"Ah... so it's impossible."
Michael blinked, quietly repeating the words to himself.
"Perhaps I should be pleased? That even in the midst of all this human insincerity, you still managed to guess what I'm trying to do. It's a bit unsettling, I admit, but I'm pleased all the same."
This time, it was Sakura who fell silent. Perhaps her personality was simply ill-suited for the role of a persuader. It wasn't that she didn't understand Michael, but that she tried too hard to understand him, to comprehend every word and phrase he uttered. And because of that, she could never truly grasp what he was trying to express.
His words weren't meant to be understood in the first place. Michael himself couldn't clearly define their meaning. While normal people use language as a tool to convey something, Michael used it without any specific purpose. It's like a shovel is meant for digging, but he'd grab it by the wooden handle, swinging it like a weapon one moment and shouldering it like a weight the next. And Sakura was trying to interpret all these actions as "digging," which was, of course, impossible.
Besides, Michael wasn't about to give her time to understand.
"But what makes you so sure that what you think I want to do is what I actually want to do?"
Sakura had just started to speak when Michael cut her off again.
"Never mind. This is pointless and dull. Let's just assume you've guessed correctly and change the subject. How did you determine I couldn't succeed? Was it Mei's calculations, or Su's observations of parallel worlds?"
"It was Su. Mei doesn't know about this yet—at least, she didn't when we first started to act. I don't know how he reached his conclusion. I didn't understand his reasoning, nor did I care to. But his conclusion was that it's impossible. If you're willing, you could talk to him about it, couldn't you? I just feel that rather than letting you continue down this path, it would be a better ending for you to stop now."
"So, that's your goal? You put on this whole grand show just for a chance to talk, to tell me that I can't do it?"
Sakura fell silent again. After a long pause, she answered with her head lowered.
"No. This is an admonition, but also a warning. You can also see it as us showing you our strength. True, against the real power of Finality, we are helpless. But you... you don't have the power of Finality anymore, do you?"
Michael's Adam's apple bobbed silently. He asked with some curiosity, "Oh? And how did you guess that?"
"It wasn't really a guess. Five hundred years ago, Kevin confided in Su, entrusting part of the Stigmata Project to him. After all, if he failed and you killed him, someone had to carry on the project, even if Su wasn't the best choice. Of course, he also mentioned the problem of Prometheus, as it was the key to the Stigmata Project's success. And any fight against you would be meaningless if the Authority of Finality couldn't be stripped away, since time would just keep resetting."
"So Su guessed that, given Kevin's personality, when it truly came down to a life-or-death moment, he would absolutely risk using Chimera to contact Prometheus ahead of time and strip the Authority of Finality from you. That was the only way he could possibly defeat you. Once he had the theory, all that was left was to prove it. Through observing you over the past few years, we've never seen you use the Authority of Time. I'm not very good with analogies, but as I see it, if you have a new knife that's better than the old one, you wouldn't just leave it on the shelf, right?"
"Indeed. That's why I said you all did well this time. But... are you really not going to make a move? You understand, don't you? That thing I have to do—whether it's possible or not, I have to try."
"But Michael... in this world, just because you want to do something doesn't mean you can. If it were possible, who would want to watch their comrades die? Who would want the Honkai to exist in this world at all..."
"Of course I understand all that. I know the difficulty of what I'm trying to do better than any of you. But if people gave up just because something was deemed impossible, there would be no suffering left in the world. In the end, humans are creatures of emotion more than reason. If I had given up because something was impossible, then not only would the 'me' of today not exist, but neither would the Fire Moths of the past, and neither would any of you. Isn't that right? And since you've guessed what I want to do, you must also know that I can't give up. Yet you still chose to do this. In a way, aren't you also trying to achieve the impossible?"
"Whether something is possible or not is up to the world to decide. But whether one wants to do it, dares to do it, is willing to do it—that is a human decision. Even if everyone believes it's impossible, I have to reach that ending myself, to personally verify the possible from the impossible. Only when the dice have fallen can we know what number they show. Only when the end truly arrives can we know if something can truly be done."
