The Fire-Chasing Herrscher Who Destroyed the World

The golden spear penetrated Zhongyan's heart quickly and silently. Taking the wound in the heart as the origin, more and more cracks spread towards the torso and limbs of the huge stone statue of Zhongyan's incarnation.

The gaps in the cracks became larger and larger until blue-purple light overflowed from the cracks. Time became very slow at this moment, but it seemed that it was just a blink of an eye. The entire huge stone statue had turned into gray-white rubble and collapsed.

They fell into the star sea, but they did not stand on it like Mikael, nor did they set off huge waves like real stones hitting the water.

They disappeared completely, leaving only circles of silent ripples on the star sea.

In contrast, the huge pink figure in the sky also turned into petals floating all over the sky, a handful of which fell in the direction of Mikael, and finally condensed back into Alicia in a wedding dress in front of him.

"Idiot Mikael, it's all over now!"

"Is it over...?"

Mikael wriggled his lips and looked at Ellie with her hands behind her back and a bright smile. He didn't know what to do for a moment.

Or, in fact, what they just worked together to solve was not a "trouble". Regardless of other things, if the ceremony just now was not interrupted, at least the final authority has been completed, whether it is Ellie or the world. ...can survive.

But Mikael didn't think so much at the time. When he saw Ellie again, the sacrifice he had already made up his mind to make was instantly thrown away, and there was only one thing left in his mind. idea--

To survive, at least... you have to say goodbye to Ellie properly. Once this idea appeared, it grew unreasonably and uncontrollably in his mind.

And the result is that it can no longer end well.

The power of consciousness has been used once. After being alert, Ellie may not be fooled again. How should he convince Ellie, or in other words, how should he deceive Ellie and let the opportunity of sacrifice return to his hands again? ?

His face was expressionless, but he began to think and deduce the solution in his heart. However, it seemed that no matter what he said or did, he could not bypass Ellie and perform the weird ritual.

On the other hand, it was Ellie. Naturally, she could not guess what Mikael was thinking, but she just looked at him with a smile and said nothing.

This actually put more pressure on Mikael. He was at a loss for a while and didn't know where to put his hands.

Seeing his embarrassed look, Ai Li smiled, made a fist with her right hand, stretched it out in front of him, and asked:

"Guess what I brought you?"

"I……"

Mikael blinked and suddenly found that there was no one in front of him.

"Ellie!"

He exclaimed and blinked again, only to realize that Ellie was standing in front of him, not going anywhere.

"Huh? What's wrong with you?"

Ellie blinked innocently.

"No...nothing...what happened just now?"

"No! Oh, let me ask you, guess what I brought you?"

Mikael blinked quickly. This time, Ellie did not disappear suddenly. Maybe it was just an illusion that occurred in his panic.

As for what Ellie is holding in her hand...

Of course Mikael knew, but he still followed Ally's wishes and deliberately showed a confused look:

"Hmm? What good stuff did you bring?"

Ai Li chuckled, spread her palms, and a black-purple light floated in her palms——

"Qiang Qiang! The power of the Twelfth Herrscher is here! At this point, the final authority is complete..."

Only halfway through her words, she pursed her lips tightly and looked directly at Mikael with a slightly apologetic smile.

However, Mikael did not take over the power of the Herrscher immediately.

"What's going on on Earth?"

"Huh? I don't know this!"

Ellie glanced to the side, then scratched her head exaggeratedly:

"I was busy catching up with you, so I didn't have time to care about the situation on Earth. However, the power of the Origin itself is the power that connects all the other Herrschers! Before coming here, I brought this power with me. La.

"Although the power is already here, I am afraid that the Twelfth Herrscher on Earth will not lose its power instantly. A conservative estimate is that its power will gradually weaken in the next few months until it dissipates. As long as Mei and the others If we can survive this time, we will win!”

"Well……"

Mikael didn't notice her abnormal expression for a moment. He nodded first, and then his eyes suddenly widened:

"The power of Siyuan...Ellie, you..."

He bit his lip in disbelief, and his vision gradually blurred:

"Ai Li... did you hear all the conversations I had with Him?"

"Oops! I accidentally let it slip!"

Ellie narrowed her eyes, stuck out her tongue playfully, and then involuntarily put the power into Mikael's hand.

Mikael struggled not to take it, but the moment the power approached him, it flowed into his body like a stream flowing into a river and the sea, and there was no possibility of separation.

"Mikael, after killing Him, the final authority has automatically transferred to you."

Just as Mikael was about to say something, he found that the sea of ​​stars was empty again in front of him, as if Alicia had never existed.

