"So the price is one's life?!" Guinaifen opened her mouth, hesitating to speak.
[How is each oracle more outrageous than the last? They all want people dead.]
[How hateful. Who on earth issued these oracles? I'll go and elbow them to death myself!]
[Sounds like sisters have to kill each other too? Where's the Trailblazer? Save them, save them!]
[The Trailblazer wasn't even born yet at this time, she was still a little baby...]
Polyxia said again, "Sister was already prepared to sacrifice herself, but... I couldn't do it..."
"It's truly laughable. Even though I didn't have much time left anyway, I was still afraid to face death."
The following memories told the story of the previous generation of Chrysos Heirs' Fire Chasing and the process of becoming Titans.
It all came full circle.
This included Gnaeus' Soul-Splitting Ritual, where he divided courage, glory, tenacity, sacrifice, and reason, which became the pieces that the group in 3.0 were searching for and piecing together.
At the end of his life, in the form of "strife," he told Polyxia of the world's magnificence and promised to wait for her at the end of the road.
And the next pair finally arrived at the trial of "death."
Before the Creation Vortex Core, that expected yet surprising figure appeared.
"Polyxia, I'm here."
Footsteps sounded, even though it was the appearance of a crystal memory entity.
But everyone could still recognize her at a glance.
It was Castorice!
These scenes were the memory contents Anaxa was showing to Cerces and Castorice, so the three onlookers were also very surprised.
"Is this... Polyxia's sister, me?" Castorice's voice was slow.
[Is it really Castorice?]
[Even though I expected it, seeing the real person makes it hard to believe.]
[Castorice was a Chrysos Heir from the previous life?]
Before the trial, melodious music played.
Castorice was ready, but Polyxia seemed to still be in fear and dread.
She didn't understand why they had to follow the prophecy, even to the point of killing each other.
"Let me do it, Sister! Let me be the sacrifice for 'death.' I don't have long to live anyway, but you're different."
"It's me... I'm the one who wasted your life..." Polyxia lowered her head in self-reproach.
On the other hand, Castorice comforted her with a calm and gentle expression, "No, Polyxia."
"My life is already complete. Even if the prophecy ordains sacrifice, everything I've experienced won't vanish; it will live on forever in your memories, won't it?"
"But can the you in memories be the same as the real you?"
Even though they knew this had already happened, Guinaifen and the others couldn't help but fall silent when this scene played out.
Finally.
Nothing changed.
Under Polyxia's sorrowful gaze, Castorice touched her own chest:
"Now, my dear Polyxia, take out my heart and ignite the flame of 'death'—"
"Then, use it to sow the first flower bud for me in the new world promised by the prophecy."
The screen went black, and only the slight vibration of a blade ringing out could be heard.
But it wasn't over yet.
Calypso's voice followed immediately.
She passed the method of "Alchemy," which could bring the dead back to life, to Polyxia.
And at the end of this scene.
Just like Polyxia's affirmative answer back then, if she could have the power to bring someone back to life, she would surely give it without reservation to the person she cherished.
"Sister, go back. Go back to the pearl of the Sea God's palm, our hometown."
"I will open the gates of the underworld for you and grant you a second life. Do not look back at the realm of the dead, do not stop your steps, and walk toward the life that belongs to you in the new world promised by the prophecy."
"As for the price of equivalent exchange, heh, I'll be the one to pay it."
It was a view of a withered and decaying city-state.
The moment these words were spoken, everything seemed to fall into silence.
...
The narration stopped abruptly.
After a brief thought, before the bullet chat could say anything, Guinaifen nodded thoughtfully:
"Oh my god, guys, so the history of Amphoreus is a cycle? Castorice's hometown was never Aidelia, but Styxia?"
Guinaifen held up a finger: "There's a high probability that Castorice was also a Chrysos Heir from the previous life, and because of Polyxia, she seems to have returned to the mortal world."
"And the person Polyxia cares about, the person she loves, is Castorice!"
Guinaifen's understanding after finishing the plot was almost identical to Anaxa's research.
He confirmed that the Re-creation of Amphoreus was a cycle, and through this memory, determined that the Spark of Death was likely in Styxia.
Finally, Anaxa gave the philosopher's stone refined from a heart to Castorice and asked her to track the Spark and bring it back.
That's it.
That was what Castorice explained to Aglaea, Stelle, and the others.
[Guinaifen watched really closely this time? She actually got so much right...]
[I thought Castorice had betrayed them! Turns out her main goal was to retrieve the Spark of Death.]
[Whether it's Re-creation or the Golden Age, the Spark of Death is ultimately needed. Instead of arguing endlessly, it's better to make a deal with Anaxa first and get the Spark back.]
[But Anaxa's memory is way too eerie. If that person just now was Castorice, doesn't that mean she's already died once?]
[I heard it... the sound of a sharp blade piercing a heart. Shaoji, I advise you not to be ungrateful!]
Without a doubt.
Aglaea accepted Castorice's explanation, and since Stelle didn't have much life left.
The day of departure was drawing near.
But before that, Castorice found Stelle, and as they chatted, they talked about a piece of her past.
"Is it finally Little Die's turn?" Guinaifen couldn't help but purse her lips.
In front of a restaurant on the Xianzhou, Sushang puffed out her cheeks: "Guinaifen, are you really not eating? If you don't, I'm going to wolf it all down."
"Eat what, Chang Chang? Come quickly and look! Your favorite Castorice has a story segment!"
Guinaifen moved the screen closer.
As per routine, every version's featured character has past memories, after all, the Journey of Chasing the Fire has lasted for a thousand years.
And looking at Castorice's current seniority, she might even be older than Tribbie?
"Before coming here, I lived for a long time in a snow country called Aidelia. It was a city-state that worshipped Thanatos, famous worldwide for its unique funeral culture."
At this moment, outside the vast bathhouse, Castorice was telling Stelle.
"Now, I am an Undertaker in Okhema."
"But in the past, I was the Battle-Overseeing Saintess of Aidelia..."
Her hands possessed the power to grant death, so the people there considered it a miracle.
Thus, Castorice found a home, but the price was to grant a merciful death to anyone there.
The perspective shifted.
The two of them, Guinaifen and Sushang, noticed that this time the memory wasn't just dialogue; even the scene had switched?
A woman named Amonet was telling Castorice a story about an execution.
Legend has it that in Aidelia, there is a sword commonly used by Executioners called Draconian, named in memory of an old Executioner.
The blade has three air holes. If the strike is precise, the three holes remain silent, and the condemned feels no pain in death.
Otherwise, one would hear even more piercing screams and the sound from the air holes...
The two in front of the screen observed for a bit; this should be that period of time in Aidelia that Castorice mentioned.
However, as the Battle-Overseeing Saintess, she seemed unwilling to use her power to grant death to others?
Because of this, this story was told to persuade Castorice.
"And so, the Executioner must be more resolute with every swing of the sword than the last, to prevent pain from festering."
"I want you to think about why the dead suffer, and then make every touch of yours more resolute than the last."
Amonet's voice trailed off.
It was time for Castorice's execution.
At this moment, two options suddenly appeared on Guinaifen's screen!
[Touch gently.]
[No, I can't do it.]