"Besides, does something being called 'impossible' mean its probability is absolute zero? No. Possible and impossible are relative concepts under specific circumstances. What we call 'impossible' might just have too many zeroes after the decimal point, so it gets rounded down. Speaking of which, her very birth was one such 'impossible' event. Since something that was practically a miracle could happen, isn't it perfectly normal for another miracle to occur?"
"Is that what you think..." Sakura sighed softly.
"But what about the cost of all this? We, too, once tried to accomplish the impossible, but we were sacrificing ourselves to save the world. No matter how foolish it was deemed, it had meaning. But what about what you're doing now? You've not only cast aside your past honor and dignity, but you're also hurting every single person in this world, all to fulfill a wish that's almost impossible. How is what you're doing any different from a Herrscher?"
"My apologies. You said it yourself: how is this different from a Herrscher? Sorry, but I am a Herrscher." Michael spread his hands, a look of complete indifference on his face.
Sakura's pupils trembled violently. She stared at Michael in disbelief. After all this time talking, her expression finally changed, the muscles in her face twitching intensely. She suddenly strode forward, practically screaming.
"But you're not just any Herrscher, Michael! You're my comrade! You're... a Herrscher who fights for humanity..."
"Oh? Fights for humanity? Give me a break. Humanity can't even fight for itself. What right does a Herrscher like me have to fight for humanity?" Michael shrugged, his expression still utterly unconcerned.
Having lived through that era as well, Sakura knew instantly what he was referring to. For a moment, she didn't know how to refute him.
"Life is meaningless. Humans die, we all die. After death, there is no underworld, no reincarnation waiting for us. Death is the end of a person in every sense, their own personal annihilation. The world is also meaningless. The Earth's natural resources will be depleted, the solar system will be destroyed when its star dies, the Milky Way will collide with Andromeda, and even this entire universe will one day meet its end. Everything is meaningless, because everything begins its journey toward destruction from the moment of its birth. If we cannot escape this ultimate destruction, then when nothing remains, everything will have been meaningless. And in this meaningless world, the sins born from self-sacrifice and selfishness are also meaningless. There is no difference."
"But that's no reason for you to hurt others! Whether it's meaningful or not should be for each person to feel and judge for themselves. When they live, when they die—that should be their own choice, not a decision you make for them."
Sakura seemed to be trying to restrain her almost-erupting emotions, but in the end, it was an impossible task.
Her tone did indeed become calm again, but a single tear slipped from the corner of her eye. It traced a quick path down her cheek, lingered for a moment on her chin, then, because of her forward lean, missed her chest and fell directly onto the blank white ground.
DRIP—
The seemingly empty white space rippled faintly, the disturbance quickly spreading throughout the entire space.
So this place wasn't empty after all.
It was still Hua's Sea of the Heart, just... devoid of everything else.
"What about your old dream, then? Michael, are you going to deny the ideals of your past self, and everything you once did?"
"No, I won't deny any of it. It is because of the 'me' of the past that the 'me' of today exists. No matter what I become now, it is proof of my past self's existence, not a negation of it."
Sakura bit her lower lip hard and turned her head away, looking embarrassed.
"I can't win an argument with you."
Michael blinked slowly. He looked down at the ripples at his feet that refused to subside and suddenly felt a tightness in his chest.
"Then... Michael... what would she think?"
"Hm?"
"If you really did it, how would she view her second life? She wanted to save this world too, didn't she? But in the end, she regained her life in a way she couldn't accept—perhaps by destroying the world, but at the very least by harming it. How would she view that life? How could she go on living? Have you considered any of this? Michael, it's not too late to stop. The damage to the world isn't that great yet. With your power, we can save this world faster, and at a smaller cost. That was our dream once, and that was what she truly wanted to trade her sacrifice for, wasn't it?"
Michael's Adam's apple bobbed. His lips twitched as he asked hollowly, "What are you talking about? What are you saying?"
He snapped his head up and lurched forward two steps, stumbling toward Sakura. Before she could react, he grabbed her by the collar.
