【Hysilens still found it somewhat hard to believe, pressing on, "Willing to be this candid, have you… given up resisting?"】

【"Heh, resistance…" Desolate Flute smiled bitterly without stop, "For a dying beast, what talk of resistance?"】

【"Is that so? A thousand years have passed, and your mind… has long since shattered into pieces."】

【"This senile body bears everything of its own betrayal. Now, I just want to sleep eternally alongside them in those unchanging days of the past…"】

——

Sword Art Online.

"I see. The so-called 'betrayal' wasn't actually a betrayal of the Flame-Chase Journey, but rather a betrayal of Geocles's Dragon Riders," Asuna realized in a flash. "Then the regicide mentioned by Caesar actually refers to the Earth Nautilus Gioria?"

She hadn't expected such a plot twist to be hidden behind this!

Asuna suddenly remembered that Cerydra had originally said Desolate Flute was "the most wise among all of Gioria's creations, the only one who could see the flow of the era." Recalling it now, Caesar's words were spot on.

"The general trend of Flame-Chasing is irreversible, and Desolate Flute made the most correct choice. It's just that the price of this choice was also extremely high; his comrades died, and he himself could only inherit the divine authority deep within the rock abyss…"

Although Desolate Flute's figure was as majestic as a mountain, Kirito could only see loneliness and desolation in him.

No wonder he chose to cooperate with Evernight. Time grinds down all things, and even the hardest rocks cannot escape it. If Hysilens hadn't intoxicated herself with her song, her mind would likely be just as shattered as Desolate Flute's.

"Helping Evernight conceal her whereabouts… So, why is Evernight hiding here?" Asuna looked curiously at Kirito.

"Unclear. If one wanted to remain undisturbed, Amphoreus should have other places much more secluded."

——

【"Go, Dragon Heir. That flame has pierced through the secret guarded by the 'Earth'…" Desolate Flute made way for a path of magma. "In the deepest depths of Amphoreus lies the great tomb burying all pasts. The Evernight you are searching for stepped out from within it. Before her, no one knew of her existence."】

【Dan Feng looked into the distance at that path: "In other words, that is the location where 'Evernight' appeared…"】

【Hysilens: "And also where she currently resides."】

【Dan Heng lowered his head to look at the long-dead Golden Blood memory spirits around them: "Resorting to sinking into the past, your 'Remembrance' has turned into this appearance… Is it worth it?"】

【"At least, I still remember. As long as they are not forgotten, they are still alive."】

【"Primitive, bestial… I understand this instinct." Dan Heng paused, "Have you ever regretted it?"】

【"The Earth is not an isolated island in the ocean, but the sum of all things upon it. To defend the heroes of this world, I have never regretted it."】

【"Then, one last question…" Dan Heng slowly walked up before the giant beast, looked up, and asked the very question he had answered not long ago, "Desolate Flute… To this day, for the dragon power of 'Immortality', how much sacrifice are you willing to make?"】

【"…"】

【Desolate Flute fell silent for a long time, then answered word by word:】

【"Everything."】

【"Walking the path up to this point, I have completely understood my own destiny: no matter how we struggle, the 'Earth' can ultimately never march toward the stars. But my compatriots, they are worth continuing to struggle for. At the end of life, I want to fight for a chance for them to move toward the future one last time… Even if I can no longer witness that future."】

【"I understand. Then…" Dan Heng solemnly placed his hand on his chest, "Join me in launching another rebellion against unfair destiny."】

【"Even if the world collapses, the 'Earth' must stand tall——hand over the burning fire seed within your body to me, and let this 'immortal' body bear the crucible of life for you."】

——

A Certain Scientific Railgun.

"What a perfect echo… Dan Feng asked Dan Heng, Dan Heng asked Desolate Flute, and the answer Desolate Flute gave was identical to Dan Heng's. Perhaps this is the commonality of 'Immortality'?"

Saten watched Desolate Flute give such an answer on the Celestial Screen, feeling as though she had been fiercely struck by an arrow shot from the past.

Past events repeated in a cycle, forming a perfect closed loop.

"Uiharu, do you remember what Dan Feng said back then during the gathering?" Saten asked, turning her head slightly while winding a lock of hair around her finger.

"Hmm… Which sentence?" Uiharu tilted her head in curiosity.

"'If we do not share weal and woe, the Vidyadhara cannot become a part of the Alliance's destiny, but merely bystanders to others' suffering'——Look, at this very moment, Dan Heng is also stepping onto the path he walked, becoming a part of Amphoreus's destiny."

"However, won't Dan Heng becoming a demigod of the 'Earth' be a bit… hmm, strange?" Uiharu frowned slightly. Perhaps the previous stance of the Imbibitor Lunae was too deeply ingrained, making it hard for her to imagine Dan Heng manipulating rock and soil for a short while.

"Besides, earth and water… wouldn't they conflict?"

Uchiha Mikoto smiled and said, "They certainly conflict, but thinking about it carefully, if Dan Heng gained other powers through the fire seed of the 'Earth', don't you think it's a huge coincidence?"

"Coincidence?"

"Yeah, the three people who came to Amphoreus have all become demigods, and all of them have acquired brand-new powers. Hmm… Viewed this way, it's really a pity Himeko and Mr. Welt didn't come. If the two of them had also come to Amphoreus together, would they have also harvested some extraordinary power?"

——

【"Dragon Heir… Are you willing to take them to the new world?"】

【"A hollow promise is probably not the answer you want. Let me try answering from another perspective," Dan Heng explained. "'Immortality' is the Path of dragons, and 'Eternity' is life's deepest desire. If you entrust the living beings of the Earth to me, they will definitely symbioticize with the instinct in my blood."】

【"Using this body as a vessel, I will ferry them to tomorrow in your stead. That is not the end of Amphoreus's west wind… but a vast, boundless sea of stars."】

【"Sea of stars…" Desolate Flute repeated continuously, as if grasping the heavy weight of those two words.】

【"That is a future 'Trailblazed' side by side by all living beings, rather than a cage that uses 'Remembrance' as expendable materials."】

【"In the memories of the Veil of Everlasting Night, you have always… been someone who held something back." Desolate Flute let out a self-deprecating, bitter chuckle, "Heh, it was I who misjudged your determination. I understand… what the only choice is."】

【"Look, burning within my chest is this fire seed that gave birth to the 'Earth'. It is the red clay where life sprouts, the crucible of all things…"】

【A fire seed slowly floated out from within Desolate Flute's body, landing before Dan Heng.】

【"It tells me to launch one last usurpation, entrusting the heavy responsibility of reclaiming barren lands and watching over the continent to the 'Trailblaze' from beyond the heavens… Thus, take those who endlessly multiply—to the distant horizon."】