Chapter 570: Together in Life and Death
The dark space barrier collapsed with a loud bang under the absolute zero of the frost breath, its fragments splashing everywhere like black stars.
The moment it shattered.
Cynthia, who had been constantly using Aura to watch over the people, suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, clutching her heart as she knelt on the ground.
"Lucario..."
Cynthia knelt on one knee, turning her head to look in the direction Will was.
She knew what had happened in that dark space.
At least, what happened before the dark barrier shattered.
She knew it all.
Giratina had used [Destiny Bond] on Will.
At the final moment when Will ended Giratina with Subzero Slammer, the feedback from [Destiny Bond] also descended upon Will.
Sharing one body and mind with Will, Cynthia felt the immense agony Will was enduring at that moment.
Coupled with the massive exhaustion within a short half hour: one Mega Evolution, one Bond Phenomenon, and two Z-Moves.
Cynthia finally couldn't bear it anymore; the blood rushed to her heart and spewed from her mouth, her consciousness nearly collapsing.
But her worry for Will and her duty as the Sinnoh Champion forcefully propped up her consciousness.
Not to mention she was just an ordinary human.
Even an Aura Guardian like Sir Aaron might not have done better than Cynthia.
It was just that...
Cynthia's inability to hold on here.
Led to the Bond Phenomenon with Will losing its effect.
She couldn't sense Will's condition right now, nor did she know how he was doing.
The great battle of the space-time gods in the sky was still ongoing.
Darkrai was heavily injured, yet still risking its life to protect Alamos Town.
Milotic had fallen to the ground, unable to fight anymore.
And Garchomp was also a spent force, purely holding on by the sheer will of not wanting to lose to Will.
The trainers and Pokémon of Alamos Town were already somewhat unable to hold on; the land beneath their feet was constantly shrinking, leaving them with almost no retreat.
The dark spatial rift was no longer pitch black.
Instead, it was covered in gray cracks violently squeezed by space-time energy.
The destruction of Alamos Town seemed imminent.
The despairing world in Cyrus's eyes was probably nothing more than this.
"Phew..."
Will's figure staggered to its feet from the ground.
The Destiny Bond released by Giratina at the cost of its life was impossible to dodge.
Fortunately, he had successfully achieved Bond Phenomenon not long ago and reached the Master level.
Otherwise, he would have truly been taken away along with Giratina.
"This situation seems about done."
Will raised his trembling hand to take a look, then looked up at the sky.
Palkia and Dialga didn't care about all living beings at all.
They were just blindly venting their anger.
The two Pokémon had long fought to the point of forgetting heaven and earth; even if they were already covered in bruises, they red-eyed refused to stop.
If this continued.
Palkia, who was already injured, would probably be obliterated by Dialga first.
Two of the Creation Trio dead.
What would happen to this world was completely unknown.
Perhaps Arceus would appear at the critical moment.
Or perhaps it would sit back and watch this world be destroyed.
After all.
There are far too many Pokémon worlds.
To Arceus, destroying one might not be a big deal.
Will took heavy steps towards the direction Cynthia was.
Seeing Will, Blonde-kun's face lit up with joy.
She frowned tightly, gritted her teeth, and got up from the ground, stumbling forward like a toddler who just learned to walk.
A short distance of a little over twenty meters.
Against the backdrop of the apocalypse, felt as long as a century.
It took them over ten seconds to reach each other's side.
"Lucario, what should we do?"
Cynthia held Will's hand, asking in confusion.
She didn't know how to save Alamos Town anymore.
Will was silent.
He didn't know either.
They no longer had enough military force to stop the battle between the space-time gods.
Even just standing in place was extremely strenuous for Will now.
Garchomp in the sky couldn't hold on any longer and fell from the horizon.
Cynthia raised her Poké Balls, recalling both Garchomp and Milotic into their balls.
At this moment.
Countless gazes converged on Will and Cynthia.
The surviving people and Pokémon of Alamos Town were all looking at them.
In those gazes was bewilderment, fear, but mostly an almost devout reliance.
These gazes made Will and Cynthia panic.
As the Champions of Sinnoh.
They carried the hope of the entire Alamos Town.
But in the end, they failed to protect everyone in Alamos Town.
