Chapter 1370

The endless black tide surged continuously in Bai'e's hands, gathering and eventually forming a sphere as dark as a black hole.

"Click."

As Bai'e squeezed hard, the sphere shattered with a sound, without a deafening roar or the fiery light that would rend the heavens. The darkness, like snow scorched by a blazing sun, began to dissipate and melt away from him in all directions.

In its place, brilliant golden light filled the sky.

The Creation Vortex Core began to crumble, large chunks of stone rattling down as they fell. Star was about to shield Mimi in her arms when a faint golden barrier suddenly appeared around her.

Star and Mimi raised their heads together, looking through the shimmering golden barrier, and saw a gentle smile appear on Bai'e's face.

"Take it, Pioneer."

"May this devotion be like gold, never losing its luster."

Bai'e slowly opened his arms, letting himself soar into the high sky, flying toward that brilliant golden light… he passed through that gate.

—— (just a separator line, no content). Should we output translation? It's just "——". Probably we output same? The line is "——". We need to translate? It's just a dash line; we can output same? Probably we output the same characters? But we need to translate into English; there is no meaning. Could output "——". We'll just output the same.

A certain scientific super-electromagnetic cannon.

"Do not bow before Him…"

Misaka repeatedly recalled the last words left by Kaslana in her mouth, her expression filled with regret.

Although Bai'e was going to embrace his own fate, the thought that she would never see him again made this departure feel like an eternal farewell, and her reluctance began to spread wildly and grow.

"Bai'e was glanced at by Nanuk." Sazhen frowned slightly, "... Is it because he plans to destroy Nanuk? Killing the Star God, an act that Nanuk itself would surely favor?"

"So this fate is truly crazy." Misaka crushed the drink can in her hand and tossed it far into the trash bin, "Although I don't know what Nanuk is thinking, when a person's desire to destroy Him accumulates to a certain degree, they gain His glance and draw great power from the fate."

"... Even if this power is used to kill Him?" Bai Jing raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"Older sister, you say, could Bai'e possibly…?"

"Don't bother, it's impossible. The gap between humans and their envoys is strictly hierarchical, let alone between humans and Star Gods." Misaka mercilessly cut off her unrealistic daydream, "Star Gods are like a vast ocean, while fate-walkers are merely a single wave in that sea. Even if there are over thirty million such waves, they are still just part of that ocean."

"But when thirty million waves gather together, they are no longer mere waves." Zuotian Lei zi extended a finger and emphasized seriously, "They become a tsunami capable of covering the sky and swallowing everything."

—— (separator)

"Farewell, Star. Now I will fulfill my final destiny."

"The oracle of the Savior holds no meaning for me anymore. It should be entrusted to someone more suitable—namely you. Kaslana, bearer of chaos, this name belongs to no single individual; it is the incarnation of KefaLe in myth, and also a synonym for 'Hero'."

"As the oracle declares: \"You shall bear the proud sun until the grayish dawn appears\"—in the epic you yourself compose, may this title accompany me."

「「……」」 no.

"Another attempt, another failure."

"I have no intention of reminding you how many times you've reached the end of history, but I will still place the power of choice before you."

On the shattered dawn cliffs, Laigushi stood silently, waiting for Bai'e's arrival.

"If you don't remember, let me tell you: this is the 33,550,336th time." Bai'e looked down at the mechanical being before him and said in a low voice.

"Ah, a perfect number, what a splendid coincidence. You and I both know that in these thirty million futile generations, Weng Faluos has never changed." Laigushi said lightly, "Since the outcome is already settled, why not extinguish your burning anger toward the world and embrace your destiny with a more dignified posture?"

「「……」」 no.

Bai'e did not answer immediately; he slowly closed his eyes.

"Your silence is longer than ever before, Bai'e, Your Excellency… may I understand it as: the will that has crossed countless reincarnations has developed a crack?"

Laigushi's question merely elicited a cold sneer from Bai'e.

"No, I am merely disappointed. I have retrieved the memories of thirty million past lives and clearly recall each conversation before every decision. I am tired of your repetitive and dull rhetoric. If you insist on carving a rift in my heart, you should have long ago used this immeasurably long time to hone your utterly unpersuasive words."

"You have had countless opportunities to persuade those countless versions of me to walk toward the future you desire. Yet the result now? 33,550,336 to zero."

—— separator.

Death God.

"Damn it!"

Ye Yi clapped her hands in delight and shouted her approval.

"No wonder she's won the Shuting Debate Tournament ten times in a row!"

This Laigushi has never truly regarded Bai'e and his companions in his heart; although he acted respectfully as a spectator of the divine rites, he never once placed Bai'e's will in his mind. Persuasion? Hah… he probably never even had that thought.

"Oh dear, oh dear, Miss Ye Yi truly has fiery eyes and golden pupils, seeing through Laigushi's arrogance completely."

Accompanied by a shuffling of footsteps, Urahara Kisuke strolled over, swaying his paper fan.

"After all, in Laigushi's eyes, he is neither Kaslana nor Bai'e, but NeiKos496—a string of cold numeric codes, a definite quantity in an equation, a line of cold code in a scepter… there is nothing called 'stance' to speak of."

"However, the reason he has still not been able to give birth to the Iron Tomb ultimately lies in his neglect of one thing——"

"What?" Ye Yi raised an eyebrow.

"Human will can never be precisely calculated as a parameter." Urahara shook his paper fan, producing a soft rustling, "When Bai'e, having learned all the truths, steps forward without hesitation into the next reincarnation, again and again… his calculations have already leaked."

—— separator.

"Tell me, Lu Kuerge si—who is the loser?"

「「……」」 no.

Laigushi didn't get angry; instead, he chuckled.

"It's regrettable, this is not a game with fair rules. I possess nearly infinite time and patience, able to meet you again at the world's end hundreds of millions of times, and even another hundred million... But you can never surmount this cage. You may declare a spiritual victory—but we both know that when the other side of the score goes from 0 to 1..."