The universe was wrapped in silence, yet within that silence, the grandest epic unfolded.
Ritsuka sat in the simple yet mysterious time machine, gripping the armrests tightly with both hands as she gazed into the distance ahead.
Her breathing was very calm, as if she feared disturbing this solemn moment.
In her vision, the two planets carrying all the memories of human civilization—Earth and the Moon—were propelled by blue beams from ten thousand planetary engines, slowly but surely moving toward the enormous inter-dimensional stargate.
The gate looked like a giant golden eye floating in the cosmic abyss. Its interior radiated mysterious light, inviting them toward an unknown yet hope-filled new world.
The moment the massive Earth finally touched the curtain of light from the stargate, visible ripples appeared in space.
The enormous planet did not collide with the light membrane; instead, it passed through smoothly, as if melting into the surface of water.
First the North Pole, then the equator, and finally blue flames erupted from the Antarctic continent…
When the glow of the last planetary engine vanished beyond the gate, the entire Earth had departed from this dying solar system.
Next was the Moon.
The faithful silver guardian followed closely behind and disappeared into the golden light.
Goodbye…
Ritsuka silently chanted in her heart.
She looked at the distant sun. It had expanded into a giant red star, quietly watching its children's journey like an elderly person in their later years.
It was a kind of sorrow, yet also a kind of liberation.
Once the Moon and other celestial bodies had fully passed through, the escorting fleet of future humanity began to move.
Like a swarm of silver bees returning to their nest, they formed orderly lines, transformed into streaks of light, and swiftly entered the stargate.
When the last warship vanished beyond the curtain of light, the enormous extra-dimensional stargate slowly began to shrink.
The golden light gradually dimmed, and the torn space began to heal.
Like the end of a grand magic show, the light and noise vanished in an instant.
The universe returned to its original state—deep, dark, and lifeless. Only the red giant star continued to burn in solitude.
Yet Ritsuka sensed that something had changed.
In some corner of this universe, within a brand-new artificial solar system, human civilization would continue to flourish until the end of time.
"That was truly… an unbelievable journey."
Ritsuka let out a long breath and turned to the man beside her.
Shock still lingered in her eyes, but even more so were deep satisfaction and respect.
"Thank you, Steve."
"You showed me… such a beautiful ending."
"Ending? No, this is merely a new beginning."
Steve smiled and shook his head. His hands gripped the control yoke firmly, but a faint emotion remained in his eyes. "But the performance is over, so it's time to head back."
"After all, if Sion finds out we secretly slipped out for so long, my ears will hurt again."
"Fufu… that's true."
Ritsuka couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hold on tight… the return flight is beginning!"
Steve pulled the reverse-thrust control lever once more.
That familiar weightless sensation returned.
The space around the time machine instantly distorted, and the black vortex once again filled their view.
Vibrant, colorful flows of time sped past them, with countless clock faces spinning fiercely in reverse.
This time, Ritsuka was no longer afraid.
She simply gazed at the shifting light and shadow. Her heart was filled with unprecedented peace and strength.
...
With a light buzz-click sound, the time machine quietly came to a stop in the center of the room.
The surroundings instantly shifted from the vast universe back to that small, high-tech room.
The holographic screens were off, and the delicate instruments on the table glowed faintly. Everything was exactly as it had been when they left.
It was as if the billion-year journey had been nothing more than a fleeting dream.
But Ritsuka knew it was real.
The shock and emotions she had felt were still coursing through her veins.
"Welcome back to Chaldea in 2019."
Steve was the first to leap out of the time machine. He gentlemanly extended his hand to Ritsuka and asked, "How do you feel? No time dizziness?"
"Absolutely not!"
Ritsuka took his hand and lightly jumped down.
She looked at Steve with sparkling eyes and said, "Steve, your world… is truly wonderful."
"It's amazing that humanity could reach this point and even take Earth on a journey…"
At that moment, her eyes clouded slightly. "Compared to that, our human history has always been full of conflict. We've faced the collapse of human reason and disasters like the Lostbelts. Sometimes I wonder if we really have a future."
