Chapter 179

Dragon Clan——

Shinjuku, Japan.

「Can only say it's no wonder they're biologically related; this mother-daughter pair are identical in both appearance and personality. 」 Caesar slumped back onto the soft sofa behind him, 「Hmm…… actually, there is still a difference in personality; Qingni is obviously softer…… perhaps because she has a domineering mother. 」

「Didn't you previously think Yukong was an unreasonable patriarch? 」 Chu Zihao asked lightly, 「Has your view changed now? 」

「Hmm, although I still think Lady Yukong is somewhat stubborn…… but I acknowledge her reasons for being stubborn. 」

Caesar shook his head and said: 「If it were me, I would make the same choice as her——but the difference between me and her is: I don't believe I can truly stop that girl's steps; no matter what, she is destined to become a Warship Aviator. 」

「When a person truly wants to do something, it cannot be stopped. In my view, Qingni is not suited to one day die of old age in a hospital bed; she is like a flint…… rather than living quietly in obscurity, she would rather aspire to ignite that burning moment. 」

「Is this metaphor something you learned in the poetry society at the academy? 」

Chu Zihao said, 「Dying in battle isn't as glorious and poetic as you imagine; as long as Qingni can accept that she might end up as a charred lump of flesh on the ground, I think it's fine. 」

——

「「The brain is a strange organ. After living over two hundred years, I've forgotten most of the idle chatter… but I clearly remember every word of that boring idle chatter。」」

「「Because that was my last idle chat with Caiyi。」」

「The sky shifted again, the background changing from Luo Fu to a battlefield shrouded in gunfire and exploding shells. 」

「The land plowed by war turned up black gums, chewing on shattered star wrecks, charred fragments of corpses, and tattered clothes unrecognizable to their owners. 」

「Yukong held a fox-person woman who was gradually growing cold. 」

「「Caiyi…… hold on, Caiyi! Open your eyes, Caiyi……」」

「「Cough…… Caiyi's breath was weak, like a string about to snap, sounding the final syllable, 「Thank you, Yukong…… I've lived a wonderful life. But don't let Qingni walk this path, don't let her… become a Warship Aviator……」」

「「That's your daughter! Say what you have to say to her yourself! Help is arriving soon, hold on a little longer, Qingni is waiting for you! 」」

「Yukong felt her blood turn ice-cold all over, her teeth chattering violently: 「Gu Yuan is already dead…… Qingni can't lose you again, wake up for me! Caiyi! Caiyi! Caiyi! 」」

「Perhaps this is just a few strokes in the long history of the Celestial Vessel, but when it falls upon ordinary Celestial Vessel folk…… sigh. 」

Outside the Sumeru Academia, in a café, Tighnari watched the raging battlefire and corpses strewn across the light curtain, as well as…… Yukong's anguished cries; the war that existed only in books seemed to come alive in an instant.

Even though they were far from the light curtain, they could almost smell the sweet-scented odor drifting in the air, like rotten fruit soaked in rust, making them unable to hold back nausea.

「Perhaps the war of the Archons a thousand years ago was just like this scene? 」 Kaveri said, heart still trembling.

「No, I'm afraid it's nowhere near as brutal as the war Yukong and her comrades experienced; although the ancient Archon war also involved innocent civilians, at its core it was a battle between Archons…… humanity had no room to intervene. 」 Ehrling said.

「And the battles of the Celestial Vessel mainly involve people like Yukong; the casualties in such circumstances……」 Ehrling recalled Jingyuan's saying of "one out of ten survives," and sighed with a solemn expression.

When war lifts its veil and reveals its truth to mortals, even if it's merely the most common sight…… it is beyond what these long‑peace‑dwelling people can endure or imagine.

「「That day, when I crawled out from the burning wreck of a star‑raft, what I saw was the sky of that bloodless, tearless planet, unadorned by atmosphere。」」

「「That's the most beautiful sky I've ever seen, but I only feel unbearable sorrow. I can only lie like a damned ant on the ground, gazing at it longingly。」」

「「In my dream, I died on that day。」」

「Yukong lifted her head, as if the ash settled in her iris suddenly reignited, seeking to scorch a hole in the Celestial Vessel's azure vault. Countless wails and shouts rang in her ears, desperately dragging her back to the smoke‑filled battlefield thirty years ago. 」

「「This is the first time I've heard you speak of these…… but, Mom, I'm no longer a naive child. Becoming a Warship Aviator is a cruel path, and I've long prepared for it。」」

「「But I won't retreat because of this, I'm not afraid to walk the same path as her…… if sacrifice can bring happiness to the common folk of the Celestial Vessel, then I gladly give my life! 」」

「Qingni suddenly lifted her face, the resolute expression on her face like a spark that refuses to be extinguished. 」

「Yet Yukong's face showed little comfort. 」

「「You really are like Caiyi. So over these years, the more outstanding you are, the more fearful I become. I know you've long been ready…… but I've still not prepared myself. 」」

「「But do you know, the battle that took Caiyi…… that took hundreds of thousands of comrades, how did we finally achieve victory? 」」

「Qingni was no stranger to the War of Abundance; when Yukong asked, she immediately replied: 「It is… the Divine Arrow of the Imperial Decree Keeper……」」

「「Yes. 」 Yukong's eyes filled with indescribable desolation, 「The vast divine grace of the Emperor Bow's Decree Keeper wiped out those fiends with a single strike! Yet merely to halt their advance, we paid the price of hundreds of thousands of lives! 」」

「Yukong turned her head, solemnly gazing at Qingni: 「If, for the Emperor Bow's Decree Keeper, crushing those enemies is as simple as breathing… then what does our sacrifice amount to? 」」

「「Under the might of the Star God, mortal sacrifices are like jokes…… nothing…… nothing. 」」

The Funeral's Frieren——

「Oh? Is this Yukong's current view? 」

Sailae lightly sighed: 「It seems this scar can't be healed for her…… well…… it's not strange that she'd have this idea. 」

Jenze raised his head with a doubtful look toward Sailae: 「Lady Sailae, do you not agree with Lady Yukong's view? 」

「Hehe, certainly not. But before answering your question, I must first ask you, Jenze……」 Sailae's lips curled into a smile, 「Before me, who can easily obliterate the demonfolk…… do you feel your existence has any worth? 」

「Of course. 」 Jenze said without hesitation, 「Although Lady Sailae is strong, it's impossible for her to scatter to every corner of the continent to eradicate demons. Eliminating those ordinary demons is still better left to us. 」

「That's right. If I were compared to the Star God, the common point is…… we are both suited to be ultimate weapons, only acting when humanity faces an overwhelming foe they cannot handle. But for daily peacekeeping, we still must rely on the defenses forged by ordinary people. 」

「So, Yukong and her comrades' sacrifice is not in vain; rather, it creates a buffer for the Star God's power. 」

Sailae slowly shook her head: 「No one's sacrifice is worthless; if it weren't for the delay bought by the hundreds of thousands of Celestial Vessel aviators…… perhaps the Hunt's Light Arrow would not have arrived, and the Celestial Vessel would already have been reduced to a land of suffering. 」