The Primal Memory Zone.
Oak's Dream—a place of birth, a place of death.
After issuing the invitation, AR-214 restarted the Iron Cavalry armor named "Firefly".
Regardless of whether permission was granted, she forcibly led Firefly, flying high into the sky together.
Firefly said nothing, merely silently activating Sam to chase after AR-214's silhouette.
Leon showed no reaction, following closely behind the two.
Finally, under the leadership of AR-214—or rather, the "Dreammaster"—the three tore open the camouflage on the surface of the false sky and arrived in a Memory Zone of Penacony rarely known to others.
"The matter you mentioned... about bringing things to an end..."
Arriving in this "Memory Zone" that was no different from the Grand Theater, Firefly disengaged Sam's equipment, looking ahead at AR-214, who had also disengaged the "Firefly" armor.
"What is it?"
Her small face, climbed with the lines of Entropy Loss Syndrome, was serious.
"In my memory, this is the last place I came to before my consciousness dissipated."
AR-214 did not answer the question directly, speaking to herself instead.
"Walk this last stretch of road with me, Firefly."
She turned her head, a calm expression on her face.
"No matter what, I will face it together with you."
Firefly stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.
AR-214 nodded, then turned and walked forward. Firefly walked with her, while Leon followed not far behind the two.
"After leaving Glamoth, I wandered aimlessly in this galaxy for a long time," AR-214 recounted the past while walking.
"The galaxy is really big. When I was in Glamoth, I really didn't know the world was so vast."
"But even though the galaxy is so vast, I didn't find a second place of shelter other than Glamoth."
"My Entropy Loss Syndrome was gradually worsening."
Accompanying AR-214's words, the scenery around the Memory Zone also began to slowly change.
"The countdown of life rang in my ears. It made my entire person's nerves tense up, and worry couldn't help but arise in my heart. And a trace of regret surged into my mind."
Under the artificially induced changes, the Memory Zone, originally in the style of the Grand Theater, became a scene of the galaxy in outer space in the blink of an eye. The Swarm paused above Asdana, like black clouds pressing down on the border.
"Before leaving Glamoth, I told you... I wanted to choose how I die myself."
"My whole life has been lived under military regulations and the Empress's orders, but I thought, at least the most fair death should be decided by myself."
"I searched for the meaning of death."
"But the Entropy Loss Syndrome, whose erosion rate intensified immediately after violating military regulations, made me start to panic."
"Am I going to die like this? Is dying at the hands of Entropy Loss Syndrome really what I chose myself?"
AR-214 narrated the past events.
"Although I knew that defecting would definitely not allow me to live—knowing it was impossible but doing it anyway... Being driven to death by Entropy Loss Syndrome after violating military regulations was also a long-anticipated ending."
"But I must admit, for a moment, I regretted it. Regretted why I came out on an impulse, instead of staying in Glamoth to die in battle as an Iron Cavalry."
"That would have been better than dying of Entropy Loss Syndrome."
As she finished speaking, Penacony, simulated by this Memory Zone and ravaged by the Swarm, welcomed a Glamoth Iron Cavalry at this very moment.
"Just when I thought everything was about to end like that, I happened to pass by here. A planet being ravaged by the Swarm Disaster."
"Maybe this is destiny. I chose to leave Glamoth in order to break away from the fate of dying in battle during the process of fighting the insect swarm."
AR-214 stated simply, her words without half a bit of emotional fluctuation.
"But in the end, I still embraced my own fate."
"I also forgot what I was thinking at the time. I just thought that no matter what, I couldn't die at the hands of 'Entropy Loss Syndrome', die at the hands of this fate that was the least chosen by myself."
After AR-214 finished speaking, the Iron Cavalry, also fictitiously simulated by the Memory Zone, turned in an instant and rushed toward the Swarm shrouding Penacony.
In a flash, orange-red fire shot up into the sky, easily destroying most of the Swarm completely.
"Surprisingly, despite being seriously injured..."
As AR-214 spoke, the surrounding scene changed from the Swarm Disaster again.
"I did not perish in this resistance."
Sounds of men, women, the old, and the young mixed together rang out.
"I survived, and the people of Penacony also joined hands to tide over this Swarm Disaster."
Listening closely, it was the dense shouting of heroes.
The scene simulated by the Memory Zone transformed from Penacony suffering from the Swarm Disaster to Penacony after the Swarm Disaster. The Iron Cavalry who extended a helping hand was also welcomed into this Land of Dreams by the people here as a hero.