He quickly rubbed his eyes, but fortunately, when he opened them again, Ellie was standing in front of him, not moving at all. It seemed like it was just an illusion.

She smiled and took a step forward, gently holding Mikael's hands.

"Mikael, I'm afraid you will have to walk alone in the future."

"No! Ellie, this time it's me..."

"Okay, listen to me, Mikael!"

It was rare for Ellie to show such a serious expression. Although Michael wanted to say something else, he unconsciously tightened his lips.

"Shiyuan must return to the end. This is both the fate of the origin and the fate of the end."

"That fate is bullshit!"

Mikael couldn't help but interrupt and curse, but as soon as he cursed, the cold hand covered his face again, which seemed to be... even colder than before.

So Mikael put his hand on the back of Ellie's hand again, hoping that his cheek and palm could make her hand warmer.

"Ellie, since you heard the conversation between me and him, you should also know what I want to do - let me return to the Cocoon of the End in your place. You are... more qualified to live than me."

Ellie didn't seem to respond, just looked at him silently, looking at the pink reflection in his silver-gray eyes.

Until he couldn't help but want to speak again, Ellie said first:

"After His loss, are you really sure about the feasibility of this plan?"

"!"

"Mikael, your plan is nothing more than for you to complete the cocoon of the end on my behalf, allowing him to regain complete control of the end... However, that is based on the fact that he will bear the power of the end. But now If you do this, who will take over the power of the end? If no one can get the power of the end, it will be the same as losing control, and everything you think you can save will cease to exist."

"Then...can't you?"

"I?"

Ai Li pointed at herself and showed a bitter smile:

"Mikael, I am not omnipotent. Why do you think that I can definitely take over the authority of the end? If you replace me as part of the origin, can my power as the origin be retained? Of course, I don’t deny the success of this plan, but Mikael, do you dare to bet on your sacrifice and the future of me and the world?”

Mikael looked away from Ellie. Of course, he understood that there was only one truly foolproof way - to let the real Origin return, and then let him, who already had the power of the end, completely take over the power of the end. Then the world can be saved.

"Of course I understand all this, but..."

There is no doubt that he cannot accept such a result.

"Mikael, stop being so angry!"

Ellie poked his cheek with her other hand, then cupped his face as before.

"If nothing else, didn't you admit it before? Alicia has always been a human being. Since I am a human being, don't you think that my choice to sacrifice myself is not selfish at all?"

Yes, selfish, aren't both people like that?

They both want to let each other live, but they don't care about the other's thoughts, but in the final analysis, "wanting to let the other live" is just because this is the most important meaning of their existence.

Of course, there is fear.

Ellie's arms crossed Mikael's cheeks, wrapped around his neck, and pressed her whole body into his arms.

"Mikael, I'm really scared. The thought of losing you and living alone in this world scares me so much."

"No, Ellie, you are not going to survive alone."

Mikael gently stroked her back, his fingers subconsciously curled up her fluffy hair and twirled it between his fingers.

"There are Yingjie, Mei, Kevin, Mebius and the others..."

"That's enough, Mikael!"

Ai Li buried her face in his arms, so he could feel even more that her chest had become wet just now.

Therefore, it is not surprising that her words are so unclear and choked:

"You told me a long time ago - for everyone, there are always some few, or in other words, there is always one person... In her heart, there is always such a person, who is more important than the whole world. And once she loses With this person, the whole world no longer makes sense. Isn’t this what you told me yourself?”

"But it's the same for me, Ellie. So..."

"But Mikael, I have never asked you for anything, only this time - I beg you, Mikael, let me go and fulfill my destiny."

"You also know it's fate!"

Mikael shouted these words loudly and held Ellie tightly in his arms, fearing that she would disappear in front of him if he was not careful.

As a result, the gorgeous sea of ​​stars blurred in an instant, and he could no longer see the trajectory of each star clearly, but he still resisted the tears from bursting out of his eyes. He didn't want to cry in front of Ellie anymore.

"Ellie! Living is the resistance to fate. If you simply disappear, you are just surrendering to fate!"

"No!"

Ellie also hugged Mikael tighter, so tight that both of them could feel the other's violently shaking body.

"Death is surrender to fate, living is resistance - that is for you, Mikael. For me, the best resistance to fate is to use the power He has given me and follow what He has done. I weave the destiny, and then, with my own consciousness, I cut off the looping destiny in the world.

"As for you, Mikael, your mission is to live strong and rely on the authority of the end to help mankind overcome the shackles of collapse. It is also a resistance to fate, okay?"

"No, I can't accept it!"

