeus, unwilling to accept it, asked from the side, "Is there no other way of interpreting those words?"
Polyxia, however, was unusually calm. "I'm afraid that the meaning is clear: Between my sister and me, one must pay the price... "Our" trial can only be completed when the one chosen sacrifices her life."
"I'm afraid that the prophecy might even have selected a pair of twins... for this exact purpose."
What the three said was somewhat obscure, but it didn't prevent everyone from understanding.
The Vortex of Genesis. And the prophecy.
The audience felt a sense of déjà vu, hadn't something like this happened to Aglaea and the others before?
This girl named Polyxia gave them the same feeling as that moment when they had observed themselves…
...
: Damn, so every generation of Titans receives a prophecy of their own death?
: That's way too terrifying.
: Isn't anyone noticing those twins?
: This Polyxia who looks almost identical to Castorice… could she be Castorice's blood relative?
: That's basically confirmed, right? She's definitely family, probably even her sister. All the clues were already there!
: Damn, no matter which theory it is, it's scary.
: But now it looks like these people are from before the Golden Age.
: And their relationship seems really close, Gnaeus actually cares about Polyxia…
...
The comments scrolled past.
The plot grew increasingly convoluted.
On screen, Polyxia sat in a wheelchair, saying dejectedly, "My sister is prepared to sacrifice herself... and yet, I can't do the same..."
"How absurd... My time is almost up, but I'm still afraid to welcome death..."
"What should we do...? I-If I'm ultimately not able to make up my mind..."
Her voice gradually choked up, unable to continue.
Calypso comforted her from the side. "Since Khaos is willing to guide all of us and leave this trial to the end... There is still plenty of time for you to ponder."
Gnaeus nodded. "That's right. Don't allow the fog of an uncertain future to cloud your mind."
Their conversation was entirely overheard by Anaxagoras and the others.
Cerces frowned slightly. "Trial, prophecy... the topics that they're discussing seem familiar."
"But these three people must not have left their names in the epics. Otherwise, I would have some recollection of this..."
At this point, what Anaxagoras was showing them, no matter how far beyond common sense it seemed, Cerces had to find a way to understand it.
Because this was what Kephale had seen. No… perhaps it could no longer be called Kephale. It should be called something else now, Khaos.
It was clear that among these fragmented afterimages and disordered words, Cerces could determine one thing: the Worldbearing Titan had always carried the responsibility of guiding the other Titans.
And through his perception and eyes, what was seen must be the truest story of this world.
But… these three names, had never appeared in any records.
While Cerces was thinking, Castorice beside him was also silently repeating the names she had heard.
Calypso… Polyxia… and Gnaeus.
The scene before them suddenly changed.
It was no longer the Vortex of Genesis, but a flowing sequence of scenes.
The three remained together the entire time, but their surroundings kept shifting, one moment a battlefield, the next a rushing current.
It felt as though someone were watching a real-time adventure from a third-person perspective.
And that adventure was playing at accelerated speed. But whether it was the audience or Anaxagoras and the others, they all understood, this was the flow rate of memories.
To the Worldbearing Titan, these years and time were nothing more than a fleeting instant.
No direct connection. Yet fate brought the two together, and now what they saw and did mutually confirmed each other.
Everyone once again looked toward the scene.
Within it, Gnaeus stepped forward on his own initiative.
With Calypso's help, he set up an alchemical array. Its purpose, naturally, was to split his soul into several parts.
When the audience saw this, they were completely stunned.
Because the soul-splitting ritual, wasn't that something Eurypon would perform?
At that point in time, for Gnaeus, that should have belonged to the next era.
Yet now the story was telling them that Gnaeus himself, in the previous era, had already initiated the soul-splitting ritual and voluntarily split himself apart.
What was going on?
Soon, the three, weathered by countless hardships, arrived at a familiar place.
"This is… Nikador's soul-splitting ritual?" Castorice widened her eyes.
"Soul-splitting ritual?" Anaxagoras glanced at Castorice curiously.
Castorice then recounted her adventure in Castrum Kremnos with Stelle and the others.
Those matters regarding Gnaeus and Nikador's soul division made the smile on Anaxagoras's lips grow increasingly pronounced.
"Heh… What you have seen is even stronger proof!"
Anaxagoras processed the information, his gaze sweeping over Gnaeus. "As expected… fate truly is a wondrous thing."
If the two had never met, Castorice's experiences and Anaxagoras's merging with Kephale would have remained separate clues, with no connection whatsoever.
...
: W-what is going on with this timeline?!
: In the previous life, they also performed the soul-splitting ritual?!
: Then wouldn't Nikador have been split a second time afterward?
: That doesn't make sense.
: What does this even mean…
: I can't understand this anymore.
: Maybe the soul-splitting ritual was originally one of the trials of Strife? But because Eurypon did it ahead of time, the later generation didn't need to?
: Hmm… that barely makes sense.
: Or maybe in this life, the soul-splitting ritual was first created by Gnaeus and then passed down to the next era?
: There's an even more ridiculous possibility, that this is the ritual from the previous era, but once Amphoreus entered the next era, the ritual lost its effect, because Nikador, or rather Gnaeus, had his state reset.
...
This time, the soul-splitting ritual, set even further back in time than the one involving Eurypon, left the audience's brains practically exploding.
But amid all the analysis, the viewers at least figured out one thing. With all this information, the truth was already becoming clear.
The cycle within Amphoreus.
All signs pointed to a single conclusion, when everything from the previous era, including the Titans, moves into the next era, they do not perfectly inherit everything from the last.