Instead, just like ordinary people.
They could only helplessly watch the space-time gods fighting in the sky, standing blankly in place at a loss for what to do.
"Ahhh!!"
An angry roar sounded in the sky.
Whoosh, boom—
Spacial Rend and Roar of Time shot from both sides towards Darkrai in the middle.
In that moment.
Alicia from a hundred years ago appeared before Darkrai's eyes.
Warm sunlight spilled mottled light and shadows through the leaves of the courtyard.
"There's no need to be afraid~"
Alicia bent down, her skirt brushing the grass.
She reached out her fair, soft hand, gently stroking Darkrai's shadow body, which was trembling slightly from unease.
Darkrai froze in place, not knowing what to do.
"You don't have to run away; you can stay here too~"
Alicia smiled gently at him.
"Can I really?"
A hint of expectation crossed Darkrai's voice.
"Of course, because... this is everyone's courtyard."
"This is everyone's courtyard! Get out!!"
The Dark Void centered around Darkrai violently exploded, instantly swallowing Dialga and Palkia into it.
The entire spatial rift seemed to freeze at this moment.
At the center of the Dark Void.
A blue eye resembling a flame burned fiercely; a tear dripped from the flame, disappearing into the darkness in an instant.
Boom!!
Dark Void, Spacial Rend, Roar of Time.
The power of the three converged at a single point, abruptly vanishing within it.
In the blink of an eye.
A super-massive vortex over a hundred meters in diameter appeared in the sky above Alamos Town.
The figure of the Nightmare God was gradually crushed to pieces within the vortex.
His gaze swept nostalgically over the land beneath his feet that he had guarded for a century—now leaving only ruined walls and despairing living beings.
A sigh filled with regret and self-blame transcended the clamor of space and time:
"Alicia..."
"I'm sorry."
The vortex swallowed the last piece of shadow.
Darkrai, fallen.
Looking at the space-time rift before them.
The crimson in Dialga and Palkia's eyes faded significantly, and they abruptly jolted awake.
The former gathered all its strength to spew out a Roar of Time.
The latter also gave its all to slash out a Spacial Rend.
The two tried to join forces to destroy the space-time rift, but their power was forcefully absorbed, swallowed, and merged by the space-time rift in an instant.
Around this space-time rift, they were completely unable to use their power!
The gods of space and time.
Regained their calm at this moment.
But they couldn't solve this great dilemma before them.
Even.
They themselves might die here.
Despair and sorrow shrouded everyone's hearts.
Just then.
A little girl ran out with tearful eyes, shouting loudly at Cynthia and Will:
"Sister Cynthia, hurry and leave with Lucario!"
The little girl's voice stunned everyone present.
This shout, like a stone tossed into stagnant water, instantly stirred up a thousand ripples.
Subsequently.
The eyes of everyone in Alamos Town gradually became clear and resolute.
"That's right! Senior Cynthia and Senior Will are so strong, you definitely have a chance to escape!"
"Woof!"
Officer Jenny nodded forcefully, looking at them with respect and admiration alongside the heavily scarred Growlithe beside her.
"Please don't worry about us anymore! You've already worked very hard! It's enough!"
"Lucky~"
This was the gentle Nurse Joy and the already extremely weak Chansey.
"We'll buy time for you next. Please do your utmost to get out of here alive, carrying everyone's share."
An unknown League Ranger with a fractured arm and a torn uniform.
"Ahaha, speaking of which, Mr. Will is really strong. As expected of Miss Cynthia's ace, you even took down the legendary Giratina."
An ordinary passerby trainer, covered in dust with half-broken glasses.
"Yeah, yeah. This is my first time seeing a Legendary Pokémon defeated. Only Mr. Will could do that."
A middle-aged man selling fruits on the street, holding a broken basket.
"And Mr. Will's evolution just now looked a bit different from Mega Evolution. I wonder if Chimchar and I can do it."
"Chim-cha..."
A ten-year-old boy who had just stepped out of his house to start his life journey, and the unconscious Chimchar in his arms still sleep-talking in response.
A warm breeze from somewhere gently brushed past Will and Cynthia's faces, which were covered in blood and dust.
