"Don't worry. Although we have long been accustomed to loss, only determination and oaths—Tribios will never forget. Not a single one of us has forgotten either.
'Flamechasing is a journey of constant relinquishment; amid all of that, life is also insignificant.'
'The lamb's hot blood will not flow in vain, just as it was for me and Mother.'"
Trianne watched Tribios heading toward tomorrow and gently reassured the two behind her.
At that moment, Tribios continued, "'The poured libation must be repaid, just as my right hand gripping the blade is no empty ritual.'"
Trianne followed her former self and spoke in unison with her, "'Traversing the myriad paths of Janus, then, we shall once again—'"
Tribios finished, "'Ride the west wind and spread our wings to journey afar.'"
Caelus let out a long breath of relief as he watched the scene. "So… this is your answer."
"That's right."
Tribios turned her head as though she were looking across time itself, her gaze falling on the three behind her.
"In the name of the three aspects of fate—this is my answer, and I have no regrets. Whether the gods approve or not… I will run toward the suffering of this world.
If I can truly break through the deepest darkness… then let us meet again at the end of the west wind, where the flowers bloom fragrantly."
The screen slowly faded to black.
Subtitles appeared:
[Year 3760 of the Light Calendar, Evernight]
[The Saintess of Janusopolis,] Tribios, bore the Coreflame and became Janus's demigod in order to quell the calamities of the world. She crossed the [Gate of Infinity], splitting herself into a thousand messengers to spread the divine oracle across the land of Amphoreus.
After a century of hardship…
[Year 3870 of the Light Calendar, Freedom Moon]
The human Flamechasing Journey officially began.
[Now it's 4931. I've got goosebumps.]
[Still so beautifully written.]
[This dialogue is handled so well. As always.]
[Evernight? What's that supposed to mean?]
[I feel like this Evernight is setting something up.]
[That line about meeting at the end of the west wind where flowers bloom… why does it feel like it wants to make you cry?]
[Top-tier writing. Top-tier comfort. Only your family's old Mi can pull this off.]
[I can practically hear the soft hums echoing through the miHoYo building right now.]
[So Teacher Tribbie has already been carrying out her duty for 1171 years.]
[This is what it means to never forget your original purpose.]
[Has anyone else noticed? It took 110 years before the Flamechasing Journey even began. How much sacrifice and loneliness must have happened in between?]
[Terrifying when you really think about it… truly terrifying.]
— —
At the same time, the scene returned to the Life Garden.
"Lord Tribbie… do you still believe that everything will be better once tomorrow comes?" Castorice asked, her expression clouded with melancholy.
"Mm. Trianne would say the same."
"Excuse me for saying this, but…" Castorice hesitated before continuing, "Lord Tribbie, you know better than anyone that 'See you tomorrow' is just a kind lie. I don't want your strength to be nothing more than a lonely, forced smile."
"Cas, it's not a lie." Tribbie shook her head with a gentle smile. "'See you tomorrow'… is the greatest prophecy in the world."
["See you tomorrow"… is the greatest prophecy in the world.]
["See you tomorrow"… is the greatest prophecy in the world.]
["See you tomorrow"… is the greatest prophecy in the world.]
[…]
[Another damn golden quote!]
[I was holding it together until now… that line actually broke me.]
"Prophecy…?" Castorice echoed.
"Listen. On this land, at every moment and in every corner, there are people waiting for this prophecy to come true. A few heroes may bring tomorrow to the new world, but the prophecy that leads everyone forward belongs to every single person in Amphoreus.
Not everyone will have the chance to reach tomorrow. So how can such words still be called a prophecy?
Because people choose to believe it will come true. They try with everything they have to believe it will come true. Even when the world is crumbling around them, they still push forward with all their strength, desperate to reach tomorrow.
And because of that belief, a Saintess appears to guide the lost—showing them where tomorrow lies. That is why the prophecy of Janusopolis takes the form of paths.
Fate is not an ending. It is not a flower blooming at the end of the road. It is the path people carve for themselves after they step through the gate, walking toward the sea of flowers."
Castorice fell silent.
"So, Cas… if there's something you can't understand, just leave it for tomorrow. There has never been a difference between 'demigod' and 'human.' Everyone's troubles can only be solved by the version of themselves that exists in the future.
