Chapter 1445: with translation of chapter title

「「I've been hiding it from you, Star, I'm sorry… As an apology, once the dust settles, I'll tell you this thousand‑year story in full. And now, let us join hands and, with the power of 'memory,' take the final step. 」」

「Star nodded firmly: "Come on, let's defeat Laigushi together。"」

「"Of course! By the way, speaking of 'joining hands'…"」

「Xilian suddenly gave a playful smile, placed her hands behind her back, stepped forward to Star, and winked at her: "Before we go on stage, please allow me to be a little selfish once more♪"」

「"Star, do you still remember the joke we made in the tree garden?"」

「Xilian extended her right hand, pressing her palm tightly against Star's."」

「This soft touch… it was like the first meltwater of Aolixie's spring snow, slightly cool yet made utterly tender by the sun's kiss."」

「"Look… isn't my hand pretty now?"」

「Xilian pressed her palm a little harder, bringing their hands even closer."」

「"What a strange feeling… for a moment, it seemed as if countless memories surged into my heart. Star, what about you? When we touch, what do you feel?"」

——

「Honkai 3. 」

「"I felt it… but… Ailixiya, you don't have to press so close, do you?"」

「Seeing Xilian in the skyline already pressing her hand against Star's, Ailixiya also reached out her hands, wanting to press against the girls in the Blessed Land, but everyone dodged extremely quickly—only Eden stretched out his hand to meet hers. 」

「Ailixiya blinked: "How about it, Eden—did you feel anything from our contact♪"」

「Eden tilted his head slightly, his fingertips lightly grazing Ailixiya's hand, making her feel a little ticklish: "Hmm… I sense a pink fairy plotting something cute."」

「"Oh dear, Eden, what kind of answer is that?" Ailixiya puffed her cheeks in mock displeasure, but didn't pull her hand back; instead she slipped her fingertips into the gaps between his fingers, saying, "I'm being serious—heartbeat, temperature, passion—those are the right answers."」

「Eden gave a low chuckle, his eyes full of indulgence. He didn't withdraw his hand, but slowly curled his fingers, tightly clasping Ailixiya's palm: "Then let me answer again—I feel Ailixiya's body temperature a bit warmer than usual, and… a little greed."」

「Ailixiya blinked, a satisfied, slightly proud smile appearing on her face: "That's more like it. But Eden says I'm greedy—aren't you holding on just as tight?"」

「Eden didn't deny it, just gave a light laugh: "Of course, if I loosened my grip and let Ailixiya escape, that wouldn't do."」

「Ailixiya's eyes sparkled: "Wow, that's a heart‑racing statement, my dear Eden~ Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."」

——

「"It feels very real."」

「"Really? Then I'd be happy! If a single thread of memory can move someone, that means she must be happy, right?" Xilian closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of Star's palm, "Human interaction is truly wondrous. So please keep this feeling in mind and write it on the page named 'Heart,' preserving it."」

「"A memory one wishes to cherish will not fade easily; even if washed by the river of time, it will leave a trace of its existence."」

「Xilian slightly lifted her head, a smile of utmost tenderness spreading across her lips. In the depths of her blue eyes, the shimmering light seemed to hold all the tenderness she had gathered over a thousand years. 」

「"So if the scenery in your memory blurs, reach out and touch it—just like on those nights when we read bedtime stories together, wiping away the frost of time, polishing the outline of memory until it becomes spiritual strength once more."」

「Xilian's fingers slipped through Star's, and they clasped tightly together. 」

「"From now on, I'll carry this power with me, briefly leave your side, and step into the long cycle."」

「"Bless me, Star. And then…"」

「"Let that brand‑new future be written as 'we' have written♪"」

「"Then… shall I leave it to you?"」

「Xilian spread her hands, and as I had written, she slowly opened before Star, revealing a blank page. Star gripped her quill and wrote continuously on it, then tore off the written side and flung it into the sky——」

「"Age" instantly exerted its force, time began to rewind at this moment: the flame seed was fixed, Star returned the flame seed, Haseyin swung her sword…… in the blink of an eye it rewound to the moment Laigushi returned to the ground and was struck. 」

「Laigushi turned his head; he seemed to realize something, but his silhouette had already been stretched extremely long——」

「Time began to flow again—Star surged forward with her flame spear, Laigushi was swallowed by a whale, and Star returned holding the flame seed……」

「"You want to wield 'Age' as a weapon… to oppose me?"」

「Star tore off another page. 」

「Time rewound again, everything returned to the starting point; Star once again charged with her flame spear, Haseyin summoned the whale…… all experiences were identical, playing over and over before Laigushi's eyes. 」

「"This is futile."」

「"My existence… transcends the reincarnation of Ouroboros."」

「Star wrote again and again, rewound again and again; Laigushi was struck again and again, rose again and again—endless, an endless loop. 」

——

「JOJO's Bizarre Adventure Golden Wind. 」

「"Laigushi… can never reach the true meaning of 'destruction'!"」

「Just as in the battle against Diavolo, Golden Experience Requiem trapped him in a loop where he could never reach true death. Although the scene in the sky now differs greatly from that fight against Diavolo, this rewinding method…… Giorno is all too familiar with it. 」

「"Giorno, in other words, this whole 'rewind' is a memory implanted in Laigushi's brain, right?" Although watching Laigushi constantly spin in the loop was satisfying, Mista still felt uneasy, so he asked further. 」

「"Well, even now he still thinks it's Star constantly unleashing the power of Age—although that's not wrong, but what's before us now is merely false." Fugo shrugged, "…its advantage turned into the key to failure in an instant—truly fate playing tricks. But using a 'loop' to punish him couldn't be better—what Abbacchio endured, it'd be best to make him endure it tenfold, a hundredfold in this memory."」

「Upon mentioning Abbacchio's ordeal, Fugo's veins bulged on the back of his hand; he slammed his fist hard on the table, making the plates jump. 」

「"Fugo, calm down… there's nothing here worth getting angry about."」

「Giorno's words were like a basin of just‑right ice water, instantly quenching the fury smoldering in Fugo's heart. 」

「"Sorry, I just lost my composure…"」