"Preservation is not the enemy of Trailblaze?" Welt frowned deeply, analyzing the meaning behind these words.
Given the current manifestation of Preservation in Amphoreus—that almost absolute freezing—he found it difficult to connect it to the path symbolizing exploration, progress, and breaking boundaries. Let alone considering it an ally.
"Question: Miss Evernight, may I understand it as…" Screwllum's electronic eye flickered slightly, precisely catch the subtle possibility hidden within her words, "that the final outcome of the Preservation equation's hatching might still have some… turn of events not included in our projection?"
"I cannot guarantee the ending will definitely change." Evernight reiterated, holding the shattered memory crystal fragment as if cradling a fragile world. "As I said, you need to see and judge the truth for yourselves. All I can provide is… a perspective."
The Herta stood with arms crossed, silently pondering for a moment, then turned her gaze to the three members of the Astral Express crew. Her tone, for once, carried a hint of consultation:
"What about you? The Nameless of the Astral Express. If… just if, there really exists a sliver of a chance to prevent this catastrophe, no matter how slim the hope, what would you do?"
Stelle, Dan Heng, and Welt quickly exchanged a glance. Without need for many words, from each other's eyes, they saw the same answer.
Stelle stepped forward, representing the three of them, and also representing the will of Trailblaze, and spoke clearly:
"If there truly is a chance to prevent this disaster that affects countless lives, the Nameless will never sit idly by." Her voice was crisp and firm, carrying an unyielding determination.
"Heh, not bad words for a little one." The Herta chuckled lightly, but the smile held less of her usual teasing and more recognition and decisiveness.
"Alright, since you all have this courage, the unparalleled Madam Herta will make an exception this time and join you… in 'saving the galaxy.' Don't hold this genius back."
Watching them rapidly reach a consensus, a flicker of barely perceptible approval and envy crossed Evernight's dark crimson pupils. She nodded:
"It seems you are ready to face the truth. Then… come witness together, come face together, the truth behind the birth of the Preservation equation… the long-buried truth"
Before her voice faded, the shattered memory crystal in her hand suddenly erupted with unimaginable brilliant light!
The light, like a warm tide, instantly engulfed and overwhelmed everyone's consciousness, dragging them into a boundless pure white realm…
…
Meanwhile, completely different from the eerie calm of the Vortex of Genesis, the data domain of Erudition constructed by Phaethon, under the violent collision of four paths, was on the brink of collapse!
Whoosh—!
A figure flashed like lightning, carrying a sharp gust of wind. "Cipher" delivered a vicious side kick aimed directly at Phaethon's waist!
Phaethon seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, shifting slightly to let the kick, powerful enough to shatter mountains, miss by a hair's breadth.
He didn't even look at the failed ambush by "Cipher." His right hand closed as if gripping, and a spear condensed from pure amber instantly manifested!
Forward lunge, twist the waist, throw the arm!
The movements were fluid, seamless, and full of explosive power!
The amber spear transformed into a streak of orange-red light tearing through space, carrying a piercing howl, shooting directly at "Mydei" in the distance, who had drawn a bow made of blood-colored crystal and already aimed an arrow at him!
Boom—crack!
The amber spear precisely collided with the crimson energy arrow shot by "Mydei," the latter shattering like fragile glass!
The spear's momentum did not diminish, like a death-chasing meteor, shooting towards the archer's location.
But just a moment before impact, "Mydei's" figure, along with his crimson longbow, naturally dissolved into specks of blue-purple memory fragments, disappearing into nothingness, like a sand painting blown away by the wind.
The spear pierced through emptiness, hitting nothing.
And "Cipher," whose ambush had just failed, had also already dissolved into the same fragments after Phaethon dodged.
These figures of "companions," so intimately familiar to Phaethon yet repeatedly attacking him, were not real. They were echoes of the past, recreated by Cyrene from the river of time using her authority of Time, combined with the power of Remembrance.
Hum—
Golden light flared beside him! The figure of "Aglaea" silently appeared, countless brilliant golden threads containing the power of Romance coiling up like spiritual snakes, trying to bind Phaethon's movements.
And she herself held a golden needle-sword formed by extreme compression of golden threads, carrying a determined, cold gleam, lunging swiftly towards Phaethon's heart!
Almost simultaneously, space on the other side subtly twisted. Before "Hysilens's" figure was even fully clear, the cold gleam in her hand, symbolizing ultimate sharpness, had already broken through the limits of time and space, silently appearing at Phaethon's neck, carrying a deadly threat slashing towards his throat!
In the past, this tacit and deadly combination might have targeted terrifying creatures in the surging Black Tide, or powerful enemy generals in the Golden Blood War.
But now, these attacks, carrying past glory and combat instincts, all fell upon Phaethon.
Facing this two-pronged attack from the past, Phaethon's gaze remained calm.
He didn't even make any large movements. His hands shot out like lightning—his left unerringly caught the tip of "Aglaea's" golden needle-sword, the power enough to pierce metal and stone stopping abruptly at his fingertips.
His right hand steadily grasped the physical blade of "Hysilens's" formless sharpness, letting it cut, but unable to advance another inch!
He didn't need to do more.
Just like before, when this "moment" of attack was recreated and ended, these phantoms, relying on specific combat fragments, would naturally disperse into a sky full of blue-purple fragments as if their mission was complete.
But just as Phaethon dealt with these diversions from the past—
Phainon and Cyrene's true ultimate move had already been brewing to completion!
Phainon raised high the "Dawnmaker" in his hand. The aura around him surged wildly like a volcano about to erupt!
And even more heart-stopping, beside him, in the void, a full twelve shattered vessel avatars, each clad in tattered armor and different in form, manifested simultaneously!
The twelve avatars, together with Phainon's main body, thirteen figures moved in perfect unison, like different components of a precision war machine!
The vast and immense power of the Destruction path, filled with a sense of finality, frantically surged and converged in the "Dawnmaker" in Phainon's hand!
On the blade, black-red Destruction lightning fiercely flashed, scorching and evaporating the surrounding data space!
Phainon's gaze was piercing, fixed firmly on Phaethon.
He was about to bring down this ultimate strike, condensing the power of himself and the twelve vessels, upon Phaethon, without mercy—SLASH!!!