Chapter 154 Thank You (5K)
The two walked out of the station, and a path naturally extended out from the pale world, leading to no one.
But the two of them set out on this road without much hesitation, walking in this pure white.
"It looks like everything is over." Gerard felt a rare sense of relief. He looked at Bai Wei who was walking leisurely beside him and asked, "Did you succeed?"
"Successful." Bai Wei corrected, "But to be precise, it was you who succeeded."
"I?"
"Yes." Bai Wei said lazily, "I am just the initiator of the rules. You are the one who paid the price. You managed to hold on until I successfully used up the two rules. So, it is you who succeeded, not me."
“…Really?” Gerard didn’t have any extra emotions for having persevered to the end. He just said softly, “I don’t remember anything.”
"Well, that's normal. After all, you were already on fire at that time." Bai Wei said, "It's like asking a self-immolating person to look at what others are doing when the fire is burning. It's really difficult."
...Is this a joke?
Gerard was a little unsure for a moment.
He looked at Bai Wei beside him and felt a familiar yet unfamiliar sense of absurdity.
The reason why he was familiar with him was naturally because Bai Wei could be said to be the person he truly "confided" with during this period of time. After all, his entire person lived in his heart.
The reason why he said it was strange was naturally because this was the first time that Jellal saw Bai Wei's true form... It seems not quite accurate to say this. To be precise, it should be the complete true form, not just the "three melons and two dates" of eyes and fingers.
So he looked at Bai Wei carefully, wanting to take a good look at what this legendary being looked like.
To be honest, he had imagined the image of Visas before, but his final fantasy always fell on a monster that seemed to have four hands and eight legs. Otherwise, how could it fight against the gods?
So when he saw that Bai Wei's true image was so "ordinary", he was still a little surprised.
But his surprise was mixed with a strange thought: "He should be like this." That's why Gerard guessed Bai Wei's identity the moment he saw him at the station.
The most important thing is those eyes, those eyes that seem to be able to see through everything.
"You're going home now."
Bai Wei suddenly spoke.
Only then did Gerard withdraw his attention from Bai Wei and look around.
He found that the shadows of buildings were gradually emerging in the white light on both sides of the road. These were short houses, naturally the houses of Xiaoxing Village in the past. However, they were not the dilapidated ones they appeared later. Instead, they were the ones in his memory and in the yellowed photos, with the warmth of sunlight.
There were even faint human figures floating in those houses.
"Is this... the world after death?" asked Gerard.
"I don't know how to answer this question." Bai Wei said, "Because I haven't died yet."
Gerard couldn't help but look at Bai Wei again.
"It's no use looking at me like that." Bai Wei said calmly, "I was just dismembered, not dead."
...This sounds weird no matter how you listen to it, but what's even weirder is that it sounds damn reasonable when Bai Wei says it.
But maybe it was because he was in a good mood, Bai Wei did not act as a riddler as usual, but gave an explanation instead.
"Rather than calling it the world after death, it's better to say that this is the world you want to come to." Bai Wei said, "Do you know about the revolving lantern?"
"What is that?"
"It's probably because before a person dies, his or her entire life will briefly flash through his or her mind." Bai Wei said, "But that time is too short to review one's entire life, so one may have more memories of things that he or she cares about more... So you might as well try to think about everything here more clearly."
"Thinking more clearly?"
Jellal nodded slightly and looked around again.
The shadows that emerged from the white light became more and more real, and even the road under their feet had a sense of heaviness when they stepped on it that they had not had before.
"It seems that you can really let me sit in your house." Bai Wei said, "I mean, the one that has not yet become a ruin."
Jellal smiled again and gestured "please" once again.
"certainly."
…
...is it really over?
Yuri stood under the huge Sword of Order, his face still full of disbelief.
The Sword of Order he was facing now was not the one transformed by Bishop Weisen in the Fifth District, but the one transformed by the God of Lyra, the real Sword of Order, which was as high as the Tower of Babel before.
This sword of order, as if slashed from the sky, stands tall on the earth.
And its enemy, the powerful and mad immortal god, has disappeared.
In fact, it's not just the physical body that disappears.
Everything about Him is gone.
The “everything” mentioned here naturally also includes…pollution.
Yes, all the pollution brought by the Eternal God no longer exists.
According to the Devil Knights around the Sword of Order, the Eternal God disappeared suddenly.
Even, in just a blink of an eye, He was gone.
At the same time as He disappeared, the pollution faced by the remaining Devil Knights in the Fifth District also dissipated.
This is also the reason why Yuri was able to leave the room.
The pollution on their bodies, which should have been "irreversible", suddenly disappeared. Even the knights whose bodies had been mutated due to the pollution returned to normal.
The pollution level they detected was naturally zero.
It was as if the immortal God and everything He carried had disappeared... No, not disappeared.
Yuri raised his head and looked again at the Sword of Order that seemed to be able to block out the sun.
It is erasure.
His existence was completely and thoroughly erased.
