102. We Will Eventually Meet Again, My Friend
"My rating as MVP is 13.0, yours is 3.0. You got the lowest rating in this Singularity!" said Kevin while pointing at Xiling, who was clutching the Holy Sword with a guilty conscience.
Xiling instinctively hugged the Holy Sword tighter, stubbornly retorting, "Hey! That's not objective at all! I single-handedly took down two goddesses!"
After saying that, Xiling puffed out his chest.
"And, most importantly, it was me! Despite being at tremendous risk, I still delivered my beloved Holy Sword like a deliveryman, which was how I was able to deliver the fatal blow to Tiamat!"
The Tarnished raised an eyebrow at that.
"At tremendous risk? How big is it exactly? Tell me?"
"Hmm..." Xiling was momentarily speechless at the question, then the hero's smile bloomed on his face.
"It's nothing!" Xiling waved his free hand, as if sweeping away all the unimportant details.
"It's not important! Not at all! My companions!"
"The important thing is that we won! Right? We defeated the final boss fair and square with our own hands!" Xiling looked around at everyone, his smile growing even brighter.
"Look at you all! Without borrowing my invincible wisdom, you actually managed to work together to take down the Goddess of Creation! What's that called again? That's called growth! As your hero and spiritual leader, I'm truly... so proud of you!"
Faced with this hero who changed the subject, the surrounding people couldn't help but smile helplessly.
"The rating was just." Kevin Joked.
Simple numbers couldn't measure Xiling's contribution in clearing the seventh singularity.
He single-handedly carried out the task of defeating Goetia—a battle that even the entire chat group couldn't complete together, but Xiling was able to do it alone.
Dan Heng silently walked over, nodded slightly to Xiling, and said, "Thank you for your hard work."
"Hahaha," Xiling scratched the back of his head and laughed, "It's alright, it's alright! It's no big deal!"
Looking at him still being able to act like that, everyone almost simultaneously let out a soft sigh, a sigh that was quickly replaced with a renewed smile.
His injuries may have already healed, but that doesn't mean they are gone. Xiling might not care about his past injuries, but someone else would.
No one knew what kind of battle Xiling had endured on that battlefield against Goetia, nor what kind of injuries he had suffered.
Even though no one in the chat group believed he would lose, feeling worried was inevitable.
Just then, a figure, with her face filled with excitement and barely suppressed exhilaration, suddenly rushed to the center of the crowd, her target clear—the guy who was still grinning foolishly while clutching the Holy Sword!
"Yo!" Fujimaru Ritsuka exclaimed joyfully, slapping Xiling heavily on the shoulder!
A crisp sound rang out.
The next second, everyone clearly saw Fujimaru Ritsuka's smile freeze and twist instantly. She abruptly clutched the hand she had used to slap a certain someone, gasped sharply, and silently hunched over, her shoulders trembling as if trying to suppress something.
The scene fell silent for a moment, leaving the surrounding air still.
"Ouch!"
Everyone looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka, clutching her hand, silently lowering her head, trembling all over.
Xiling turned around, looking at Fujimaru Ritsuka suffering from self-inflicted injuries, a smug smile spreading across his face.
"The action of force is mutual. Fujimaru Ritsuka, who didn't even finish high school, hasn't even forgotten this basic common sense, has she?"
"Get lost!" Fujimaru Ritsuka gasped in pain, forcing out the word through clenched teeth, her face flushed red.
Several seconds later, Fujimaru Ritsuka straightened up, shook her still slightly numb wrist, and a smile returned to her face, this time filled with sincerity, even her eyes slightly reddening.
She looked at Xiling, her voice more solemn than ever before:
"Xiling, thank you so much this time, and also everyone... thank you all for everything!" She bowed deeply to everyone in the chat group, her posture filled with gratitude.
From Chaldea's observation, the Burning of Humanity had ended, and the world had returned to order. It felt like a dream, utterly unreal, yet it was real, and the people before her had accomplished it all.
Or rather, the person standing in the middle of the crowd, wielding the Holy Sword, had accomplished it.
The group exchanged glances, their faces showing relaxed smiles.
Xiling smiled, extended his finger, and gently nudged Fujimaru Ritsuka's still-lowered head, steadily lifting it.
"Saying thank you is too formal, and besides, we're not working for free; we each have our own little goals."
Fujimaru Ritsuka straightened up, rubbed her forehead where she'd been bumped, her smile undiminished.
"That's true, but for saving lives, for saving the world, I have to express my gratitude properly!"
"We've received your thanks." Lemuen gave Fujimaru Ritsuka a reassuring and serene smile, nodding gently.
"A savior saving the world? Isn't that just a given thing!" Houraiji Kyuushou proudly puffed out her chest, unconsciously touching her nose, her chin slightly raised.