It feels more like… Starting a new game from scratch?
The many mysteries surrounding Gnaeus further support this idea.
And at this moment, on screen.
Standing at the center of the soul-splitting ritual, Gnaeus looked calm as he faced his impending fate.
But Polyxia, who had been watching him from behind, couldn't bear it.
"I do not understand... Why would you dare to sacrifice yourself for a future that you won't get to witness?"
Polyxia clutched the hem of her clothes and asked with difficulty.
Ever since her appearance, she had always been a gentle girl, afraid of death and separation.
There was no sense of responsibility or resolve of a demigod or a Chrysos Heir in her.
This wasn't a criticism. Polyxia was more like the youngest among the Titan demigods.
Hearing this, Gnaeus turned to look at her and smiled. "Because this is our destiny. The power that resides within me is so intense that I will one day be engulfed by it."
"Furthermore, a "Valorous Death Before Glorious Return" has always been the path I chose to walk, a journey I began long ago. If your sister or Khaos were in my position, I believe they would make the same choice as well."
After hearing Gnaeus's patient explanation, Polyxia lowered her head and said self-consciously, "I... I'm not that brave. I don't know how I'm supposed to face such a serious affair..."
As the chosen of death, yet not knowing how to face it. Hearing this, Gnaeus showed even more patience in his eyes.
He didn't say more for now, allowing Calypso to manipulate the alchemical rite as the soul energy surged.
Glory, resilience, courage… Just as the audience had seen before, Gnaeus's soul was split and sealed into one container after another.
In the end, what remained was only a fragment of pure rationality.
Watching the entire process, Polyxia bit her lips tightly, her small face pale.
"Cheer up, young lady. There is no need to shed tears over a glorious death."
Gnaeus walked up to her and patted her shoulder.
At this point, with only his rational mind remaining, his figure had become even more faint.
Yet Polyxia couldn't understand his composure. "Although only a sliver of your soul remains, you remain so optimistic... Or maybe the truth is that you aren't able to feel sorrow anymore?"
"To be honest, I don't know either. But I am certain of one thing: This is not an acceptance of death nor apathy toward it. It's not even a feeling of despair..."
"I am just enjoying what remains of my life to the fullest." Gnaeus replied.
"Enjoying?" Polyxia looked at him.
"Indeed. Along this journey that we've taken together, not only have I changed the world, I myself have also changed in the process."
"And now, I have reached the journey's end. When I look back and see the grand epic that I've personally written, how could I not revel in that fact?"
There was a trace of relief in Gnaeus' voice.
"But when you depart the mortal realm... won't all of your accomplishments be reduced to nothing?"
"Separation and death are two sides of the same coin... Reconciling this doesn't come easily for a mortal."
Polyxia said hurriedly.
That was death. Once a person dies, nothing remains.
No matter what stories or emotions they had in life, once they die, all that's left is cold emptiness.
Just thinking about it made Polyxia feel suffocated.
"Heh."
"Polyxia, remember this, there is no difference between living and dying, for they are both journeys that lead toward Death."
"But in that process, death is but a scale to measure how valuable the journey was. Journeys and epics are only glorious and magnificent because all things eventually fade to dust."
"Therefore, young lady, don't detest your fate. Instead, willingly and respectfully embrace it."
"And live a brilliant life, so that the meaning of our inevitable death is not in vain!"
Gnaeus' voice was thunderous.
After a moment of stunned silence, Polyxia gave a bitter smile of realization. "...The embodiment of Strife telling me about the majesty of the world...?"
"Hahaha!"
Gnaeus, who had always been serious, burst into laughter. Taking a breath, he said, "Indeed. I believe that when the fated moment eventually arrives, you will be able to understand my words."
With that, he stepped toward the very center of the formation.
"It's time for me to knock on death's door. I will set up a long table at the end of the road and humbly await your arrival..."
"When that moment finally comes, let us drink and be merry then." Gnaeus' figure vanished.
Only Calypso and Polyxia remained, staring blankly at the place where he had stood.
And the audience.
...
: This… this is… an echo!
: The foreshadowing paid off again, holy, this writing is insane!!
: After Castorice defeated Nikador, she spoke with Nikador's lingering soul, which was actually Gnaeus!
: Back then, Gnaeus taught Castorice the same thing.
: And now, no, in the previous era, Gnaeus used the same spirit to guide the Death Titan.
: No wonder it sounded so familiar!
: This confirms it even more.
: The Strife Titan teaching two generations tied to death…
: That's some dark humor right there.
: Honestly, this kind of acceptance is so cool.
: Because everything ends in death or nothingness, short lives become all the more precious, this is peak!
...
The comments exploded.
A character built up since the very first episode was now being brought full circle. It gave the audience an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
Every important character would, in unexpected ways, create ripples in the later story.
And on screen, as Gnaeus departed, the story reached its peak.
The memories accelerated once more. When things finally slowed down, Polyxia and Calypso had returned to the Vortex of Genesis.
As expected, a new Titan was about to be born.
"I knew this day would eventually come." Polyxia took a deep breath.
At that moment, footsteps sounded behind them.
A slender figure in boots slowly approached Polyxia.
"Mm-hmm. Polyxia… I'm here." A gentle voice rang out.
The camera lifted, revealing the girl on screen.
The next second, the comments exploded with exclamation marks.
All the viewers were stunned. Because the one who appeared, was none other than Castorice.
And the real Castorice, upon seeing her, also fell into a brief lapse.