Familiar or unfamiliar faces, bearing tears yet trying hard to smile, slowly unfolded before their eyes like the warmest picture scroll.
Cyrus, to say this is a despairing world is not entirely true.
Will looked up at the gloomy and oppressive sky.
The figures of Darkrai and Lucario faintly appeared within the space-time rift.
The duty of guarding Sinnoh.
The destiny of the Aura Guardian.
Either fight to victory.
Or fight to the death.
In his first life, he didn't abandon that red-haired little girl to run away alone.
Then in this life, it was impossible to abandon the common people of Alamos Town and flee.
At this moment.
Will's gaze became profound and calm.
Although he didn't know if it would work.
He didn't even have a sliver of confidence in success in his heart.
But he had to try.
What if he succeeded?
He took a step, rushing forward over ten meters in the blink of an eye.
Just as he was about to jump, a call came from behind him.
"Will!"
Cynthia's voice sounded.
She didn't hesitate at all, trotting all the way and throwing herself into Will's arms, just like twenty years ago when she went to Mount Wolf with full expectation to pick him up.
"Cynthia."
"Take me with you."
Cynthia tightly hugged Will, her face resting on his chest as she choked out the words.
"...Okay."
Will hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
They had agreed.
No matter what.
Together forever.
Even in death.
He carried Cynthia in his arms, stepping on the loyal water currents, and charged towards the space-time rift in the sky.
"Weren't you curious what I would do if I faced the same choice as Gardevoir?"
Cynthia wrapped her arms around Will's neck, looking at him tenderly.
"You don't need to say it; I already know."
Will responded with a smile.
Together in life and death, depending on one another.
The next moment.
The two leaped into the space-time rift.
A turbulent space-time current that seemed capable of tearing everything apart swept over them.
Will wrapped all of his Aura Power around Cynthia, choosing to forcefully endure the invasion of the space-time turbulent currents himself.
"Cynthia, I have so many, many things I want to tell you... Ugh... but right now, there is only one thing you must know."
"I'm listening."
Watching his body constantly disintegrating in the turbulent currents, Cynthia felt her heart twist like a knife, tears welling up like a spring.
"My soul is immortal."
Will gritted his teeth, looking at Cynthia while his gaze swept towards the edge of this space-time rift.
He probably guessed what was going on with this space-time rift.
In that case.
Cynthia would have hope of surviving.
Cynthia looked at Will and smiled slightly, seeming not surprised at all.
"No matter how many times my physical body breaks down, my soul will resurrect infinitely, so... you must survive. Up to heaven or down to hell, I will definitely find you."
"Okay! I'll wait for you! You must come! A promise made by a man must be strictly kept!"
Cynthia's lips trembled as she nodded forcefully.
"Remember what I told you twenty years ago at the Dragonspiral Tower?"
"Mm!"
"I'll say it again: No matter what happens, no matter how much time passes, I will return to your side."
"Then you don't forget what I said! No matter what happens, no matter how much time passes, I will always wait for you to find me."
The two looked at each other.
Cynthia reached out and hugged Will's head, kissing him with all the passion and strength of her life:
"Will, I love you."
"I love you too, Cynthia."
Salty tears mixed with the metallic taste of blood; it was the most sorrowful footnote to this farewell kiss.
Their lips parted.
Will withdrew most of his Aura Power, and then used the last bit of strength in his broken body to throw Cynthia towards the wall of the space-time rift beside them, like tossing hope.
Cynthia's figure was like a kite with a broken string, instantly swept by the turbulent currents of the vortex towards that faint light.
She watched Will wearing a gentle, relieved smile, slowly closing his eyes in the violent space-time turbulent currents, letting his broken body fall solitarily towards the deepest part of the vortex, and she couldn't help but murmur, completing that unfinished sentence:
"If you get lost, then you stay right where you are and wait for me, I will definitely find you..."
"The Aura is with me!!!"
Boom——!
An indescribable deep blue light instantly swallowed that terrifying space-time rift. It was like the first ray of light when the universe was born, and also like the light of the end when all things return to silence!
The entire space-time rift, and even the sky above Alamos Town, was completely illuminated by this martyr-like light of Aura.
Hope.
Was born from this.
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