"well……"

Ai Li sighed softly, feeling helpless.

"You can't accept it, and I can't accept it either, so what should I do? After all, I'm a girl, Mikael, just give in to girls!"

"No! You are more qualified to live than me!"

Mikael no longer knew what to say to save everything, so he could only repeat what he said before.

"What does it mean that I am more qualified to live than you, Mikael? No one is more qualified than anyone else. Even if it is a good person and a bad person, the result of the two lives being placed on the two ends of the scale is still balanced. The reason why you think I am more qualified to live than you is because you love me, but I also love you, so I also think you are more qualified to live than me.”

"No, that's not the case..."

"Hey!"

Ellie surprisingly did not refute, but Mikael was not happy.

He instinctively sensed something was wrong, wiped away his tears, and looked down, only to see that Ai Li's whole body was emitting a dazzling white light.

The light was illusory and misty, and even Ai Li's body became blurry.

Of course, the first thing he felt was the change in body temperature, but he never paid attention to it, but at this moment...

"I'm so sorry, Mikael, I... cheated on you again."

Mikael's mouth was open, his breathing was trembling and rapid, and a thick numbness spread from his heart to his whole body. He felt that his body temperature had dropped below zero, and because of this, he could still feel his pregnancy. The remaining warmth of Ellie's gradually cooling body.

"From the moment I connected to the power of the origin and came to this sea of ​​​​original stars, I was destined to never go back."

"What's the meaning!"

Mikael squeezed out a few words through his teeth.

"Don't scare me, Ellie!"

"I'm really sorry. As soon as I get here, Siyuan will irreversibly begin to return to the end."

"Ha ha?"

Mikael could no longer say a complete sentence, but he made up his mind not to cry in front of Ellie, and even used his space power to lock the tears in his eyes.

But what's the use?

Power can suppress tears, but it cannot suppress grief, nor can it save Ellie.

"I'm sorry... I'm still too selfish... I'm sorry, I'm really afraid of facing the future alone... So, I can only let you go to the future alone."

Ai Li kept apologizing with a tearful voice.

But as she spoke, she burst into laughter again:

"Speaking of which, Mikael, do you remember the stage play of Eden?"

"..."

"It's the one we listened to together in Canghai City before the third collapse. Do you still remember the lyrics in it?"

Without waiting for Mikael to answer, she hummed to herself:

"Ah...I know, in fact, I have always known it! Birds, have you seen these gorgeous flowers on my head?

"Yes, this is my life. On the surface it looks as gorgeous as flying flowers, but underneath the flowers are heavy thorns.

"Its weight forces me to lower my head and walk on this road called life. The deeper I walk, the more pain the thorns bring. Even if I am lucky enough to make it to the end, I will just be covered in bruises...

"But you, you are different. You are a witness, witnessing my efforts and pursuits all the way...Flying birds! If you really pity my misfortune and sentimentalize my end...please don't stop for me. ...Please continue to fly high! Fly over the distant mountains, fly over the distant rivers, fly over the distant clouds and cities, and bring my voice, my smile, and everything I pursue farther than the distance. Far away!

"Perhaps you can't understand my pain now... Ah! Have you shed tears? Then cry like a child... Cry until you are exhausted, which means that you have walked from the stage to the stage, and you will be watched by the bystanders. Became a witness...

"Then, fly! Take this part of me with you and fly high together! Use your eyes to take my soul with you to witness and experience...

"Ah...you asked me if we can meet again...

"Haha... Flying bird... If you always firmly believe that you can see me again in the future, then you should fly high without hesitation, fly to the future along the path we have opened, fly to that place where we can meet, The real future...

"You see, I remember every libretto clearly, word for word!"

But instead of diminishing Mikael's sadness, he fell into deeper sadness because of this prophetic libretto.

"Mikael, don't you think what will happen next is very romantic? As the origin, I will return to the end, and you will become the end, that is to say, I will always be a part of your body. From now on From now on, nothing can separate you and me."

Ellie reached out her hand and caressed Mikael's cheek one last time, then broke away from his arms and took two steps back.

"However, Mikael, you are not a flying bird... You are destined to walk alone in the future... Alas, dear tit, please bring my arrows, my flowers, and my love to What a lonely traveler!"

Ellie stroked her chest and hummed again imitating Eden.

"I'm sorry, Mikael. From now on, you will have to live alone, but don't be sad. I will always exist in your heart and never leave. Isn't this romantic?

"Thank you very much, Mikael. It's not just because you taught me what love is, it's precisely because of you, a born herrist, that during this journey of more than twenty years, I I won't feel alone or lonely - don't look at me like that! After all, I am a fragile girl, so it is normal to feel sad and lonely, right?