Dan Heng looked at Fujimaru Ritsuka and asked, "The threat of Goetia has been eliminated; how is the restoration of world order going?"
"It's starting to recover!" Fujimaru Ritsuka's tone was filled with joy at this.
"Most ordinary people would feel like they've had a long dream, and when they wake up, life goes on as usual." She let out a long sigh, as if a heavy burden on her shoulder had been lifted.
"That's wonderful, Sister Ritsuka!" Luo Tianyi clasped her hands together, equally happy that Fujimaru Ritsuka's world had been restored.
"Yes," Fujimaru Ritsuka shook her head, a hint of emotion in her voice, "It really is... wonderful."
"It hasn't been easy along the way..."
"It certainly wasn't easy, but even more unpleasant things are yet to come."
Fujimaru Ritsuka instantly turned to glare at Xiling, her face full of disdain:
"Hey! That's such a mood killer! At a time like this, can you please not say things that ruin the atmosphere?" She waved her still-numb hands, trying to dispel the ominous aura.
Xiling looked away, spreading his hands.
"Oh dear~ I'm doing this for your own good, giving you a heads-up! So you won't be caught off guard later~ Don't mind it, don't mind it!"
"Do you believe me if I say I don't mind?" Fujimaru Ritsuka retorted, hands on her hips, annoyed.
Xilin immediately smiled and replied, "I definitely don't believe it."
"Then why did you say that?!" His self-righteous and shameless attitude almost amused Fujimaru Ritsuka.
Xilin smiled and gave a peace sign.
"The atmosphere was right, I'd be doing myself a disservice if I didn't say something."
"..." Fujimaru Ritsuka thought this guy's personality was a bit awful.
"Don't you think this guy's personality is really awful?" Kevin said with a laugh beside Xilin.
The Tarnished was on the other side of Xiling, agreeing with Kevin's opinion.
"But that's just his nature."
Xiling looked at Kevin on his left, then at Tarnished on his right. These two guys dared to slander him!
They weren't just ordinary bad chat group members; they needed to be severely disciplined.
However, that could be addressed later.
Xiling had something to deal with now... and maybe more than one.
Xiling, looking at the goddeness watching him from the corner, scratched his head in confusion, then was elbowed by Kevin.
Xiling rubbed his waist, intending to turn around and give him a fatal blow with a heroic gaze.
But then, Mash, Merlin, Fujimaru Ritsuka, Dan Heng, the Tarnished, Lemuen, Houraiji Kyuushou, Elaina, Luo Tianyi, Kevin—and everyone else who had appeared out of nowhere—all gave him a thumbs up!
Xiling: "..."
He felt his temples throbbing. The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.
"...Hey, hey, hey," Xiling's eyes twitched, "You guys...have you misunderstood something? Hey! You, Magus of Flowers over there, don't look at me like that!"
Elaina playfully shook her head, and a sly smile appeared on her face:
"Misunderstand? Hmm...maybe you misunderstood something we misunderstood about you?"
What are you talking about here?
Giving the middle finger to these people, Xiling walked towards the goddess.
Meanwhile, Ereshkigal was already leaning against the corner of the wall, silently kicking stones.
Hearing footsteps, the girl's ears seemed to twitch; she immediately stopped, pretending to be serious, her small hand unconsciously adjusting her not-too-rumpled skirt.
Xiling raised his hand to greet her, "Yo, have you eaten?"
Ereshkigal clearly hadn't expected Xiling to ask about eating right away. After a moment of mental blankness, she finally found her voice, "Goddesses... don't need to eat."
"Ah, is that so?"
Xiling hadn't expected that gods didn't need to eat. Wait, that's not right! It seems normal for gods not to eat, doesn't it?
Seeing Ereshkigal's shifting eyes, Xiling invited her, "Want to wander around Uruk, my friend?"
Ereshkigal agreed almost without hesitation, her face beaming with joy.
"Okay!"
...
The battle between humans and gods was finally over. The city was brimming with vitality, the streets teeming with people, their faces beaming with the joy and pure happiness of surviving a catastrophe.
Xiling watched it with interest as many residents worked together to carry large quantities of supplies—fresh fruit, barrels of fine wine, luxurious fabrics, and some oddly shaped items that seemed to be props for a celebration.
"Are they...preparing for a celebration?" Xiling asked the young goddess beside him.
"Yes!" Ereshkigal nodded.
"This is an unprecedented and great victory! A grand celebration is inevitable after such a victory! A celebration to celebrate this hard-won victory, a celebration to celebrate a bright future..." She paused, her voice slightly lower, adding with a hint of shyness, "...and also to celebrate...the gods who made tremendous efforts in this battle."
Originally, there shouldn't have been a celebration for the gods, but a certain king had added it later, after all, two goddesses had indeed contributed greatly to this battle.