We think through the long night, wait for dawn while thinking, and when dawn finally breaks, we take that step forward. The us who stop will be left behind in the darkness, but the us who keep moving will feel no fear.
Because that is exactly how Tribios walked this path—proclaiming the prophecy, calling out to the morning sun, and to the tomorrow it will one day bring."
[The messengers don't carry prophecy. They carry hope against the end.]
The image slowly faded.
Before Tribbie, an endless field of flowers stretched forward.
At that moment, Tribios took Trianne's hand and walked toward the end of the west wind. The warm sunlight gradually rose.
Trianne turned and waved at Tribbie.
With her back to the camera, Tribbie quietly wiped the corner of her eye with the back of her hand.
She spoke softly:
"Now, we will continue our journey and face our own fates.
We will cross the remains of the gods and wander among mortals, dispelling the pitch-black fog that covers Amphoreus.
In the end, all of us will reach that silvery shore—the final destination of this journey, and the birth of a brand-new world and tomorrow.
There will be no more wind, snow, or freezing rain. No one will be infected by sorrow.
We promised to meet again at the end of the west wind, where the flowers bloom fragrantly.
See you tomorrow, Trianne."
Trianne smiled. "Mm. See you tomorrow!"
[See you tomorrow, Trianne.]
[See you tomorrow, Trianne.]
[See you tomorrow, Trianne.]
[…]
The danmu flooded the screen once more.
— —
Elsewhere.
Anaxa stood with his arms crossed, staring at Kephale—or rather, at the Dawn Machine in front of him.
The next moment, he let out a soft chuckle, as if sensing something.
"Child of man, are you waiting for the black night to fall?" Cerces appeared behind him without warning.
Anaxa didn't even flinch. He was long used to this.
"The black night will never descend on Okhema."
"And yet you stand here so foolishly. How pointless."
Anaxa turned to look at Cerces. "…Honestly, I never expected the famous Titan of Reason to look like this."
"Ah… and whose fault is that? If your soul weren't as prickly as a hedgehog, I wouldn't have ended up this way. If you were a little more agreeable, I wouldn't have to keep clashing with you at every turn. I could have guided you far more freely."
Anaxa frowned. "You didn't have to shove the Coreflame into my body in the first place… Forget it. If you have something to say, just say it. Stop being so passive-aggressive."
"Very well. I simply wished to remind you—your soul is nearly gone. If you continue doing nothing, I will have no choice but to take control of this body."
Anaxa clicked his tongue. "I'm not in a hurry, so why are you? Don't think I don't know what you're really after. You want me to answer that question for you—"
He smirked. "'What exactly are we?' Isn't that right?"
Cerces nodded in satisfaction. "Good. You remember. Equivalent exchange, after all."
"Don't worry. The answer is almost here. You'll be returning this body to me very soon."
Cerces raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Hehe… Is that so?"
"It is. I thought this constant cycle of dying and reviving would make it harder to reclaim my body. Turns out the answer was hidden inside it all along. Hmph. It saved me a lot of trouble. I won't even need that black-robed swordsman's ritual sword."
Cerces let out a dry laugh. "How wonderful for you."
[As expected of Teacher Xia. He's already got his eyes on the Flame Reaver.]
[Hahaha… Why is Teacher Xia so funny all of a sudden?]
[Intelligence-type characters always have this kind of contrast in how they're written.]
[These two are doing a comedy routine right now.]
[I was still crying a second ago and now I want to laugh. What is wrong with me?]
[No idea. Suggest cutting off everything below the eyebrows.]
— —
"It's a shame, though…" Anaxa sighed. "I won't be able to carry out the next experiment myself."
"Has that girl who walks alongside death finished her preparations?"
"Don't rush, Titan. If we're always this tense, how will Death ever feel brave enough to come knocking?"
"Unfortunately, I must speak on behalf of Okhema and ask you both to slow down."
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Aglaea appeared beside them like a shadow.
Anaxa turned to Kephale with a wry smile. "Ah. Forgot you were here too. My apologies."
Aglaea simply shrugged. "Childish words carry no harm. I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
[Oh please, "childish words carry no harm."]