"The people of Penacony called me a hero; they expressed thanks for my salvation."
"This was the first time I was thanked by someone."
"In the past, the places where we executed missions were all planets that had already been completely annihilated by the insect swarm. After eliminating the insect swarm, we would be immediately required to return to Glamoth to stand by."
"There was fundamentally no opportunity to search for survivors."
"How should I say it... hmm, anyway, it's a feeling that's hard to describe clearly in a few words."
AR-214 told Firefly all about her experiences on the road after she left Glamoth.
"I originally thought I could die surrounded by the crowd."
This was probably the ending AR-214 dreamed of.
"But before I had stayed in Penacony for even a day, a Swarm more violent than the last time raided Penacony once again."
The Memory Zone scene changed again.
The Swarm no longer stayed on the periphery of the Asdana system but rushed into the sweet dream named Penacony, starting a new round of invasion.
"This time, our resistance still succeeded. But the price Penacony paid was truly heavy, and I also fell into a near-death state."
The Swarm was fleeting, leaving only a mess on the ground. And the dying Iron Cavalry was also visited by the leader of Amphoreus.
[The Iron Cavalry born to wipe out the insect swarm is actually a Pathstrider of 'The Propagation'... how pathetic.]
Accompanied by the voice coming out, Gopher Wood, acting as the "Dreammaster", looked at the weak Iron Cavalry. Acting without martial ethics, he directly ended the Iron Cavalry's remaining vitality.
[I can't die... I don't want to die... I...]
Hearing these final last words, Firefly's body trembled slightly.
"AR-214..."
There were quite complicated emotions in the depths of her eyes.
Touched, as the sole survivor, as the one dragging out an ignoble existence, a lingering sense of indebtedness hovered in her heart. Her entire person was difficult to calm for a long time.
"I didn't understand at first either."
Reenacting the scene of being killed, using this as the background.
"Why the Swarm would attack so frequently. This isn't reasonable. Just solved one batch, no matter what, the next batch couldn't possibly come so fast."
AR-214 spoke in a quite flat tone.
"Later I knew, 'Kin' attract each other."
She looked at Firefly.
Firefly didn't say a word; she naturally knew what she was referring to.
"The Propagation."
She had already come into contact with it—the essence of this Iron Cavalry and the true power.
"Firefly."
AR-214 called out her name once again. And this Primal Memory Zone also underwent the final transformation accompanying the word "Firefly" leaving her mouth.
The scene of the Iron Cavalry being killed by Gopher Wood disappeared. Replaced by a Grand Theater stage with a chrysalis emitting blood-red light hanging high directly above.
"I showed you these, said these, just to convey a message to you. If Entropy Loss Syndrome didn't exist, I should have had another ending."
"So, if there is a chance now."
"That can let me, and can also let you live, and can even make the tragedy of Entropy Loss Syndrome disappear forever. Except for you, there will be no second person who suffers its misery again."
"The living death, the 'Propagation' named 'Separation from the swarm', will also dissipate because of this."
AR-214, the "Dreammaster", with this appearance and voice familiar to Firefly, spoke.
"What choice will you make?"
Tempting this Iron Cavalry step by step to make a wish...
"Do you want... to live?"
Make a wish to live.
Although the "Dreammaster" didn't know how the "Stellaron", which should have been destroyed by Leon, appeared here. Obviously, someone was secretly pushing everything.
But it didn't matter; it meant heaven was helping him.
The "Dreammaster" didn't care; anyway, this was also what he needed. No matter what purpose the person pushing all this had, it didn't hinder him from doing his own thing.
Mainly, the "Dreammaster" only had this one pair of underpants left; he couldn't not wear it. If he didn't wear it, he would really be kicked to death by Leon later. Wearing a pair of underpants, at least there was some hope of struggling.
Listening to the words spoken by "AR-214", Firefly standing in place was a bit dazed.
A chance to end everything, a chance to solve entropy loss. The chance to save herself, and the "selves" with the same distress in the galaxy. It was placed right before her eyes like this.
Is this what Elio's script meant, that she could get what she wished for in this operation?
But... is it really that simple?
Firefly pursed her lips. Intuition made her feel that everything was far from being as calm as the surface.
If she answered this question, what would happen? She had a bad premonition.
There was a look of hesitation between Firefly's brows and eyes; she finally decided not to pay much attention to other things. Confronting AR-214, or rather... the "Dreammaster" directly.
