Many years later, when facing an unprecedented enemy, when Shun looked back on his life, he would still remember that distant noon when he married Ana.
When the Wedding March sounded, Shun finally lifted his head from his thoughts. Finally, had it come to this moment? His palms unconsciously clenched, then relaxed again.
Shun's position was in the room next to St. Freya Cathedral. After waiting for a while, the door in front of him slowly opened.
"Let's go, it's your turn to go on stage, Shun." The newcomer had long gray-green hair, with a strand of green highlights hanging on the side. Her previously tightly closed eyes opened, revealing dark red pupils.
"Thanks, Su. Thank you for giving me face to be my best man." When deciding on the best man candidate back then, Shun had thought for a long time and didn't know who to choose. After all, in the Honkai Impact 3rd world there were few men and many women, and only a few males he was familiar with.
Siegfried's wanted poster hadn't been withdrawn, so he wasn't suitable to appear in public. Otto was to be the wedding host, and Friedrich didn't need to be mentioned—he was Ana's father, and later Shun would have to receive Ana from his hands.
"No problem. The current me has long since stopped executing the Eternal Sand Plan. Being idle is being idle. Receiving your invitation, I also feel very honored."
"Congratulations on your marriage." From a green light orb that Su extended his hand from, a slightly cold voice came out, but Shun could tell he was already trying hard to put emotion into it.
"Thank you too, Kevin." Shun gave them his most sincere thanks. On this day, even if he ran into a dog on the road, he would thank it properly.
Accompanied by Su, Shun ascended the ceremony platform. Looking at the sea of people below, he couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.
"All of them are Schicksal Valkyries…" As he passed by, he glanced at Otto wearing a black priest's robe. It seemed this was probably Otto's doing.
"How about it, old friend? These are all people I pulled in to support you. Touched?"
"I don't dare to be." After saying that, Shun stood in the place he was supposed to be and straightened his posture. At this critical moment, he couldn't drop the ball.
While waiting, he couldn't help but start anticipating what Ana would look like when he saw her later. To maintain mystery and surprise, Ana's wedding dress and makeup were things Shun hadn't participated in—they were completely decided by those girls together with Ana.
Early this morning, under the power of the relatives and friends group, Shun had been forced to separate from Ana. Now it had already been several hours since they last met.
On the other side of the church, the music performed by some symphony orchestra had already entered its climax. Everyone held their breath, because this represented that the highlight of this wedding was truly beginning.
Shun looked toward the heavy doors of the cathedral. Kiana and Theresa, wearing bridesmaid attire, stood in front of the doors. To push open doors weighing several tons by themselves—that was something only the monstrous strength of a Kaslana could easily accomplish.
As if receiving a signal, the two exchanged glances, and the dust-sealed doors were slowly pushed open by the two at a constant speed.
Sunlight poured into the room through the windows. The dust in the air, illuminated by the light, outlined the charming scene of the Tyndall effect, like a light gauze woven from light rays, soft and dreamy.
Beneath that layer of soft thin gauze, Ana, dressed in a pure white wedding gown, slowly stepped into the solemn and sacred church like an angel. Her steps were light and elegant. The hem of the wedding dress swayed gently with her steps, as if clouds were lightly drifting on the ground. The soft light in the church filtered through the colorful stained glass windows, casting upon her a layer of dreamy halo.
Her gaze traversed the long aisle of the church and finally met Shun's in the distance. At the moment their eyes met, Ana saw the daze and amazement on Shun's face—that was a wordless praise for her beautiful countenance. A warm current surged in her heart, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve into a gentle and understanding smile. That smile contained anticipation for the future and a deep affectionate response to Shun. Her eyes sparkled with the light of happiness, as if silently telling: In this world, she had found her home, her lover.
Immediately after, Ana lightly walked to her mother Elena's side, affectionately opened her arms, and tightly embraced her. In this warm moment, the mother and daughter's hearts seemed tightly connected, and all love and blessings were conveyed in this embrace.
