Chapter 1289: with translation of chapter title

A thousand years ago.

"You still plan to go to Dawn Cloud Cliff… Safalia?" Aglaea walked over from behind the girl.

"Hmm, I've decided. Don't even think about stopping me, seamstress."

"Is it for the 'All-World Gem'…?"

"Whether it is or not, does it matter? Anyway, you'll never guess whether my words are true or false."

""……" Aglaea lowered her head to look at her feet, "You… still wearing the golden boots I gave you. I hope next time, when you run in them… you're not running to escape someone's pursuit."

""……"

""……" Sai Feier raised her head, looking at the moon in Stikokisia's sky, "Aglaea… do you see it? No one can catch up to me; I no longer run for escape."

"Savior brat! You better thank me properly—every second of your leisurely ease… is all thanks to this lady's efforts!"

Sai Feier used the power of the Time Jewel to arrive at the pavilion where she had once bidden farewell to Xiaodie, but as soon as she pushed open the door, she sensed a familiar presence.

"Sigh… lingering grudge, that describes you, huh?"

Before her words even finished, the Fire-Thief flashed into view before her again.

"Cannot escape……"

"This is… fate……"

——

Absolute Zone Zero.

"Ghosts ghosts ghosts ghosts ahhh——!!"

"Ling! Xiao Wei! That guy is definitely a ghost!! Ahhhh!!"

Nome screamed and hid behind Verлина, only revealing the two left-right swaying Bounb ears on her hat.

"Hmm…" Verлина lowered her eyelids, the folding fan in her hand repeatedly tapping her palm, she said thoughtfully: "The Fire-Thief has again shown an ability we didn't know before. If Miss Sai Feier doesn't leave here in time to meet with Baiwu…… she might be in danger."

"Really, really can't shake it off?" Nome trembled.

"If we set the location in Stikokisia…… it's impossible." Verлина said with a solemn expression, shaking her head, "But if we expand the range a bit, to the whole of Ouroboros, with Sai Feier's godspeed, perhaps we could shake off the Fire-Thief for a while."

"... But no matter what, the Fire-Thief will catch up to her, right?" Ling said.

"Hmm, the Fire-Thief is like it has a tracker, able to sense Sai Feier's position. Unless she hands over the Burden‑World Fire Seed to it…… this chase will be endless…… either Sai Feier dies, or Baiwu initiates the Recreation of the World."

"But it's impossible to give the fire seed to such a mindless madman! Losing even one would prevent the Recreation of the World!" Nome exclaimed excitedly.

Verлина took a deep breath: "Yeah, that's why this is the most critical point. Sai Feier stole the Burden‑World Fire Seed and carried it on her person; if anything happens to her…… Baiwu and the others might have to snatch the fire seed from it, just as they did with Naches before."

"No no no——! Xiao Wei, you're wrong!" Little Nome's head wobbled like a rattle drum, "Sai Feier still has money left; as long as she has money, she definitely won't die! If she gets killed before spending all her money, it would go against the prophecy!"

Nome clenched her little fists, saying with firm conviction: "Sai Feier…… I believe she can definitely shake off that bad guy!"

——

"Fate? Hmph, I thought only pampered city folk liked to toss this word around, as if without these two characters as an excuse, life couldn't go on."

"Reincarnation…… cannot…… be broken……"

Sai Feier snorted: "What reincarnation, fate, stop joking! Whose path isn't forged by oneself? Those who constantly rely on gods and prophecies for protection end up like this—neither human nor ghost."

"Back then I was even worse… scheming, cheating, doing whatever I wanted, just to survive this crappy world! If I had accepted fate early on…… this miserable world might have already turned into a pitch‑black junkyard."

"Fire seed……"

"Must be by me……"

Sai Feier watched it spew out fragmented phrases, sighing helplessly: "Ah… it's my fault, my fault—how could I expect a complete lunatic to heed earnest advice?"

"You know why I brought you here, mad dog? I heard you once fought that golden‑haired little lion."

""……"

Sai Feier stretched: "I doubt I can escape your grasp anyway; today's aerobic warm‑up counts as done. Next…… how about some resistance exercise?"

"As fellow inheritors of the Calamity divine authority, my experience as a demigod—far surpasses that little lion by a full thousand years. Now——let me test the mettle of you, Fire‑Thief!"

——

Twin Cities War.

"It… it actually knows about reincarnation too!"

When Jess personally witnessed the Fire‑Thief utter the two words 「reincarnation」, his whole body felt as if plunged into an ice cave, cold sweat breaking out on his back.

Why would the Fire‑Thief know about Ouroboros's reincarnation?

Reincarnation cannot be broken…… could it be holding more truths about Ouroboros's reincarnation than Baiwu and Naches do?

Moreover, its desire for the fire seed might be for another purpose—can it break reincarnation?

If it could do this, why not tell Baiwu and seek cooperation with the Golden Lineage?

……

Jess lowered his head; in an instant countless questions flooded his mind, he could not fathom the Fire‑Thief's true motive for doing this.

"Jess, is it possible that our initial assumption was actually wrong?" Victor's voice suddenly came from the nearby test bench.

"What assumption?"

"The assumption that it was born from the Black Tide."

Jess wanted to speak but stopped: "But the initial attack on the Arboretum……"

Victor's voice was calm: "The Arboretum was indeed attacked by the Black Tide, and the Fire‑Thief just happened to appear at its summit, trying to seize the 「Reason」 fire seed. Though the two events overlap…… does that prove the Fire‑Thief led the Black Tide in assaulting the Arboretum? If the Fire‑Thief were the leader of the Black Tide…… why is there no record of its attacks in the several‑thousand‑year history of Ouroboros?"

"Are you saying the Fire‑Thief actually has no relation to the Black Tide, but is a third force outside both the Black Tide and the Golden Lineage?" Jess continued to ask.

Victor extended a finger and corrected: "I think we should also count Laigushi as a force, making the Fire‑Thief the fourth force. Its goals don't overlap with the Golden Lineage, but both are aimed at collecting fire seeds."