This terrifying power...is it the work of Tianqin?
Yuri walked forward, raised his hand, and gently touched the Sword of Order in front of him.
The Sword of Order also showed no reaction.
Just like the eternal life that disappears.
At that moment, Yuri understood.
Tianqin is gone too.
…
"Are they all gone?" Gerard asked.
"Is this the first thing you said when you invited me to be your guest?" Bai Wei glanced at Gerard, "You are about to die, are you still concerned about your life?"
"How can I feel at ease if I don't ask for clarification?"
"Tsk, alright." Bai Wei nodded, "In a sense, they are both dead."
At this point, they were back at Gerard's house.
This house is naturally not like the one that was later destroyed. It is still very normal now, so normal that Gerard can even make a cup of tea for Bai Wei.
Bai Wei could also see that Gerard's fingers holding the teacup trembled unnaturally when he heard "They are indeed dead".
"Is that so?" Gerald said softly.
"It seems that you still have some memories of the God of Lyra." Bai Wei pointed it out directly.
Gerard did not deny it: "He is our God after all, and..."
"Do you think He is not guilty of the crime that Oliver said, or at least not guilty of a crime punishable by death? Also, do you think the Lyrans still betrayed your God?"
Bai Wei guessed the half sentence that Gerard hadn't finished.
Gerald nodded again: "I do have this idea."
"Yeah, I guessed it. After all, you've been called a rebel for ten years, so you're naturally sensitive to the act of betrayal." Bai Wei shrugged. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with your opinion, because that's your true thought, and it hasn't been influenced by anyone."
Jellal looked up at Bai Wei.
After such a long time, he also knew that the gods would exert influence on mortals, but Visas would eliminate such influence.
That is why Bai Wei said that these were his real thoughts, rather than the "believer's thoughts" influenced by the gods.
"The reason why you are so contradictory is also related to the god Tianqin. He is also a contradictory god." Bai Wei said, "Of course, I am not saying that His contradictions have affected you, but that His existence itself is contradictory. His kingdom of God was destroyed, and his body is incomplete. He cannot stay awake for a long time. In fact, due to his defective body, as a god, He even needs mortals to complete the most basic 'metabolism'."
Gerald listened quietly.
"That fellow named Oliver is right. Every Lyran is His tool. So He influences your thinking and makes you use His power to obey the absolute order. In essence, this can be seen as 'polishing the tools to make them more useful'. From this point of view, He is taming you, and that's not wrong." Bai Wei said, "But what he said is not entirely right, because in fact you are more than just tools, but at a higher level, cells, limbs, or to put it in a more emotional way..."
Bai Wei paused.
"Part of His body."
Although he was mentally prepared, Jellal still showed a surprised expression when he actually heard this sentence.
"Interesting, right?" Bai Wei sipped the tea in his cup leisurely, and then showed a slightly regretful expression, who knows if it was because he couldn't taste anything. "But the fact is that Tianqin's own functions have long collapsed. He needs you to maintain His body and become the part of His body that I destroyed... I mean, I don't know why I lost it."
Bai Wei put down the teacup.
"So you are a rare example of a relationship between gods and mortals that requires each other. You should know that this does not exist in other churches. For example, the people of Rhineland will never see their gods or step into their kingdom of God in their lifetime, but you were born in the kingdom of Lyra. God is right under your feet."
"Remember what I once told you? Your biggest problem is that you are too close to God."
“But there’s actually a second half to the sentence.”
“God’s biggest problem is also that he is too close to you.”
After hearing Bai Wei's words, Gerald's breathing became heavier: "You mean, God is influencing us, and we are also influencing God?"
"It's possible, but the likelihood is not high." Bai Wei said, "It's too difficult for mortals to influence God. Tianqin must care more about His body than you do."
"Then you said..."
"But you have become His body."
Gerald was startled.
"It's been too long. Tian Qin has been sleeping for too long." Bai Wei said softly, "The battle with Yongsheng for more than ten years has consumed a lot of his energy. He is not a normal god. After such a long torture, he may have been unconscious a long time ago. So many times, his protection of you can also be regarded as protection of his own body."
Gerard's expression gradually became complicated: "Is that so?"
"The above are just my guesses."
"……ah?"
"He is a god after all." Bai Wei said calmly, "I can't possibly know Him that well. I can only infer based on what He did. He really wants all Lyrans to become part of His body and work for Him. To this end, He does not hesitate to 'break' your bodies, control your thoughts, and firmly embed order in your minds, just like the two locks of 'body and mind' that every Lyran has. He does not allow you to have any possibility of betraying Him. Of course, this is also because He is weak. Other gods don't worry about the betrayal of their believers, but He does. So when it comes to controlling believers, He can be said to be the one with the most extreme means."
"But at the same time, He did bring you a better life and a better order. He was the most generous one in sharing His power, whether it was voluntary or not. Every rail train and every prosthetic limb is surging with His power. He shared His divine power with you, so you live a life that other churches can't imagine, because you were born into the kingdom of God that other churches can't reach."
