Kitsune watched in incredulity as Sango turned to dust, and Xinyu's victory was broadcast by her to the world. The mortality of gods was not a secret even she knew of, and shouldn't have been a possibility. But it happened, right before her eyes. Xinyu Ma, the one fated to die, did indeed sacrifice her life, but in doing so, proved fate false.
She, who was cursed to be born with no magic power or the inability to accrue it, was the first mortal to topple a god. She was born to be the weakest, a disability that brought only misery in her past, but that never once stopped her from walking the path before her. With nothing but unshakable resolve and courage, she willed a way to fight, and though the power she used was not always her own, her victories were hers and hers alone.
It was then that she became the strongest not just among humans, but beyond gods.
Xinyu fell from the sky, a beautiful comet of golden light. Thy radiant tail was formed from the ashes of Erlang's divinity burning out of her soul, and the sparkling embers that rained down showered the earth with life. Her body began to crystallize into a jade figure and dust away just as Sango had. Such was the fate of those who died with divine magic. Her eyes were closed, and her heart had stopped, but her smile did not fade, for even in death, she was, has been, and always shall be the Merchant of Joy.
Humanity watched from each corner in every kingdom as the sky turned gold and infinite light washed over even the darkest skies. Never before was there a man nor woman nor fairy nor thing that could fell a god, yet a god still fell, for the one and only human capable of doing the impossible had reached the height of her dream.
"Greed is hope!" Xinyu's voice whispered for all to hear, echoing to each end of Helios. "Let your desires guide you. Let them be your light and give you hope. The greed to eat more. To love. To smile. To make the impossible, possible.
Laughter could be heard amongst the clouds and stars as Xinyu Ma, the Merchant of Joy, died with a smile on her face.