T/N: Floating castle city -> Arcane Castle.
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Facing Void Archives' madness, Mei☆ frowned, her voice carrying an unmistakable complexity: "It's not just the appearance and the manner of speaking. Do you even want to be tainted by that kind of reckless madness?"
The corner of Void Archives' lips curled into a bitter arc, his voice filled with an inescapable sense of resignation: "Hah. I wish I could follow my own desires like Otto did, but from the moment I was born, I never had the right to choose-"
Mei☆ fell silent for a moment, then stepped half a pace forward and extended her hand: "You still have a choice. Come back with me. I'll have Vill-V give you your true 'freedom.'"
"I can guarantee it too~?" Elysia stepped forward lightly, her fingertips twirling a wisp of pink light dust, her smile bright and confident. "Every word Mei☆ says is just as unquestionable as my beauty!"
Void Archives: "...."
He lowered his gaze. The gilded patterns in his pupils dimly flowed, and the silence spread like congealed aether, quietly filling the space between the three of them.
After a long while, he let out a low laugh, a laugh that had shed its deliberate imitation of Otto's tone, leaving only exhaustion and melancholy soaked deep into the bone.
His eyes flickered violently, as if two streams of data were tearing at each other within him, half instinctive resistance, half a desire hidden for far too long.
He slowly raised his hand, his fingertips inching closer and closer to Mei☆'s palm. When the distance was less than an inch, he suddenly froze!
A thunderous roar abruptly exploded, resounding through place as it came from deep within the Arcane Castle.
Void Archives' body suddenly radiated light. Countless dense streams of data surged out of him like a tide breaking free of its restraints.
"Everything is already too late, everyone. This is the verdict foretelling my death, and also the horn signaling the beginning of the 'harvest.' Lucheni has finally decided to step onto the stage himself."
He looked at Mei☆ and Elysia, his voice carrying a sigh that was almost one of relief:
"The former Herrschers, and the young apprentices, let me give you a piece of advice. Turn around and leave this place. Lucheni is not an existence you can understand, let alone challenge."
Immediately after, golden data particles rustled into existence from Void Archives' body.
"Do not try to peer into the abyss, or you will end up like me. My mission and my curse end here."
As the final words fell, Void Archives' body was torn apart by the pull of the Stargate, turning into countless fragments of light and streams of data, disappearing silently before everyone's eyes as if he had never existed at all.
Only that warning remained, softly echoing in the vast space, while the Arcane Castle began to shake violently at that very moment.
Rocks from the dome crashed down with a roar, and the only exit was sealed by a mysterious force, trapping everyone inside this crumbling cage.
Just as Lyle and the others stood at a loss, Adam's gaze instantly locked onto the Stargate that had devoured Void Archives. Determination and understanding churned in his eyes, everything was left unspoken.
Lyle looked at the collapsing surroundings, his mouth opening and closing as his voice trembled uncontrollably: "Buddy, you're joking, right? We're really going into that thing?"
Timido frowned deeply, her face full of worry: "No matter what, this is still..."
Before Timido could finish, Siegfried had already taken a big step forward: "Alright, I'm going!"
Greatness needs no words!
The moment his words fell, Siegfried led by example. His figure turned into an afterimage as he charged straight into the Stargate.
"Senior Siegfried!" Lyle cried out, clutching his head. His face was a mix of shock and utter despair, his wail drowned out by the continuing sounds of collapse.
Fu Hua swept her gaze over the increasingly critical environment, her expression grave: "There's no time to waste. Bronya and I will go in first to scout ahead. You follow after."
Before her words had fully settled, she exchanged a glance with Bronya beside her, and the two leapt into the Stargate shoulder to shoulder.
Adam turned his head toward Lyle and Timido, his tone completely decisive: "Either go in, or be buried here."
With that, he said no more, turning and stepping into the Stargate, his clothes cutting a clean arc through the chaotic airflow.
"Ah! I really can't take this anymore!"
Lyle stomped his foot hard, then looked at the dome about to collapse overhead and grabbed Timido's wrist.
"Let's go! We can't really die here!"
Timido let out a cry as the two stumbled into the Stargate, behind them, the entire corridor collapsed with a thunderous crash, the rising dust instantly swallowed by the Stargate's pull.
At the instant everyone entered the Stargate, Kiana☆ also lost her target and completely vanished from the perception field, as if she had left this universe entirely.
She turned to look at Fu Lin beside her, a trace of anxiety impossible to hide in her voice: "Fu Lin, I can't sense them anymore. Dad, the captain, Bronya, and those Schicksal squad members won't run into danger, right..."
Hearing Kiana☆'s concern, and noticing that she alone hadn't mentioned Fu Shi and the others, Fu Lin's mouth twitched. He sighed helplessly under his breath, then spoke calmly with firm reassurance: "Don't worry. With Fu Shi around, they'll be fine."
Kiana☆ silently nodded, raised her hand like a gun, and a resolute glint flashed in her eyes as she said softly: "Mm. The sky people are still too dangerous. When Dad and the others come back, I'll blow that broken Stargate apart with one shot. I won't allow them to come to my world and shatter this hard-won peace."
Fu Lin smiled faintly, his tone mild yet carrying a hint of concern: "Just act within your limits. Don't force yourself."
....
Inside the Arcane Castle, the world beneath everyone's feet had already changed.
The vastness of this unfamiliar space far exceeded all external understanding of the castle, as if it were a world unto itself.
As far as the eye could see, there was only a single winding path ascending upward, stretching toward unknown heights amid dim light and shadow.
Bronya swept her gaze across the surroundings, methodically analyzing their situation: "This place...could it be the deeper interior of the Arcane Castle? Is Lucheni, whom Void Archives mentioned, lurking here?"
Fu Hua also frowned slightly: "There's no sign of Void Archives here. Was he really torn apart by the Stargate?"
"Everyone, I've already observed the area. There's only this one path ahead."
Siegfried's voice came from the front, his usual cheerfulness replaced by a trace of solemnity.
"Hey, this isn't a path at all!" Fu Shi suddenly jumped forward and stomped hard on the 'road' beneath her feet. "This is Lucheni's arm!"
Lyle's face instantly turned pale. He swallowed hard and subconsciously shrank closer behind Adam, his voice trembling: "J-Just an arm is this thick...how enormous does Lucheni have to be? How about we retreat first and discuss this properly?"
"At this point, Lyle, are you joking?" Bronya glanced at him calmly, then looked at Timido and comforted her. "It's normal to feel uneasy, Timido. But don't worry. We're here, and so are your teammates."
Lyle immediately clutched his chest, wearing an utterly devastated expression as he wailed: "Captain Bronya, how can you be so biased!"
Adam patted Lyle on the shoulder and shook his head slightly. After a long pause, he finally spoke: "Go home, kid. Batman says he won't hit you anymore."
Lyle dropped to his knees and let out a sky-shaking roar: "No!!!! You've not the Adam I know anymore.!!!!!"
As Lyle's roar echoed, the 'path' ahead suddenly began to tremble violently!
The ground that had seemed flat instantly split apart, then floated in the air for a few turns before assembling into two gigantic arms.
Immediately after, a deeper, more oppressive roar rang out, and Lucheni finally revealed its full form.
Everyone's gaze simultaneously turned toward Lyle, tinged with helplessness.
Lyle stiffened all over and hurriedly forced out a few awkward dry laughs: "T-This platform really is... quite the platform..."