"I'm here."
Entering her ears was a confident but not arrogant male voice.
Firefly, who was just preparing to give an answer and take action, couldn't help but stop for these two understated words. She stopped her footsteps.
Looking back, Leon was standing right behind her.
Shouldering a longbow, hands in pockets, clearly a stance that couldn't be more ordinary. But on him, it was exceptionally powerful.
Just two words completely without cause; reasonably speaking, they should make people very confused. But Firefly could surprisingly understand Leon's meaning.
With him here, no matter how big a mistake, she could commit it.
Even if she poked a hole in the sky of Penacony, there would still be him as her after-sales service. And Leon being the after-sales service meant that absolutely no accidents would be allowed to happen.
No matter what the matter was, he would definitely resolve and calm it down.
In short, it was letting Firefly go do everything with relief and boldness. Completely without needing to weigh the consequences, just throwing all those superfluous worries in her heart to the back of her head.
Two short words, without a majestic tone, nor any emotion to speak of, just speaking the two words "I'm here" in the most ordinary way.
But for some reason. Spoken by Leon, it appeared incomparably direct and powerful. Making the young girl have a feeling of being relieved of a heavy burden for a moment.
Firefly's lingering gaze found it difficult to leave him after looking back because of his voice just now. She opened her mouth, seeming to want to say something. But meeting his eyes, she closed her lips again.
Leon's attitude needed no words; everything was in the silence.
Thus, Firefly had to retract her words, taking deep breaths constantly. Repeating this cycle.
After getting ready, she turned her head, looking at AR-214 just like that, impartially.
Asking herself honestly, if she really had such a chance... A chance to save others, to save herself, then what kind of choice would she make?
"Fireflies fly into the flame, born towards death."
Regarding this question which was extremely likely a trap, Firefly gave her own answer.
If death has a time, life also has a time. Even if what AR-214 offered was a dead end, she would charge into this dead end with the will to survive.
"Until ashes, reborn in fire."
Does she want to live? The answer need not be spoken.
She wants to live more than anyone, and she must live. Even more, she must help those in the galaxy who are in the same situation as her to live.
Only in this way is the greatest resistance against fate!
"AR-214" did not answer this, only the corners of the lips hooked up into a satisfied smile.
After Firefly's strong will to survive was revealed, the "Chrysalis of Extinction" began to become restless!
Obviously, the "Stellaron" existing within it heard the wish for survival Firefly made. And immediately began to put this command into action.
After answering this question, Firefly took a deep breath.
"...Everything you said is very good."
The next moment, she spoke with a resolute expression.
"But, this is not what AR-214 would say."
The reenactment of AR-214's death state just now was clear enough. She would no longer deceive herself; let the displaced person chasing phantoms stop here.
"I don't know who you are."
The dream should wake up.
"But please don't use this appearance and speak such words to defile my friend again!"
The words the young girl spoke were serious as never before. It was never Entropy Loss Syndrome that insulted AR-214's death, but this guy named Gopher Wood before her eyes!
"Disgusting, why could you tell..."
AR-214 just smiled at this. Just as he was preparing to switch to the Dreammaster form, he felt a huge pressure.
Before the "Dreammaster" could have any reaction, a slight sound of breaking air was sent into his ears.
With a whoosh, completely without any defense. A light arrow pierced through AR-214's chest just like that!
Looking up, one could see Leon had taken down the longbow shouldered on his shoulder at some point. He held "Expedition", the sight bead aiming right at AR-214.
From his right arm being half-bent and five fingers loosely spread, it could be seen that he had just drawn the string once. Shot an arrow once!
"Firefly... thank you..."
After leaving this sentence, a muffled sound smashed onto the ground.
AR-214's entire person hit the ground heavily. The body constructed from "Memoria" also reached its limit; her entire figure began to disappear.
Leon watched AR-214 leave.
The stray dog "Dreammaster" had already been killed by his arrow just now.
This time it was truly a death. Finding the "Causality" line and erasing it directly, without anything flashy.
Even if this stray dog had sky-high abilities, it was impossible to live again.
____
New Story: Junji Ito: I Shall Smash Hellstar Remina
✅ Read 40 chapters ahead on every series!
✅ Unlock supporter-only perks and news!
Let's reach these milestones together:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 free chapter for all readers
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 bonus chapters for all series!
👻 Walnutchan on P...