Chapter 1431: Weng Falos 3.5 (461)

"But, but! My dear Ata Lante! Do you know what surging emotions swell in my heart right now? I once on a wooden stage had a tall actor don a blood‑stained toga and recite this line. I thought that was the ultimate form of that great conqueror—majestic, powerful, wise, and tragic! Yet today, at this very moment—"

"The great Caesar in my mind, though not the true one—appears in the heavens in another guise! Ata Lante! Can you imagine? That conqueror who once made the entire Senate tremble now stands on the land of Weng Falos in the form of a petite young girl!"

"What a contrast, what a heart‑pounding dramatic twist! I must write a brand‑new play for this Caesar queen—'The Petite Conqueror and the Sea‑Demon Knight'! No, that title is too blunt and shallow; it should be called…"

"It's unbearably noisy."

"An impatient voice came from beside me, pouring down on Shakespeare's head like a bucket of cold water without mercy."

"Since just now you've been muttering to yourself? Those people on the heavens are only reciting a few lines, and you keep acting there—can you be quiet for even a minute?"

"Ata Lante crossed her arms, furrowed her brows, and stared at Shakespeare as if sizing up a fly buzzing noisily in everyone's ears. Rarely have the Red side's Servants gathered together, yet this useless chatterbox for the Holy Grail War keeps squawking nonstop."

"Oh! Ata Lante, my moon‑lit beautiful huntress!"

"Shakespeare showed no sign of being shaken; his exaggerated tone not only failed to subside but grew even more overblown."

"Don't you think this is a revelation of destiny? The king in my pen descends upon foreign lands in a brand‑new guise—clearly a divine mandate urging me to write again. No, I must create an even more perfect work to match that unparalleled, fire‑pursuing epic!"

——

"\"On the day before the expedition, we sang hymns, preparing to set sail toward the Star Sea... The legion rode that great beast, drifting through the cosmos like a current. \""

"\"One by one, planets were crowned with flags, and territories ignited by war. As the final resistance fell silent, a massive empire rose among the stars—this tiny pond finally welcomed prosperity and peace. \""

"Hai Seyi suddenly turned and looked toward Xing, who was watching immersively nearby."

"\"This is the story's ending, you who have stepped into the play as spectators—do you like it? \""

"\"This is not the proper ending, \" Xing shook his head."

"Hai Seyi did not retort: \"After all, that tranquil pond bottom is paved with countless bones... My drunken dream should wake up now. \""

"As soon as the words fell, the crowd before Xing gradually vanished, replaced entirely by the Heichi‑tainted corpses of sea‑demons."

"Xing walked onto the plaza; the feast had ended sometime unnoticed, and Ti Bao, Ti An and the others shouted nearby: \"Caesar is dead! Caesar is dead! \""

"In the distance, Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output keludela swayed, her life already a candle flickering in the wind."

"\"People once cheered my ascent... now they cheer my fall... \""

"\"The galaxy... a battlefield I cannot set foot upon... \""

"Hai Seyi stared at the phantom of Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output keludela before her, her brows drooping, and sighed deeply: \"Before the king's journey reaches its end, her life and ambition have already been buried by the deep sea. \""

"\"This is the true ending... her grand scheme torn by sword blades, her splendid robes stained with golden blood... \""

"\"And the one who killed her... the one who killed her... \""

"Hai Seyi closed her eyes in pain, her lips trembling slightly, each word like a blade carving into her chest."

"\"... it is her most loyal sword‑standard. \""

——

Assassin Wu Liuqi.

"Miss Hai Seyi—?!"

"\"It could be her? No, no... how could it be her?! \""

"Wu Liuqi rubbed his eyes, making sure he hadn't seen wrong nor heard wrong. In his mind, Hai Seyi was the least likely person to assassinate Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output Thus we output keludela."

"She regarded Caesar as the guiding flame for herself, didn't Caesar promise her a feast? Then why…"

"Could it be that resentment had arisen, a long‑standing discontent?"

"But with Hai Seyi's loyalty, that shouldn't be the case…"

"\"Stop guessing, A Qi, the answer is already evident, crystal clear, \" Ji Da Bao said, noticing Wu Liuqi's puzzled expression, pushing his sunglasses up, \"It must be that Caesar's endless wars caused massive casualties; she kept waging war for her ambition, but the nation's strength can no longer support it. \""

"\"Moreover, most importantly, Caesar's vision cannot be realized; her ideals will inevitably end in tragedy. \""

"Wu Liuqi shook his head: \"But Hai Seyi doesn't even know whether Caesar's vision can be fulfilled, does she? The savior hasn't arrived yet, and getting news of the Iron Tomb must have been Laigushi fanning the flames in her ear. \""

"\"And Hai Seyi clearly cares deeply for Caesar, even worrying about her safety during the far‑off expedition... how did she become the one threatening her safety? \""

——

"\"You... killed her? \""

"Hai Seyi lowered her head desolately: \"The reason... needs no elaboration. The fish in this tiny pond cannot resist the raging destiny. I roamed the shore, finally found a cluster of flames, and then snuffed it out with my own hands... \""

"\"I don't understand—if the ocean's feast, Caesar's vision, and Weng Falos's existence are all illusion... what meaning does our journey hold? \""

"Hai Seyi let out a soft sigh; she did not expect anyone to answer her confusion."

"\"When the savior returns, let this absurd banquet end. \""

"\"But, Hui Yuer, I still can't help but think... how I wish this fire‑pursuing feast would never end. \""

"Having said that, Hai Seyi's body turned into blue smoke and vanished with the wind."

"\"It seems she also sensed your arrival; the foundation of the illusion has begun to tremble... \" Laigushi extended a hand, \"Let us return to the prologue, to the question about the cave allegory: 'Can the prisoners of the cave distinguish the shadows and echoes, rather than mistake them for the true world?'\""

"\"As you can see, when she removes her shackles and finally looks around, stepping forward, only intense pain assaults her... The light blinds her because the fire behind never directly enters her eyes; her legs become unbearably heavy, for she has never learned how to step forward. \""

"\"Then she falls into endless bewilderment and fear, firmly believing: the shadows and echoes are the true world. \""

"\"And we, in the galaxy, are we truly clearer than she is? Now, nameless ones, fate‑less ones, imagine... the destiny you walk, the star god you worship, everything you have 'pioneered'—are they merely shadows cast by others? \""