Stardrop.
The only item produced in Stardew Valley that can directly increase a Farmer's maximum energy and health. Its rarity goes without saying; it almost exclusively appears at critical nodes within the game's progression. In the game, the maximum number obtainable is limited to seven, appearing successively through events such as descending the mines, marriage, and collection milestones.
But Suke was different. There was one thing he had wanted to complain about for a long time. From the moment he started running the farm until now, let alone a Stardrop, he hadn't even seen a single leaf of one! Even when he descended to the hundredth floor of the Mines and opened the corresponding chest! The reward inside wasn't a Stardrop, but a simple, direct increase to his Health bar and energy values!
Previously, Suke thought this Stardew Valley system had just omitted the process of eating the Stardrop and fast-forwarded directly to the attribute reward, so he hadn't paid it much mind. He just felt a bit regretful that he hadn't tasted what a Stardrop was like. After all, he had eaten pile after pile of good things, yet the taste of that Stardrop remained a cloud of mystery to him.
But now... Suke looked at Solomon. He could feel that, with the blessing of the Path created by BB, he was seeing a side that others could not. A purple, star-shaped fruit was currently gestating within Solomon's essence—or rather, within this cycle related to him.
It exerted an almost instinctive attraction on Suke! Brother, you smell so good... No, that's not right! Suke finally understood how those Servants in the Deep Sea Cyber Paradise felt when they looked at the Junimo Starfruit. This was his first time observing someone's "essence" in such a direct manner.
He didn't know if he had fallen prey to some sort of "cognitive barrier," but in his eyes, the "essence" precipitating from the cycle of others was, to him, a Stardrop! It seemed BB hadn't lied to him this time; he really could become stronger. It was just that the method was a bit strange, making Suke feel like some mastermind fishing for all living beings, sitting back to watch the cycles of others and then harvesting the fruits. If Mabel hadn't said that the cycle was a natural phenomenon, Suke would really have started to doubt himself.
"Dr. Roman... is it really you?"
Of course, in contrast to his self-doubt, Fujimaru Ritsuka beside him appeared extraordinarily agitated. She had never imagined she would ever again see this comrade who used to always support her and Mash in their battles within Singularities from the rear. He was a mentor to her and Mash, a close friend, and above all, the Saint King Solomon who had dedicated his very self for the sake of humanity.
"Yo, Ritsuka. Long time no see."
King Solomon—or perhaps he should be called the Doctor of Chaldea, Roman—revealed a trace of a familiar, bitter smile. "Although I've been watching you from the outside for a long time, reuniting in a form like this still feels somewhat embarrassing."
His hairstyle changed, and the robes belonging to a King faded away. In just a blink, his body revealed that white lab coat symbolizing a member of the Chaldea staff. The man who had already discarded the name of the King of Magic scratched his fluffy hair with some distress. He displayed none of the majesty belonging to a Saint or a King; instead, he seemed naturally like an ordinary young man who had just finished working overtime in the Chaldea command room and was caught trying to slack off and watch V-Tubers.
"You... you useless coward! Big liar! The root of all evil, slacking Doctor!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka lunged forward abruptly. She threw a fierce punch, smashing directly into the abdomen of the man named Romani Archaman.
"Ah—!"
Roman let out a cry of pain, clutching his stomach and taking half a step back. He clearly hadn't expected Fujimaru Ritsuka's "welcome" to be so enthusiastic!
"Why were you hiding here? Do you know that Da Vinci and Mash both thought you had disappeared, died, that even the gods couldn't save you back?!" Fujimaru Ritsuka spoke through gritted teeth, but the tears seeping from the corners of her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
Indeed, he should have passed away completely. With King Solomon's Noble Phantasm that returned all his glory to the Lord, not only his physical self but his very existence should have been erased from the Throne of Heroes and history.
"Well, well... wasn't I saved...?" Recovering from the pain, Dr. Roman looked slightly helpless. "After all, the one who saved me was a god... I am truly sorry, my Lord, to have let you see me in such a wretched state."
Dr. Roman turned his gaze, looking toward Pretender, who sat high upon the throne in mid-air overlooking them, and performed an extremely solemn, deep bow. Only then did he turn back to the catch-up session with Fujimaru Ritsuka, who had resumed her rambling with countless things she wanted to tell him.
