"I left because I couldn't face you. I couldn't tell you that this World you love so deeply is destined to be destroyed."
"And now, you have... no idea about the power of the Celestials."
"The will of Arishem the Judge is irresistible. Opposing a God will only lead to total destruction."
Ikaris's breathing grew weak. "Only by being loyal to Arishem the Judge, only by obeying his arrangements... can I have a chance to meet you again in a new World."
"Everything I have done is so that in the next cycle... I can fall in love with you again."
"I love you, Sersi."
This confession, spanning thousands of years, seemed exceptionally desolate on the vast, empty ice field.
Tears slid down Sersi's face, and her heart ached.
She hated his betrayal, yet she could not completely sever the bond that had spanned countless centuries.
"I know, I know. Everything is..."
"Swish! Swish!" Just then, a gust of wind suddenly whipped up, and two figures stopped in their tracks on the ice, one after the other.
Pietro was in front, panting slightly. Makkari stopped beside him, looking a bit disheveled.
Pietro raised his hand and, with practiced ease, plucked a twig from Makkari's hair, a mischievous smirk on his face.
Makkari's cheeks flushed slightly, and she instinctively raised her hand to swat away his paw, glaring fiercely at Pietro.
The atmosphere between the two was truly peculiar. But Makkari's attention was quickly drawn to the scene ahead.
Her gaze landed directly on Ikaris, who had fallen into the icy water.
The image of Druig's chest being pierced by a golden beam flashed back in her mind. For thousands of years, among the Eternals, she and Druig had been best friends.
Fury ignited in her heart in an instant.
"Swish!" Makkari instantly crossed a dozen meters, rushed in front of Ikaris, and raised her fist to strike.
But Sersi blocked Ikaris, holding onto Makkari tightly with both hands.
Makkari pushed Sersi away and let out a silent roar in sign language: "He killed Druig!"
"I know! I know!" Sersi said sadly. "But he is blind now and has lost the ability to resist. We can't kill him here."
"Then what do you want to do? Let him go?" Makkari stepped closer.
"Take him back first." Sersi pressed on Makkari's shoulders. "Leave everything to Ajak, and let Ajak decide how to deal with him."
Hearing the name "Ajak," Makkari's clenched fist loosened slightly.
Throughout their long years, Ajak was not just their leader, but more like a parent to everyone. Druig was dead, and Ajak was suffering more than anyone right now.
Makkari gritted her teeth, staring hard at the wretched Ikaris for a moment. Finally, she slowly took two steps back, silently acquiescing to Sersi's proposal.
Just as Sersi breathed a sigh of relief, an untimely voice cut in abruptly.
"Everyone, are you done chatting?" Homelander said unhurriedly.
"But I must correct you on one point. Right now, this matter is not for you to decide, and that includes Ajak."
Sersi and Makkari turned their heads simultaneously to look at Homelander.
"Your love story is indeed well told; it's very moving."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. A romance spanning thousands of years, just to embrace each other again in the next cycle."
Homelander shook his head, then changed the subject. "But isn't this moral compass a bit off?"
"You'd rather sacrifice all of humanity just to continue loving each other in the Afterlife, right?" Homelander pointed at Ikaris on the ground and questioned him.
"I'm asking you, did all of humanity offend you?"
"Earthlings work hard every day, punching in, facing the boss's harassment, paying off mortgages and bills, and trying to get their kids into a good school. Just living is hard enough already!"
"Why should their lives become a part of your romantic 'play'?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the audience in the livestream, who had been somewhat moved earlier, instantly awoke from their daze.
Just a moment ago, when Ikaris was making his emotional confession to Sersi on the ice with his blinded eyes, quite a few sentimental viewers were indeed touched by this tragic romance that spanned millennia.
But these few blunt questions from Homelander tore through the filter of love.
[Holy crap! Homelander is absolutely right! I almost got fooled by this melodramatic romance!]
[Disgusting. I'm sick of this kind of self-indulgent drama.]
[Screw his alien Romeo! I just started collecting my pension! Destroy the Earth now?]
Facing Homelander's questioning, Sersi felt unprecedented shame.
But she still attempted a final defense. "Thousands of years ago, Ikaris led us on the front lines, saving countless Earthlings from the Deviants."
"He... he has also made huge contributions to this World."
Hearing this, Homelander couldn't help but sneer. "That's even more ridiculous."
"Saving humanity from danger? That sounds great. But where did this danger come from? Are you planning to keep quiet about that?"
Homelander pressed on step by step. "Tell me, where did those Deviants come from?"
"Weren't they thrown onto Earth by your high and mighty Creator himself!"
"When the dogs he raised stopped listening, he created you lot as tools to clean up the mess!"
Homelander spread his hands. "From start to finish, only humans have suffered! Humans are just feed in the trough for your Creator!"
"Now that some of you have found your conscience and are willing to turn over a new leaf and protect Earth, I welcome it."
"But please, don't package your previous actions as something great!"
"Should we give an award to an arsonist for putting out the fire?!"
Homelander's logic was impeccable, and every word struck a nerve.
[Total kill! Homelander's logic is perfect! What kind of savior is an arsonist pretending to be!]
[Well said, Homelander! Earthlings' lives matter too!]
Sersi was forced into silence; Homelander's words tore through the Eternals' facade of self-indulgence.
But Homelander did not intend to let her off the hook just yet.
"You stayed on Earth for seven thousand years, attracted by human creativity, emotion, and kindness, eventually falling in love with humans, and even going so far as to oppose your Creator. That is because humans themselves are good enough!"
"But have you ever thought about it carefully? Before coming to Earth, how many cycles did you go through? How many civilizations have you destroyed with your own hands?"
"Everything you are doing now is merely atonement!"
As soon as the word "atonement" was spoken, not only Sersi and Makkari, but all the Eternals watching the livestream were deeply shocked.
There was also a wave of support in the livestream.
[I almost got moved by these executioners! Thanks to Homelander for revealing the truth!]
[Atonement! She must use the rest of her life to atone!]
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm really sorry..." Sersi choked out.
She apologized for her past ignorance, and she also apologized for the countless lives that had been destroyed in the cycles.
"What I hate most is an apology after the fact." Homelander interrupted her coldly.
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