Chapter 348: Ruin, Departure
It was mid-autumn. Leaves drifted through the air, the sunlight was gently warm—perfect weather for a nap beneath a tree.
Zzz—
Senti, ever the cheerful type by nature, was sound asleep. Curled up, her head rested on a pair of warm, soft thighs.
Perhaps it was that Fu Hua's lap was simply that comfortable. Or perhaps it was the familiar presence that set her at ease. Either way, her sleeping face was sweet and relaxed. From time to time, her glossy pink lips moved ever so slightly, as though she were lost in some delightful dream.
"I almost want to know what she's dreaming about, to be able to sleep so soundly like this."
Fu Hua's voice was soft as she brushed away a stray lock of hair from Senti's forehead. Her eyes were gentle as she looked down at the girl.
But she wasn't speaking to herself. She was speaking to the cold figure who had appeared behind her.
Sigurd balanced countless tiny black particles in one hand, each colliding and shifting at high speed. He lifted his gaze.
"Wake her up and ask. Or step into her mind directly. Either way, you'll know immediately."
"As heartless as ever, my esteemed Emperor."
Fu Hua turned her head, smiling up at him with half-closed eyes.
Sigurd shook his head.
"...Tch. Can't you act normal for once? That title doesn't suit me at all."
"You'll have to get used to it. The time has come... So, after walking through world after world, are your preparations finally complete?"
"Civilization is always about growth and progress. There's no such thing as 'perfect' or 'complete.' But yes—it's close enough. The rest is for time and civilization itself to shape."
Fu Hua paused at his answer, then turned back toward the world beyond the tree they sat beneath. Wrapped in invisible force fields, that expanse was slowly dissolving into nothingness. A sigh slipped from her lips.
Sigurd let the black particles in his palm vanish and asked:
"You pity it? Because this bubble world is disappearing?"
"A little. Even if no one lives here anymore, it was still once a thriving world."
Sitting in the grass, she stroked Senti's hair and sighed in melancholy.
On one hand, to witness the final moment of a world's collapse—to see that silent, hopeless unraveling—was something that stirred the heart.
On the other hand, this was their last bubble world. After today, they would return to the Cosmic Juggernaut, regroup with Book of Fuxi, Kevin, and Su, then go back to the real world. After that, he would be the Emperor, and she would be Fu Hua, the fusion warrior. Nothing more would tie them together. The first reason made the second reason's sorrow feel natural, a cover that hid what lay underneath.
Sigurd stepped closer, placed a hand on her head, and gave it a light pat.
"If it would ease your mood, I could extend this place's life a little longer."
"Oh? How considerate."
Fu Hua smiled faintly.
"But I see—you're just trying to win my favor, aren't you?"
"...We're at least friends. You don't have to put it so bluntly."
For the first time, the faintest smile touched Sigurd's otherwise indifferent face. They had walked through many bubble worlds together, spent long days side by side. To call her a friend didn't feel wrong.
Fu Hua laughed softly.
"Ha! To be a friend of the Great Emperor Sigurd—that's quite the honor. But no need. Life and death are cycles, as they are for people, so too for leaves and worlds. Sprout, flourish, fall, vanish—that's simply fate, isn't it?"
"Life itself exists in defiance of its environment. It goes against the heavens. The same holds true for the survival of civilizations. As for whether 'fate' truly exists, I'll withhold judgment until research proves it. But if it does... then we will defy it."
"Your will, my Emperor. I, Fu Hua, would follow unto death."
"You exaggerate. If you've made peace with it, then simply enjoy the sight. It's not something one sees often... And as for you—time to get up."
Sigurd crouched down, pinched Senti's cheek, and tugged.
"Ow, that hurts!!"
Dragged from her sweet dream, Senti immediately launched herself at him in protest.
Whap! Bam!
After a scuffle of wild tackles and well-placed blows, Senti was left sitting beside Fu Hua with two fresh lumps on her head, glaring at the collapsing world ahead in sullen silence.
Sigurd sat down next to Fu Hua, the two of them side by side, watching as sky, land, and all things gradually fractured, dissolved, and finally sank into nothing but void and darkness.