To break the barrier is to be liberated from the cycle.
Suke stood at the edge of the ruins, watching the Savior and the Doctor reuniting not far away. He was gradually beginning to understand what exactly he was fulfilling. However...
Suke looked toward Pretender, who had at some point stepped down from the throne and was standing beside him. She had taken off her sun hat, revealing a cascade of snow-white hair flowing down. Pretender, the one who wears a role. Who was she wearing at this very moment? Was it Tsukishiro Yuki, the Great Witch, or the Lord residing high in the heavens overlooking all living beings?
"I'm thinking about something, Little Yuki," Suke said, pinching his chin in thought as he slowly turned to look at Pretender. "This matter has actually been on my mind for a long time. I was wondering, why must it be me for some things?"
"You know me. Actually, the thing I want to do most is just stay on that acre of land with you all and live the life I want. I know you've done a lot for me, but I don't know why you do it this way. With your abilities, couldn't you just settle the problems directly?"
This was a question Suke had been pondering ever since Mabel came to Stardew Valley. strictly speaking, for these omnipotent beings, the birth and death of all living beings should be like dream bubbles to them. There was nothing in the heavens they couldn't do, nothing they couldn't seek. The things he could do, there was a high probability they could do as well. Of course, this wasn't Suke giving up on himself. Just as he had thought in the past—isn't his wife's power his power? Why make such a clear distinction?
"Animus, do you want to hear a lie or the truth?"
"The truth."
"Hehe... The truth is, Animus, you overestimate us somewhat." Pretender smiled faintly. "Outside the cycle, our power is indeed sufficient to protect you most of the time, Animus. But within the cycle, we are not as omnipotent as you think, Animus. That includes Miss Mabel."
Pretender's smile matched the panel of this Servant body she displayed to Suke; in this Singularity belonging to Fuyuki City, her stats were indeed not strong. Just as the victorious result was mainly due to the efforts of Metatron and the others; she had merely served as a cohesive force.
Right. Suke recalled Abigail telling him that Mabel, being her uncle, couldn't break the cycle of Salem and had to borrow his power. He felt that this so-called cycle was more like the stimulation of some intense emotion, just like the deepest impression buried in a person's heart—just as Solomon's impression was this Fuyuki where he won the Holy Grail War and wished to become human.
At this moment, the conversation between Dr. Roman and Fujimaru Ritsuka had just ended. He came before Suke.
"Sir, thank you."
Dr. Roman's eyes were clear. His sacrifice in the Temple of Time had also brought Suke many regrets in the past; now, this could be considered making up for a certain expectation in Suke's heart.
"If not for the descent of you and the Lord, I probably would have remained in a stalemate with that stubborn Counter Force on that throne for eternity. But now, I think I can lay down the burden."
Dr. Roman looked relieved. The entire environment of Fuyuki City, regarded by the Human Order as a Singularity, shifted along with his release. The real and the unreal intertwined. Seeing this scene, Suke instantly understood what the cycle was. Just as he had expected, the cycle was born from the heart. Just like Tsukishiro Yuki's obsession with him back then—as long as that obsession was broken, the cycle would end.
Of course, also within Suke's vision, a purple, star-shaped fruit emitting the radiance of stars was being birthed. The plucking of this Stardrop would not affect the person named Romani Archaman; on the contrary, this was a gift he was about to give to this Farmer.
A gift presented upon "return" when one who was drowning in the cycle breaks free.
[Detected a harvestable 'Stardrop'. Does the Farmer wish to acquire it?]
Suke looked at the prompt on the panel and chose 'Yes'. Without any light-polluting special effects, that purple Stardrop landed lightly in Suke's palm. He had a strong urge to eat it immediately, but he held back. Suke chose to turn his head and look at Pretender. He now suspected that Old Yuki and the others had embezzled the Stardrops that should have belonged to him, but he had no evidence. After returning to the farm, he would definitely make them cough up what they owed him!
As for the remaining work of cleaning up the battlefield, it could hardly be considered trouble anymore. Although the man named King Solomon would lose his power and become the ordinary human Romani Archaman again upon leaving this cycle, he had no objections to this. After all, compared to the ending of dissipating from the world, this was already much better. He was very happy to follow Fujimaru Ritsuka back to Chaldea.