"Why? Why?! Both you and Hua, why do you all think that way? Huh? I know—you, Hua, you're both prepared to sacrifice yourselves at any moment. But being prepared to die and the actual moment before death are completely different. You never saw Elysia die with your own eyes. You just treat her death as a glorious story to be sung. But I'm different. I watched her dissipate right in front of me. I felt her cold, trembling fingers. Only I know how much she feared death, how terrified she was. And only I know how much she wanted to live, no matter what it took, no matter the means, as long as she could live. All I want to do is fulfill that final wish she had at the end of her life. Even if she doesn't like the process after she's revived, even if she doesn't like the life she gains this way, it doesn't matter. Being alive gives you the option of not liking it. But the dead don't even have the possibility of dislike."
In the space of just two sentences, Michael's sudden rage vanished. He released his grip on Sakura's collar and, while calmly straightening it for her, finished what he had to say.
But Sakura felt no peace. Her chest heaved rapidly twice, then she took a sharp, deep breath, bit her lip hard, and shouted:
"You've gone insane!"
Michael didn't get angry again. He simply looked down at her and replied, "Oh? Is that so? Then so be it. Who isn't a little insane? After all, for most people, there's always someone who's more important than the world itself. There's no shame in going mad for them, is there? But Sakura, I'm actually curious. If the Twelfth Herrscher had descended upon Rin as planned, and Rin had lost the struggle for control of her body, what would you have done?"
Sakura looked down, silent for a second, before quickly giving her answer.
"I would have killed her without hesitation."
Michael shook his head. "You certainly have the right to say that. But what if I changed the scenario? Sakura, what if Rin's personality wasn't erased, but entered a state of temporary symbiosis with the Twelfth Herrscher? It's only temporary, though. Before long, Rin's consciousness would be erased by the Herrscher. You can't be sure of the exact timing of this change, and I'm sure you know what the Twelfth Herrscher is capable of. In that situation, what would you choose to do?"
This time, Sakura hesitated for a good ten seconds before giving an ambiguous answer.
"I understand."
But understanding did not mean agreeing. That was the subtext, clear without any need for interpretation.
"So, what are you going to do? This is a great opportunity. Aren't you going to try and kill me? Besides, this is a chance that Hua gave everything to create, isn't it?"
Sakura's lips parted. She looked stunned for a moment, then shook her head in resignation.
"So it was too late after all."
A triumphant smile appeared on Michael's face, and he stopped hiding it.
"Yes. After all, the principle behind the Scepter of the Underworld is electromagnetic interference. In theory, I just needed to use the Authority of Thunder to break it. But I used an even simpler method."
"Vishnu... truly omnipotent."
"Indeed," Michael replied softly. His vision suddenly darkened, and they were both back on the sky port.
CLANG—
The 3rd Divine Key fell from Sakura's left hand. Michael could have taken the opportunity to cleave her entire body in two, but in the end, he held back, merely kicking her away.
"Consider it a favor for not trying to take my head off right away."
Michael scanned the area. Hua was collapsed on the ground, her breathing growing weaker. Farther away, Theresa was struggling to get up, using Judah as a crutch, but it was a hopeless effort.
There were no more targets of value here.
Michael took a step toward Sirin's location.
"Wait... It's not... over!"
A muscle in Michael's cheek twitched. He looked up, and another familiar flicker of flame descended from the sky.
"Hua... you..."
A laugh of pure absurdity escaped Michael. In the next moment, as if he had been expecting it all along, he shot out his right hand and seized the neck of Sakura, who had suddenly appeared at his side.
"Fine. Since you've all chosen this path, don't regret it."
Sakura's pupils suddenly turned into blood-red crosses. Michael's form swelled rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he stood tall enough to touch the sky, and devoured the fiery phoenix before it could fully form into Fenghuang.
That was in the mindscape.
In reality, Michael simply snapped Sakura's neck. Then he swiftly opened his mouth, his jaw dropping all the way to the floor. He twisted Sakura's body into a pretzel, but it still seemed too large. So he tore off her limbs, stuffing them into his mouth piece by piece. Finally came the neck, the head, the torso. Even the frost-covered ice blade was devoured completely, leaving nothing behind.
BURP—