"Of course we do."
Steve's voice was resolute.
He abandoned his usual playful attitude and looked at Ritsuka with a very serious gaze.
"Ritsuka, I want you to know something. The future of my world didn't just fall from the sky."
"It is the final destination reached by countless generations who overcame numerous hardships, rose from despair again and again."
He raised his hand and pointed at Ritsuka's heart.
"Human history has had various problems and has always faced difficulties, but it is precisely because of that difficulty that it holds infinite possibilities."
"You have defeated Demon Lords, overcome the seven Singularities, and are now fighting the Lostbelts to reclaim the future."
"This resilience and indomitable will is what I see… the seed that connects to the future."
Steve leaned down slightly, bringing his gaze to the same level as Ritsuka's.
"So don't doubt it. You can do it too."
"You would probably do a much better job than my world."
"As long as you are here, as long as you continue to believe in humanity's potential, that future… will definitely exist."
"Steve…"
Ritsuka felt a slight sting in her nose.
If anyone else had said these words, they might have been empty comfort.
But coming from the person who had witnessed and created that future, the words carried unshakeable power.
"…Yes! I believe it!"
She nodded firmly. The doubt in her eyes completely vanished, replaced by burning determination. "I will do my best! I will never give up until a beautiful ending like that comes to human history!"
"Very good. This is the style I like best."
Steve smiled with satisfaction.
Seeing the girl's adorable and energetic appearance, a mischievous idea once again sprouted in his heart.
After all, today was Valentine's Day.
There had been no candlelight dinner or bouquet of roses, and they had just experienced a full-blown sci-fi adventure, so the atmosphere was somewhat lacking in romance.
But… wouldn't it be a waste to let the "return gift" go without doing anything?
"If you're going to be that enthusiastic… then as the final part of the return gift, I'll give you a stamp."
"Huh? A stamp?"
Ritsuka was momentarily stunned and still didn't understand what he meant.
Steve suddenly stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
He reached out to gently cup the back of Ritsuka's head, then lowered his head—
Under Ritsuka's surprised gaze, his lips gently yet clearly pressed against her forehead.
There was no intense action, no deep and wet kiss.
It was a feather-light touch, yet it carried scorching heat.
It felt like a blessing from an elder to the younger generation, or perhaps… an unspoken vow between lovers.
At that moment, time seemed to stop.
A few seconds later, Steve slowly raised his head and released his hand.
Seeing Ritsuka's cheeks instantly turn bright red, as if steam were rising from her entire body, he flashed a triumphant, smug smile.
"This is a blessing from the future… treasure it. Once it expires, you won't be able to get it again."
As he spoke, he picked up the beautifully wrapped chocolate gift box Ritsuka had given him from the table behind him and lightly tossed it.
"Alright, it's getting late. Cinderella's magic should end soon too."
He gently tapped Ritsuka's still-warm forehead with the gift box, his tone carrying unmistakable urgency.
"Go back and rest. There's a lot of work to do tomorrow."
"If I get dark circles under my eyes, Mash and Raikou will chase me down for a deathmatch."
"Ah… right!"
Ritsuka finally came back to her senses. She hurriedly covered her forehead, still feeling the warmth of Steve's lips. Her heart pounded violently, as if it would leap out of her throat.
"Um… you should rest well too, Steve! Good night!"
With that, her face bright red, she dashed out of the room like a startled fawn.
Her panicked figure exuded an undeniably adorable, panic-stricken charm.
Good night, Ritsuka.
After watching the door close again, the mischievous smile on Steve's face gradually faded into a gentle one.
He lowered his head and gazed at the heavy chocolate box in his hand, gently stroking the delicate ribbon with his fingertips.
"To be honest… I just wanted to encourage her, but in the end I couldn't hold back."
He chuckled and shook his head, carefully tucking the chocolate into the deepest part of his four-dimensional pocket.
Alone in the room, the savior from another world whispered toward the sky:
"Happy Valentine's Day."
…
…
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