[Hahaha, I don't know why, but whenever these two stand together I just want to laugh.]
[Same here.]
[I heard the previous Titans of Romance and Reason used to be friends.]
[Yeah, well. This time they're clearly enemies.]
— —
"Come now, arrogant 'Great Performer.' It's time we discussed your little coincidence with that Titan," Aglaea said, pressing forward.
Anaxa didn't budge. "And what if I refuse?"
"Provocation will only add more weight to your death on Talanton's scales. There's no need for things to go that far."
Anaxa smiled faintly. "Don't forget—you don't dare kill me, monster that is neither human nor god. If you extinguish the Coreflame of Reason, what will you use to stand against the Senate?"
"Mm…" Cerces finally cut in, unable to watch any longer. "Would the two of you mind if I interrupted for a moment?"
Anaxa's voice sharpened. "I already said—don't interrupt me—"
"Ah, but I have been wanting to ask since earlier… Does death truly hold any meaning for you?"
"…What do you mean?"
"Before I placed the Coreflame into your heart… you were already a corpse, were you not?"
[Teacher Xia really is a living dead man—vivid and lifelike!]
[Does that mean Anaxa is the only person in Amphoreus who died and never came back from death among the current Titans?]
[That actually makes sense.]
— —
The perspective finally shifted to Caelus's private bathroom.
Dan Heng had clearly been waiting for some time. "Strange. Mem isn't with you?"
Caelus patted his pocket. "Don't worry. It's in the ball."
Dan Heng gave him a concerned look. "…You really shouldn't joke about things like that. Since it's not here, I'll ask you directly. Are you really planning to take the Chrysos Heirs' place and undergo Oronyx's Coreflame trial?"
Caelus shrugged. "It's about time I leveled up. It makes sense."
Dan Heng let out a quiet sigh. "So we've come to this after all. I suppose Trailblaze really can't escape its fate.
You should be careful and prioritize your own safety. From what we've seen before, these trials are never simple. But what worries me more is that you'll tie yourself too deeply to Amphoreus. If you truly accept that Titan's divine position… will you still be able to let it go?
…Forget it. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. No matter what happens, I'll stay with you."
[Dan Heng really does have a way with these heavy lines.]
[As expected of Egg Yolk Teacher. Maximum sense of security.]
[So… when is March 7th going to show up?]
[Hard to say. Remember how late Dan Heng appeared during Penacony?]
Caelus's eyes grew slightly damp. He reached out and gave Dan Heng's shoulder a firm pat.
"You really had to make it this sentimental, huh? Where did all that come from?"
Dan Heng didn't answer right away. He seemed to be carefully choosing his words.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"I was stopped by two guards. That's why I missed Trianne's farewell ceremony. They said they were envoys from the Senate and wanted to verify my identity.
I think we've been under surveillance for a while now. They just waited until we split up before making their move.
They asked about everything—how we arrived in Okhema, our private relationships with each of the Chrysos Heirs, even what we did at the market. They wanted every detail.
Luckily, those two weren't very sharp. I managed to brush most of it off. They probably won't come looking for trouble again anytime soon."
Caelus nodded as he listened. "Looks like there are undercurrents running through Okhema."
A thought suddenly struck him. "Ah, I get it. This is setting up the next version, isn't it?"
[Same old flavor.]
[As expected of you.]
[Nothing ever gets past him.]
"Their methods are unpleasant, but thinking about it… Aglaea was cautious of us at first too. Until we understand everyone's positions, it's better not to make enemies.
Right now, the only thing we can be sure of is that someone in the Senate is unhappy with the Chrysos Heirs. In the worst case, we might get pulled into the Holy City's internal conflicts."
Caelus didn't seem particularly bothered. "I like this episode."
"It would be nice if we had some breathing room to investigate the Black Tide… but for now…" Dan Heng pulled out his camera. "At least the weather is decent. Let's take a few more photos."
He raised the camera and captured the scenery around them.
"Hm? That's strange…"
Caelus glanced over. "What is it, Dan Heng?"
Dan Heng fiddled with the camera for a moment. "Ah… the storage card is full. March and the others are probably getting anxious by now."
— —