"But...Mikael...but! 'Tragedy is not the end, but the beginning of hope.' If you really can't accept all this, if you really believe that we can meet again in that distant future, then be bold Just do what you want to do! Alicia will always support you, because Alicia believes in you - you see, I know you will think so, so I will also clear some obstacles for you. !

"If you really make that decision, I really won't blame you, but...if there will be Herrschers in the future, if they can be as free as you and I, please let me know, Okay? I'll be happy!

"Because I will know that they will not have to bear the difficult choices of our time. Because I will know that the footprints we leave in the world will eventually become a light for another person to move forward one day in the future...

"Ah! By the way, I mentioned before that to establish Ying Jie, everyone must choose an 'engraving' for themselves. How about I call mine 'True Me' - my true Ying Jie, a flawless person, Elici Ya... Oops! Doesn't this make me look too narcissistic? Oops! When it's time to say goodbye, I feel like I have too many things to do but haven't done yet..."

But Mikael's eyes were so blurred that he could only see simple blocks of color, and all sounds became distant and unreal.

Seeing this, Ai Li could only helplessly shake her head to shake away the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"Okay, Mikael, don't look like that, we still won't say goodbye, because I believe in you... I believe we will meet again eventually.

"However, I know that you are also afraid of being alone... You are also afraid of being lonely... So, during the period when I can't respond to you, let it be by your side instead of me!"

Ai Li stretched out her increasingly stiff arm, gently twisted her fingers, and a bright pink crystal flower bloomed in her hand.

"Mikael, do you still remember that song that has been circulated among human civilizations for countless years? I have never heard you sing it before. I really want to hear you sing it to me once, okay?"

Mikael pursed his lips and nodded. He quickly wiped away his tears, tried his best to suppress his crying and sang:

"That's a story that happened a long time ago:

“One day, He fell from the sky. People looked up and saw the stars.

“The stars and the moon sent the daughter of God, who wanted to be man’s companion.

"The long wind turns into her chariot, and the sea becomes her garden. Birds carry the seeds of kindness, and hundreds of flowers weave songs of love.

“This is how she was born into the world, walked on the earth, grew up with humans, and sprouted with the world.

"Now, the end is coming."

"Now, the time has come to return."

Ellie tilted her head and smiled, and then Mikael continued singing:

"Farewell, beautiful world.

“After this, stars will shine because I am here now.

“After this, flowers will bloom because I never left.

"Please weave my arrows, my flowers, and my love into new seeds and bring them to the withered earth.

"Then, let it blossom into the eternal and flawless flower of...humanity."

Ai Li put her hands behind her back again, and the bright crystal flowers floated in front of her. She squinted her eyes and smiled, and murmured for the last time:

"I really wish... time could flow more slowly... and flowers could bloom more..."

She opened her eyes, looked at Mikael for the last time, and apologized for the last time:

"I'm sorry, this is not the happiness you want..."

"Ellie!"

Mikael pounced forward.

The distance between two steps is so short that Mikael can walk it even faster with the speed of his body than with the power of the sky.

But when he tries to hold Ellie in his arms one last time...

But he hugged nothing.

The girl he wanted to save from the beginning has now turned into colorful points of light floating away. If she could see this scene, she would definitely be very satisfied.

"Oh! Alicia dissipates so beautifully even if she dissipates!"

But this sound is destined to never sound again.

The speckled brilliance is like a lost soul, floating hesitantly in the gorgeous galaxy. Mikael reached out frantically, trying to catch every gleam of light that made up Ellie, but wherever he waved his hand, the light spots always kept an imperceptible and out of reach distance from him.

"Ho ho..."

Tears instantly broke through the embankment built by the power of the sky and covered his face in an instant.

And above his head that he didn't notice, the stars in the sky began to rotate slowly but firmly from an origin. Correspondingly, the tiny threads in the night sky that no one could see except Aponia gradually disappeared, as if there were a pair of The hand that arranged the stars wiped out the originally determined future one by one.

Mikael wiped away his tears, and only the crystal flowers left by Ellie were left in front of him.

Suddenly, he felt a hot temperature emanating from his heart. Although it was only for a moment, something really melted into his body and stayed with him.

Then, he held up the crystal flower and looked at his changes through the clear crystal.

Then he discovered that in his silver-gray eyes, the originally round, featureless pupils gradually elongated and turned into a pink oblong shape with some diamond-shaped edges.

"Ellie..."

His vision was only clear for a moment, and then blurred again in the blink of an eye.