"As long as you have no ambitions and never think of leaving, He is willing to provide you with this kind of life forever."
“So, looking at it this way, is He good or bad?”
When he said this, the corners of Bai Wei's mouth slightly raised, just like a bad teacher who gave primary school students a lot of homework beyond the syllabus.
But the person sitting opposite him was not an elementary school student, but an old man with gray hair.
But even so, this question still stumped Gerard, and he didn't know how to answer it for a moment.
And he didn't have any more time to think, because he found that everything in front of him was getting fainter and fainter, as if it was about to return to the paleness of nothingness.
Gerard smiled self-deprecatingly: "It seems that I will save this question and ask Him after I die... If I can still see Him in the afterlife."
He is leaving.
But at this moment, he saw Bai Wei calmly say: "No, He is not dead yet."
Jellal's eyes widened instantly.
"It's not that easy for a god to die." Bai Wei stared at Gerard with his star-like eyes, "I can take away immortality, which is already the limit."
Gerard stood up immediately: "Then where is He?"
Bai Wei did not speak immediately, but turned his head slightly and looked at the window beside him.
Jellal also looked in the direction he was looking, and was shocked to find that what was outside the window was no longer the Village of Evelyn, but the Sword of Order standing tall above the earth.
...Lyra!
"Although it's very weak, I can still feel His presence." Bai Wei said calmly, "One day, He will return to the world."
"...Return to this world?" Jellal's expression became complicated. "What will happen then?"
"Who knows?" Bai Wei shrugged. "We can't even be sure if it's Him who's coming back. After all, He has lost most of His things now, and it's very likely that He has lost even His memories, just like you back then... In that case, will it still be Him who's coming back? He may be the same as before, or he may become even more chaotic and disordered. Everything is unknown."
Jellal looked down at Bai Wei: "Then...is there anything else we can do?"
Somewhat unexpectedly, but also as if expected, Gerard saw Bai Wei nodded: "Indeed, I can."
But then he paused again.
"But are you sure you want it?"
Gerard didn't say anything, but just watched Bai Wei stand up, walk to the window, and look up at the Sword of Order.
“Just like those bishops, dive in and be the anchor.”
"Anchor point?" Gerald asked. "You mean the amber of thought?"
"No, more than that." Bai Wei shook his head. "You no longer have a physical body, so you can't enter the amber of thought. You can only deposit your soul directly in the sword... that is, in Tianqin's body, and you can no longer leave."
Bai Wei turned around and saw Gerard looking at him calmly.
"It seems you understand what I mean." Bai Wei said, "When Tianqin wakes up, the relationship between you and Tianqin may be like that between you and me, or it may be like..."
"Ian and Yongxin." Gerald said softly.
"Yes." Bai Wei nodded. "Once that time really comes, you will face Tian Qin alone, without any way out... How do you think?"
Bai Wei walked to the door again and opened it.
The scenes outside the door and outside the window are two completely different scenes.
Outside the door is still Xiaoxing Village.
But the oh-so-familiar street was no longer as empty as when we first came here.
There were quite a few people waiting outside.
"Hey, Captain!" Helmer hugged Isa and waved to Jellal with a smile, "You are finally back."
"We've been waiting for you for a long time." Eric hugged Ju, "Look, this is my daughter."
There were countless familiar people, and Gerard's eyes swept across their faces one by one, finally landing on the young couple.
"Father," Ian said softly, "you should rest."
Jellal opened his mouth.
I wanted to say something, but I couldn't.
He turned and looked at Bai Wei.
Bai Wei didn't say anything, just looked at Gerard calmly.
Finally, Gerard walked to the door, and then closed it under countless familiar and expectant gazes.
"Are you still not willing to take a rest?" Bai Wei asked.
Gerard smiled and walked towards the window alone.
As he made his choice, his beloved cottage collapsed in an instant, and the only thing left between heaven and earth was the abrupt and sharp Sword of Order.
Then he heard Bai Wei's voice behind him.
"If there really comes such a day."
"I'll be back here."
"Help you kill Tianqin again."
"This time, it's free."
Jellal turned his head and saw Bai Wei waving at him before the white light dissipated, and he smiled.
"Thanks."
…
Lyra is dead.
Yuri gradually loosened his hand that was touching the Sword of Order, his expression full of solemnity and complexity.
Are they going to walk the rest of the way on their own?
In this wasteland?
At this moment, a subtle but resounding buzzing sound was heard throughout the city.
At the same time, the familiar power surged back into everyone's heart.
Everyone turned their heads and subconsciously looked towards the source of the sound.
That which broke through the dust and mist,
Sword of Order.
Ina, who was still frantically searching for something in the ruins, suddenly raised her head and looked at the Sword of Order shining brightly in the sunset glow. She suddenly felt an extremely familiar feeling in her heart.
She couldn't help but murmur.
"……Father?"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
