Quân gazed upon that desolate, silent realm, then raised his eyes toward the sky thronged with suspended bodies.
"What about Promet? You mentioned his mind was broken by Lunas—"
"It is over."
Quân stated, ignoring Kale as he stepped forward.
The domain above the sky was gradually tearing open.
Literally, it was being ripped apart with crude, violent force.
The canopy appeared as though sliced through by a pair of scissors fashioned from clouds; as it reached toward the sun, it seemed to cleave out thousands of distinct colorful rays, illuminating this space.
Quân and Kale observed the phenomenon, then exchanged glances.
"According to our agreement, we will travel together."
Hearing this, Quân nodded to Kale, though a problem remained at hand.
"Yet if I step outside right now, virtually no method remains.
Death is absolute, for my physical body currently still belongs to that other Quân; fundamentally, if I depart, because I am merely an illusion representing a psyche, I shall be erased."
Kale shook his head, then chuckled.
"Do you not know who I am? I work directly for the rulers themselves, so a way certainly exists."
Then Kale pressed his hand against his lips, though for that wooden puppet, pinpointing the location of lips was nearly impossible.
"Let us go."
With that, Quân followed Kale as they walked together into the city that was gradually saturating with color and breaking free from its dreary grayness.
...
"So you mean to say there is no way out?"
Upon that dreary gray street, where Ron and Janeus had once strolled during the first loop, two figures were now walking side by side.
This time, Ron and Quân walked together.
Yet the way Quân looked at Ron resembled a stiff puppet, tinged with exhaustion.
"Correct; perhaps the other Rons deceived you, or right from the start, they deceived you all."
Ron pondered for two seconds before continuing.
"To overcome this realm, one must practically slay this very world, yet what are the consequences, the harms, and what if we fail?
No version of Ron can say for certain."
"So that was the reason you, or rather all of you, demanded that I enter the loop???"
Quân gnashed his teeth, hoisting Ron by his collar and glaring at him.
Even so, in Ron's eyes, his expression did not alter in the slightest, for although Ron had done it, simultaneously it was not Ron.
"However."
Ron spoke, brushing Quân's hand aside.
"The sole reason I am telling you this is because of something you likely know yourself."
Ron pointed toward the sun behind him, which was overflowing with hazy, luminescent bands.
"Board those who are destined to become trains onto the train, except for me...
It is not strictly necessary that all... remain alive; regardless, no one can survive any longer.
The next loop will likely be the final one."
Having said that, Ron patted Quân on the shoulder, and then...
Click~
A cigarette pack was handed to Quân, and when Quân opened it in utter shock, he realized what lay within was...
A fresh magazine of ammunition...
"Live however you can live."
Ron reminded Quân before taking his leave.
...
CRASH!!!
Ron tumbled across the ground, gradually emanating a faint wispy smoke; that faint darkness resembled a black streak set against a city overflowing with vibrant, colorful light.
Sunbeams filtered through the sheer hospital fabric, eventually reaching Ron's eyes.
Only now did he fully comprehend the meaning behind the word 'assimilation' that Quân had spoken of.
And for the very first time in his life, he was regretting it...
"ACK..."
Ron's eyes grew heavy, radiating a thick dark aura that rapidly condensed into layers of fabric enveloping his entire body, forming a cocoon clinging tightly to him.
Ron thrashed in resistance, yet gradually, his entire body underwent a bizarre mutation; slowly, his back elongated, his spinal vertebrae protruded clearly, expanding continuously outward...
'Sink deep...'
A voice akin to a enchanting invitation called out to Ron, whereupon his eyelids grew heavy, and for the first time in many years, he grew sleepy and drifted off into exhaustion.