As for Alaya, after draining it dry of magical energy, Suke naturally couldn't destroy it; otherwise, half of the Fate-side worlds in the Type-Moon universe would collapse. So Suke simply tossed it to Pretender to handle. She does the work; he rests easy.
And what about those like Rin Tohsaka who were accidentally dragged in and related to Fuyuki? According to Pretender, after they woke up again in their own world, they would only feel as if they had dreamed a long dream. Except for Illya—this God-Emperor Illya who was stuck just on the eve of proving her Dao and happened to have nowhere else to go.
Actually, her problem was exactly the same as King Solomon's: also trapped in a cycle, also forgotten by the world. It was just that her symptoms weren't as severe. According to Pretender, even without the involvement of others, she would sooner or later be able to walk out on her own ability.
But before that, at Nikaido Hiro's strong request, Suke allowed Illya, as her Servant, to follow Nikaido Hiro.
He always had a premonition... for instance, perhaps a Nikaido Hiro transformed into a traditional Magical Girl would appear before his eyes before long. Just thinking about the murderous Great King Hiro transforming into a traditional cute-style tight-suit Magical Girl made Suke shiver. That image was too beautiful; he really couldn't imagine it.
Additionally, taking advantage of the time everyone lingered in this Singularity Fuyuki, Suke looked at the purple fruit emitting starlight and finally couldn't resist putting it into his mouth. How to describe the taste? It was magical. It wasn't a satisfaction of the taste buds, but more like some dried-up gully deep in the soul was instantly filled.
He seemed... he could feel his life level undergo a tiny yet fundamental leap at this moment. He could do more things now, but he was somewhat unsure.
"Animus, how does it taste?"
Inside the Singularity, Pretender leaned close to his ear, breathing like an orchid. Her snow-colored long hair brushed past Suke's nose, carrying a faint fragrance.
"It's alright. Just the quantity is too small. It would be best if there were a few more." Suke savored the aftertaste, narrowing his eyes at her. After swallowing the Stardrop, he felt his perspective in scrutinizing the world and others had become "clearer." This clarity was in every sense. For example, looking at ordinary people now, he only needed one glance to know their desires and motives. And this was merely the ability revealed on the surface. As for deeper uses, he needed to explore them.
But before that, he felt something was a bit off about this Pretender, yet he couldn't put his finger on it.
"However, Little Yuki, shouldn't you explain to me why there was no Stardrop for me when I saved you from your cycle?"
"Oh my, was that discovered?" Pretender blinked slyly, taking the opportunity to link arms with Suke, leaning her entire body against his shoulder. "Animus, if you suspect me of hoarding it privately, you can try to perform a 'body search' on me after we return to the farm tonight~"
Suke's eyelid twitched. Body search? Why should he reward her for no reason?
With the end of the Holy Grail War on his side, the "Holy Grail War" located in the Star Rail universe also concluded simultaneously. The plot there wasn't much different from the Star Rail and Type-Moon crossover plot in Suke's memory, except the organizer was BB, and some Penacony elements were removed.
As for the final winner, that was naturally Stelle. Although Suke didn't know how she won, and she kept her mouth shut tight about the winning process and the Servant she summoned, Suke, having returned to the Herta Space Station, only felt that the look in her eyes when she looked at him seemed very guilty.
But none of that mattered anymore. Because a more important matter—one that even caused Suke's pupils to quake violently—was right in front of him.
"Animus (Animus)!"
Two identical voices, exactly the same from the inside out, echoed beside Suke's ears simultaneously!
"Do you not recognize me anymore, Animus?"
"You can definitely recognize me, right, Animus? After all, you have never mistaken me..."
Two identical figures of the snow-haired girl appeared before his eyes, each hugging one of his arms. Two sun hats, two classical frilled dresses. Regardless of appearance, clothing, or even reaction habits, there was no difference! Not to mention power—a sweating BB had already tested them; the two Tsukishiro Yukis were virtually indistinguishable, both possessing identical mighty power.
And under Suke's frozen gaze, they gazed at him simultaneously with watery eyes.
Ah... My beloved girl isn't enough... No, that's not right!
Suke was numb. He said he felt something was wrong with Pretender earlier; so the wrong part was here—
There's even a 'True vs. Fake Great Witch' segment?!
____
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