Thus, the celebration of two deities was added to the festivities.
"I see!" Xiling feigned sudden understanding, then a mischievous yet sincere smile bloomed on his face as he bowed slightly to Ereshkigal.
"Then congratulations truly, Your Majesty, the goddess Ereshkigal! Without a doubt, you are one of the most anticipated stars of this celebration!"
"No, not at all~" Ereshkigal immediately waved her hand, her face slightly flushed, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her inner delight.
Xiling was never stingy with praise for his friends, especially when the other person truly deserved it. He looked at the goddess beside him, his tone was sincere:
"This time, it's truly all thanks to you, Ereshkigal. Without you, without the Underworld as the final battlefield, without your meticulous preparations beforehand… the outcome of this war would have been very difficult to predict."
"No," Ereshkigal gently shook her head, her smile gentle yet earnest, "It was Tianyi who truly caused Tiamat to fall into the Underworld. It was she who opened that incredible passage, completing the most perilous and crucial leap. My contribution… cannot be considered primary…"
Xiling interrupted her self-deprecating words:
"Tianyi is undoubtedly a great contributor! But you are equally indispensable!"
"Eh?" Ereshkigal looked up in surprise, meeting Xiling's earnest eyes.
Xiling continued, "Tianyi was able to open up a new battlefield because she acted on your foundation. If you hadn't made preparations in Uruk beforehand, even Tianyi would have been powerless. So, in this matter, you deserve immense credit."
"Is...is that so?" Ereshkigal was taken aback by Xiling's blunt affirmation. She couldn't help but frantically tidy her temples and hair, trying to hide her inner turmoil.
"Be confident~ It's definitely like that~" Xiling gave her a thumbs up.
"Actually...actually, I'm usually very confident!" Ereshkigal subconsciously muttered a soft in defense, her voice barely audible, even she herself wasn't entirely convinced of its persuasiveness.
Hearing her words, Xiling didn't expose her, and the two continued strolling through the city.
Suddenly, Xiling spoke up, "And then, what are your plans next?"
Xiling added, "As for me and my companions, we'll probably be leaving tonight."
Speaking of leaving, Xiling looked at Ereshkigal with a slightly joking tone:
"You're not going to say something like, 'Ah! Xiling, you big liar! You promised to be my friend, but now that the battle's over, you're just going to pack up and leave!' or something like that... right?"
Xiling's voice gradually lowered as he saw the other's face darken.
The next second, that dark face suddenly blossomed into a bright, even mischievous, smile!
"Pfft! Hahaha..."
Ereshkigal, seeing Xiling's guilty expression, finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Did I scare you?"
Seeing the other's expression brighten after the storm, Xiling breathed a sigh of relief, wiping non-existent cold sweat from his forehead.
"You really scared me."
"Hahaha," Ereshkigal laughed happily for a while, the laughter gradually subsiding into a gentle smile. She spoke softly, her voice gentle:
"Actually... I'll probably be leaving here soon too."
"Xiling, my friend. Don't forget, although I am indeed a god of this era, I do not belong to this world. I, Ereshkigal, am merely a consciousness that has descended here, residing in this girl's body."
The girl walked past Hiling, going ahead.
"Now, everything has settled. We, these shadows who shouldn't have lingered here for long, should also follow the rules and return to our original seats."
"You're right," said Xiling while following the girl's steps.
"Xiling," the girl called the hero's name.
"I'm here," the hero responded to the girl's call.
"You said...you want to be friends with me,"
"Is it really true? From the bottom of your heart?"
"However..." Ereshkigal lowered her eyes slightly, her long eyelashes trembling.
"The me you see, the me you talk to, might not be the whole truth. My original personality is...um..."
She seemed hesitant to speak, adding softly, "Spending so much time in the Underworld might...make me a little bad? Like, um...be a bit gloomy? Or sometimes a little willful?" She tried to find less negative words to describe herself.
"That's not for you to judge, it's for me to judge. Don't speak ill of my friend's personality."
"Pfft...hehe, I'm asking you very seriously!"
"I'm answering you very seriously, too."
Xiling's gaze drifted to the distant horizon.
"My personality is also terrible. If we don't get along..."
The girl stopped and turned to look at the hero, awaiting his reply.
The hero's face slowly broke into a smile.
"I'll definitely correct your terrible temper, after all, I'm quite self-centered."
Ereshkigal listened quietly, neither refuting nor getting angry. Instead, a bright and reassuring smile bloomed on her beautiful face.
"Hehehe..." she chuckled, her voice as melodious as silver bells, "Alright. Then I'll... eagerly await that day?" She tilted her head slightly, her smile pure and sincere.
"My soon-to-be-separated... friend."
"I also look forward to that day, when we will eventually meet again, my friend."
...