"Ana, congratulations on your marriage," Elena's voice trembled, her eyes glistening with tears. She gently stroked her daughter's back, her tone filled with endless affection and blessings. "From now on, you and little Shun must be good to each other, support each other, understand each other, and walk through every stage of life together…"
At this time, words had already become superfluous, because the mother and daughter's hearts were already connected. All instructions and expectations had already been integrated into this deep embrace. Elena knew that Ana had grown up and had found her happiness, and what she could do was to give the most sincere blessings and support. Ana also felt her mother's love. She tightly hugged her mother back, her heart filled with gratitude and happiness. This embrace was the most profound emotional exchange between mother and daughter, and also a beautiful wish for the beginning of Ana's new life.
"I will." Ana nodded in response. She really wanted to shed a few tears, but thinking that it would ruin the makeup on her face, she held it back.
"Let's go, Ana. I'll lead you to that brat's side." Friedrich's eyes were filled with strong reluctance, and he couldn't help but feel some old tears welling up.
"Okay, Dad." Ana placed her right hand, wearing a light gauze glove, into her father's palm, and stepped toward Shun.
"Auntie, Auntie, what are you looking at? We should close the door." Kiana, after Ana's long wedding dress train had all entered the church, reminded the obviously still dazed Theresa who was looking at the ground.
"Oh, okay." Theresa's gaze moved away from Ana's wedding dress train, and together with Kiana, they closed the cathedral's doors.
Although she had already made mental preparations, she still felt uncomfortable in her heart…
Naturally, it wasn't just her who was harboring the same feeling as Theresa. Fu Hua gently patted Seele's shoulder, as if that could make her feel a bit better.
"What? Not reconciled? Seele, it's just a wedding. What's there to envy." Black Seele's obviously still somewhat jealous-sounding voice came from her heart.
Ana and Friedrich slowly walked up to Shun. Shun also finally truly saw his bride.
Although he had even prepared himself mentally, when he truly stood face to face in front of Ana, he was still shocked by her beauty.
This made him recall that morning in the high-class nursing ward in Singapore. When he awakened from the fog of amnesia and sat up from the hospital bed, what met his gaze was precisely Ana's gentle face. In that instant, he seemed to have found his harbor in this world, and his soul found its belonging.
Although Ana's face was veiled by a layer of light gauze, and Shun couldn't fully glimpse her entire appearance, even this hazy imagination was enough to make him feel how the countenance behind the veil was so captivating, so breathtakingly beautiful.
"Cough…" Friedrich couldn't help but lightly cough once, pulling Shun and Ana back to reality from their mutual dazed gazing.
"If in the future I find out that you're not good to Ana, even if I stake my old life, I will…"
Before Friedrich finished speaking, Shun interrupted him. "I won't. At least this once, please believe me properly… Dad."
"Forget it, I think you have a sense of it in your heart." Friedrich turned his head away and used his sleeve to wipe his somewhat moist eyes.
Friedrich solemnly and slowly handed Ana's hand over to Shun, as if transferring the most precious treasure in this world.
Shun gently took Ana's hand. It was a natural closeness. He tenderly and firmly held her hand in his own palm. His gaze was deep and sincere, staring into Ana's eyes, as if to pour all emotions and promises into this moment.
"The road ahead is one that the two of us will walk together? Ana, are you willing to accompany me all the way?"
Ana did not respond with words, but her actions had already explained everything. She lightly took a step forward. The heels of her high heels tapped on the marble floor of the church, emitting a crisp and firm sound. That sound echoed in this solemn space, like a silent hymn of praise, surpassing all sweet words and a thousand words in the world.
Every crisp echo was an affirmation of the future. Every step was a deep affectionate promise to Shun. At this moment, without words, Ana's steps had clearly expressed her determination to walk hand in hand with Shun. This simple yet powerful action was more profound and more moving than any vow.
Her answer was: "I do."