Weakly falling through the air, Bai Heng felt himself caught in a warm embrace.
With great effort, he opened his eyes and saw those familiar silver-gray eyes. He managed a faint, bitter smile:
"Seems you still hold some affection for me as your mentor."
Her hands opened, letting Bai Heng's head knock against the hard, cold ground. Bronya's expression remained unmoved. "Don't misunderstand. I just thought letting you die that way would've been too easy on you."
Bai Heng shook his head with a light smile. Even though he was the one who had brought about this change in Bronya, he couldn't help but sigh at how much she had transformed.
It was like watching the girl next door grow into some kind of delinquent big sister.
Propping himself up halfway, Bai Heng surveyed the results of his earlier strike.
The Engine of Creation, once controlled by the Stellaron, had completely lost momentum and lay collapsed on the ground. Not far from it, the Cancer of All Worlds—the source of so much suffering on this planet—had also dimmed, its radiance gone.
It seemed everything was over.
But before Bai Heng could finish that thought, a deep violet scythe was pressed against his neck.
The butterfly girl who had just assisted him in delivering that critical blow—Seele—was now glaring at him with an icy expression.
"Bronya, what should we do with him?"
Glancing briefly at Bai Heng, Bronya issued her command: "Take him back for now. There are still some things I want to ask him."
Yes, she had many questions.
Why had he appeared here?
Why, on that night a year ago, were there no guards at the Guardian's residence restricting her movements?
And why, that very same night, was the Great Elevator sealing off the Underworld left open?
Bronya wanted answers.
However, just as everyone began to move, preparing to retrieve the Stellaron and leave—
Thump—!
A sound like a heartbeat suddenly echoed in everyone's ears!
The next moment, under their astonished gazes, the Stellaron—once dim and lifeless—now radiated violent fluctuations.
A brilliant golden light pulsed outward, and a dangerous aura once again emanated from its surface.
Compared to before, it felt even more terrifying now.
The sudden turn of events left everyone momentarily stunned. But after a brief pause, Bronya decisively turned to Svarog beside her:
"Svarog! Scan the Stellaron's status!"
The mechanical head nodded slightly. After a flicker of red light in his eyes, the ancient weapon fell silent.
"Svarog!"
Only after Bronya called out again did he speak in his heavy, mechanical tone:
"Conclusion: It is preparing to self-destruct. Based on the energy currently contained within the Stellaron, the estimated blast radius extends from the Everwinter Hill to the Outlying Snow Plains... total annihilation."
Boom—!
The cold, factual conclusion from Svarog left Bronya's mind blank for a moment.
But soon, she shook her head, forcing herself to stay calm.
"From Everwinter Hill to the Outlying Snow Plains... that means everything beyond the Corridor of Fading Echoes is still safe. If we rely on Seele's speed, is there a chance to get the evacuation order to the front lines...?"
"Or perhaps have Seele carry the Stellaron as far away as possible... No, that would sacrifice Seele... and the exact blast radius is still uncertain..."
"Is there any other way...? The Engine of Creation—could its defensive capabilities mitigate the damage from the explosion...?"
"No! That's still too uncertain... We need a more reliable solution..."
Holding her forehead, Bronya's mind raced, analyzing every possible option.
But from the strain of processing too much information too quickly, fine beads of cold sweat formed on her brow.
In the end, as she lowered her head slightly and bit her lip, her thoughts ground to a halt.
She couldn't find an answer to resolve this situation.
No matter how she analyzed it, no matter how she combined the facts with possible solutions, she couldn't come up with an acceptable plan.
Despair began to creep slowly into Bronya's heart. In that moment, she felt as if she had returned to a year ago—that powerless version of herself.
The chill of the snowflakes brushed her cheeks, but Bronya felt no cold. The icy helplessness in her heart was far more bitter than any physical sensation.
Right now, she felt as if invisible arms were dragging her into the deep sea. All she could do was sink...
'As expected... I still can't do anything...'
'Still can't change anything...'
"Enough, Bronya."
A warm, low voice sounded softly by her ear, followed by a comforting warmth on the top of her head.
Bronya turned in a daze, and what met her eyes was the man's gentle smile. His only arm rested lightly on her head, the warmth from his palm gradually thawing her frozen body.
Everything felt so familiar.
Both the smile and the warmth he conveyed.
It was just like a year ago.
"You've truly grown," Bai Heng said, his gentle gaze sweeping over Seele, Svarog, Natasha, before finally returning to Bronya. "You've not only found companions to walk alongside you but also developed the clarity to face desperate situations calmly."
"Without a doubt, you are now a worthy Guardian."
His calm, measured words washed over Bronya, causing her eyes to widen slowly.
These were the words she had longed to hear from him a year ago, at her inauguration as the Guardian.
Yet now, a year later, it was he—the one who had betrayed her—who spoke them.
Why?
The questions in her heart grew even stronger, but Bai Heng's soothing voice continued.
"You've already done well enough. So..."
"Leave the rest to me."
As he spoke, Bai Heng withdrew his hand from her silver hair. He pulled out the flaming lance embedded beside him and turned to walk toward the Stellaron, now radiating a terrifying light.
As he walked, he spoke:
"Bronya, you must remember this: today, the Tyrant of the Empire, corrupted by the whispers of the Stellaron, attempted to detonate it and plunge Belobog into destruction."
"And you, Bronya, heir of the former Guardian and leader of Wildfire in the Underworld, were the one who risked everything to stop it."
"That is what happened today at the Everwinter Hill."
"When you return to Belobog, you must tell this to everyone. The people are restless, and after accomplishing this, you will become the one they place their hopes in."
"Additionally, Pela and the Landau siblings are talented individuals. You can trust them completely. The same goes for Miss Seele—though I don't know her well, she seems to trust you deeply. Dr. Natasha and Svarog will also serve as reliable supports."
Bai Heng's tone was part instruction, part guidance.
But as Bronya listened, all the tangled, knotted questions in her mind seemed to unravel at once.
Why he had appeared here.
Why there were no guards at the Guardian's residence restricting her movements that night a year ago.
Why the Great Elevator sealing the Underworld happened to be open that night.
Why he had become the emperor of the empire...
Why he had said those things to her...
Everything was suddenly clear.
Taking a step forward, Bronya grabbed Bai Heng's hand. Her silver-gray eyes welled with tears, countless emotions condensed into the simplest of questions:
"Teacher... what do you mean...?"
Hearing that address, Bai Heng seemed satisfied. He responded with a gentle smile.
"Bronya, I'm only telling you that the hand you need to reach for is no longer mine."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.