…
Meanwhile, the Book of Fuxi was making noodles.
Kevin had always loved noodles. All kinds of noodles.
And Su, being the pure-hearted good man he was, devoted himself entirely to looking after his old friend's preferences, never once voicing his own.
Which was why, ever since Book of Fuxi had taken over kitchen duty, noodles had become the staple dish.
"Slurp!"
Hovering over a bowl about twice her own size, the little ELF took a sip of the broth. Satisfied, she set the massive bowl back on the table and floated toward the spice trays. Grabbing a ladle far larger than herself, she tipped a measure of salt into the pot.
"Mm, that should do it… Haa! To think the great Book of Fuxi has been reduced to a full-time noodle cook. Life is hard—Little Xuan can only sigh… sigh!"
"No one forced you, you know. Didn't you volunteer yourself?"
A gentle voice, soft as a breeze, drifted from behind her. Su appeared, smiling faintly, and tapped her small forehead with his finger.
Book of Fuxi drew her sleeves up, rolled her eyes, and floated onto Su's head to sit there like a sulking doll.
"That's called courtesy, understand? You two are extraordinary figures—compared to you, what am I? Just a housekeeper doll. Of course I had to make a modest gesture in front of you. How was I supposed to know you'd take me seriously?"
"Uh… well, in that case, should I start cooking from tomorrow?"
Scratching his cheek, Su asked in all sincerity.
The Book of Fuxi stifled a laugh behind her hand.
"I was joking! Back when I was with that blockhead, this was how we lived. It's fine, really. But you two are boring in your own ways—Kevin's a lump of ice that kills every joke, and you… you take every joke literally, just like him. Haa~ I wonder how that blockhead and Senti are doing. Sigurd should be taking good care of them, right?"
"Don't worry. They're fine—I can sense it."
"The blockhead is easy. She's like a ball of cotton with no temper, she'll cooperate with Sigurd just fine. But Senti… hmm, I think it'd be wise to stock up on medicine. A lot of it."
"True. Senti's hot-tempered. It's easy for her to rub Sigurd the wrong way, and then she'll suffer for it."
Su gave a small nod, careful not to jostle the little figure perched on his head.
The Book of Fuxi fell silent for a moment, then sighed.
"To be fair, Sigurd has his own twisted sense of humor. He enjoys teasing the girls around him—especially the fiery ones. The more they react, the more he provokes, then clamps down under the guise of 'training obedience.' Senti's exactly that type. I can already picture their entire journey."
"Ah…"
Su scratched his face awkwardly, unable to deny it. Because it was true.
BOOM!!
The world shook with a deafening explosion.
Su froze for a heartbeat, then stepped out of the kitchen, careful not to topple the small figure riding on his head.
Outside, Kevin stood with his flaming greatsword in hand, staring up at the sky.
The heavens were an unmarred blue, showing no sign of disturbance. But when Su reached out with his senses, he quickly understood. At Kevin and Book of Fuxi's questioning gazes, he only shrugged.
"Don't look at me. That's Sigurd."
"What is he doing?"
Kevin's voice was flat as ever, his blue eyes calm, as though the fate of the world around them was of no concern.
Su closed his eyes—not so much in thought as in another kind of perception. Minutes passed before he opened them again.
"The time has come. Looks like Sigurd doesn't plan on meeting us first. He's pulling the Cosmic Juggernaut directly into the real world. Kevin, Little Xuan… we're going home."
At the word home, a shadow of melancholy crossed Su's face. Even Kevin, ever cold, allowed a flicker of complex emotion to surface in his eyes.
For both of them, that place had been absent for thousands of years. It was where they had gained everything, lost everything, and in the end, been left only with despair.
"Su."
"Yes, I'm here."
"To fight the End again… it may cost us our lives. Yours and mine both."
"I know. I'm ready."
The two friends who had shared fifty thousand years of history looked at each other for a long moment. Then Su smiled, and Kevin—rarely—let a faint smile touch his lips as well.
And so, while the Cosmic Juggernaut raced through the Sea Of Quanta, they sat down to their meal of noodles, quietly sharing one more dinner together.
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