Time flows so quietly.

After a long time, Mikael finally stopped crying.

He is different from his other self. For his other self, saving Alicia is the only near-real wish he can have in his falsehood.

But Mikael was different. During the twelve years of his human existence, apart from Alicia, he also shouldered other weights, other responsibilities, and made other promises.

He still has things to do, and he still has things to do - since he failed to save Ellie in the end, he must save the world.

Fortunately... the power of the Twelfth Herrscher is already here. He doesn't even need to do anything, and mankind will win.

He put away the crystal flowers and tried to summon a door to the world of real numbers in front of him.

The door quickly appeared and he stepped through without any hindrance.

The light around him was a little dark, and he was keenly aware of the turbulence of time everywhere around him.

"Is this...under the final crater?"

He jumped up and returned to the base built by humans called "New Atla". There was no one here except for the oxygen-generating equipment that kept spitting out oxygen.

And at his feet, there was a bow named Feihua.

Mikael's breathing was a little heavy, and tears came out of his eyes again, but he did not let the sadness stay for too long, but looked up at the earth with hope.

Then he froze——

"If you really make that decision, I really won't blame you, but...if there will be Herrschers in the future, if they can be as free as you and I, please let me know, Okay? I'll be happy!"

"Please weave my arrows, my flowers, and my love into new seeds and bring them to the withered earth."

He finally understood why Ellie said this incoherently in the end.

It turns out she already knew...

Because Mikael was standing in the same position as her, and all he could see was a withered planet.

Burnt yellow clouds enveloped the entire planet, and the occasionally exposed small area was filled with thick pitch black without even a hint of green or blue. It was impossible to tell the difference between ocean and land.

He tried to use his power to feel the earth, but not a single human presence was found on the entire surface.

"Heh...hehehehe...couldn't...catch up?"

He smiled bitterly and bent his knees, almost being overwhelmed by this reality.

Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore:

"Ah ah ah ah ah!!!"

He wailed miserably, but when his voice reached New Atla, it was cut off by the endless vacuum. No one could hear him, and no one could respond to him.

A few seconds later, the air in New Atla suddenly began to swirl with Mikael as the center, and the strong wind howled, seeming to accompany his wails. Everything he could see was quickly obscured by the storm, but he didn't seem to notice it at all. There was only one thought left in his mind -

He couldn't save Alicia... nor could he save the world.

Everything he hoped for did not exist, everything he pursued left him, and his existence became meaningless, just like the other him who had just met his end not long ago.

"But... that's fine... then let's do what you said, Alicia. Let us meet again in the future, no, we will meet again eventually!"

A small black-red dot appeared on the top of his head, and then circles of white halo spread from the top of his head.

His pupils began to change. The pink color was instantly replaced by blood red. The upper, lower, left and right corners of the ellipse became sharper, and then stretched in the horizontal and vertical directions respectively until they became like a cross star.

At the same time, there was a violent vibration below the Zhongyan Crater. Golden branches actually spanned the distance between real numbers and imaginary numbers, broke out of the Zhongyan Crater, and then grew all the way upward. A huge golden cross formed twelve thousand meters above.

Mikael's body floated again, but under the pull of his own power and out of his own will.

Two golden light nails flying through the air pierced his wrists, nailing him to the center of the cross like a criminal undergoing crucifixion. Another golden light stretched to the extreme flew in, breaking the boundary between imaginary numbers and real numbers. , that was the previous spear made of imaginary branches.

The sharp end of the spear stopped in front of Mikael's neck. He raised his head involuntarily, looking at the devastated black earth, and his Adam's apple rolled hard.

"I am the First Herrscher, Mikael, the Herrscher of Reason, and I will also be the Thirteenth Herrscher, the Herrscher of the End... This is also... the beginning and the end."

He no longer had any hesitation, and the sharp spear tail pierced his neck cleanly, and the spurting blood dyed the spear and the cross behind him red.

The spear continued to penetrate, and correspondingly, blood-red fibers grew from under Mikael's skin, began to spread around his body, and then wrapped around him until he was wrapped into a huge cocoon.

Between the orbits of the earth and the moon, a huge figure turned from illusion to solidity. It was a pure white naked figure. The most eye-catching thing was the white halo above the head and the pair of blood-red cross-star pupils. This is the most real appearance of Mikael at this moment, the appearance of his soul.

He stretched out his hand, and the dark earth was no bigger than half a basketball in his hand.

He looked at the planet he once tried to save. There was no compassion or unwillingness in his blood-red eyes... All emotions were indifferent to nothing.

Then, he held the earth with one hand... and held it slowly.