She felt like she had had a very long dream. The content of it became blurry as she woke up. She could only vaguely remember what she gained, but also lost a lot - but it was nothing, it was just a dream, she thought.
The wind around her was biting, but not bone-chilling. The drizzle fell softly, running down her cheeks and into her neck, making her shiver slightly.
So she got up.
For some reason, he had changed into a loose linen robe, and there was some damp mud on it, but that didn't matter. The forest before him was familiar, but it was completely different from the "Forest of Ghosts" in his memory.
The fresh air from the north passes through the forest, blowing away the decay that has accumulated for hundreds of years. The soil under the soles of the feet is cold and moist, with a soft black luster. A few new greens emerge from it, less than an inch high, but spread all the way.
, extending straight out of her sight.
She raised her head. The drizzle gradually stopped and the thin clouds dispersed. Now the sky was as thick as ink, like a bottomless sea. "Tai Si" and the stars hung in the sky, coating the earth with a layer of silver frost. One
The meteor slowly crossed the sky, dragging a dragon-like wake as it fell further north.
It seemed like a hundred years ago that I last saw such a scenery, Lily thought to herself.
She remembered the last battle in the demiplane and the hoarse and desperate roar of "Lord Stark". It seemed that they had successfully destroyed all the culprits, and the forest was reborn. Somehow, she always
I feel like I'm missing something, like...
...the "intuition" that a certain girl often talks about.
Lily raised her ears, took a sniff, and vaguely caught the smell of fireworks. So she followed the breath forward, and before long, several sounds crossed the sparse forest and penetrated into her ears.
"Greenstone is a big liar!" It was Elio's voice, full of anger, which seemed to depict the boy's unwilling face. "He must have known about it a long time ago, and then deliberately made that request! Just to make me
Be his servant!"
"Forging an agreement with a giant dragon, even as a servant, is a lucky thing." A clear voice responded, "And, in the long run, maybe your agreement with Jade Stone will become the dragon clan's re-entry into the world.
opportunity."
"But... is the return of the dragon really a good thing?" A soft female voice she had never heard before asked, "If it is like the legend, they live in seclusion, because they do not want to let the first
The historical reappearance of the Era...if they return again, does that mean something worse is about to happen, so that other concerns can be put aside?"
"Bad things have happened a long time ago, just like me." A gloomy and hoarse, vaguely familiar voice came from behind the dead wood, and then hummed, "If you ask me, I would rather those who have been sleeping for more than ten years.
Guys, don’t wake up too late this time.”
"Human beings cannot predict the future. If you are afraid of repeating history and hesitate to move forward, you will only miss the opportunities you should have." The Celestial Clan continued again, "I hope to see the Dragon Clan and humans stand together instead of fighting each other. I believe
You can do it, Elio, Ann."
Lily quickened her pace and left the dead trees behind. The clearing in the forest gradually came into view. It was the hinterland of the forest, where the black pine Harlan had taken root all year round. It was also where they defeated the dracolich Decdura.
Open the passage to where "Lord Stark" is.
At this time, the huge golden door had disappeared. A bonfire was burning cracklingly on the south side of the open space, and the smoke rose into the sky with sparks, forming a gray cloud column. Elio and An leaned against the bonfire, chatting with their rainbow-colored hair
The Celestials were talking to each other. The old Beron man was sitting cross-legged on the canvas, cutting the rotten wood into small pieces with a scimitar, and then throwing it into the fire.
Lily walked closer and raised her head. Through the rising flames and smoke, two green flames slowly flowed, looking at her from the top of the huge skeleton. Compared with "not long ago", the magic that enveloped the skeleton was
It was almost exhausted, and this time, it had no intention of attacking.
"Dekedura." The female mercenary grinded her teeth, "You are awake now?"
"They woke me up." The black dragon grinned - if it could still be considered a mouth, revealing two rows of pale and neat teeth, "You killed that lich, and I was free. Unfortunately -
"
The young man's exclamation suddenly sounded, interrupting her conversation with the black dragon.
"Li, Captain Lili!?"
The female mercenary turned her head. Elio held the long sword in his hand, gritted his teeth, and stood in front of An with his chest raised, "You - don't come here! You, tell me first, who are you, Fimmel?!"
Fimmel...?
Lily stared at the young man with a tense face, as if facing an enemy, and suddenly remembered more details of the "dream". She seemed to have gone back to the past, trying to stop the wizard named Fimmel Stark.
But she was persuaded by him to become an ally. In order to help him realize his wish, she was willing to confront her former partners and saw them die one by one, until finally——
Countless people, including herself, have become victims of the "grey war."
Lily took a slow breath, pursed her lips, and lowered her head slightly.
"Have you seen Fimmel Stark?" She wanted to confirm again that it was not just a dream. "Have you seen... us with him?"
"More than just seeing it!" Elio still held the sword, his eyes never leaving the woman in front of him, "You took Ada's position, created a lot of bugs, and then almost killed all of us!
" He made a circle with his left hand, "If An wasn't powerful enough, we wouldn't even be able to find the body!"
Sure enough. Everything was correct. It was not just her experience. Even if the source was the curse of the oil lamp, during that "history", she did hurt many people, including the "members" in front of her.
"Sorry." Lily raised her face, met the boy's gaze, and swallowed, "We... did something wrong."
"No one can always give the right answer. Many times, it's just a difference in thought." The soft voice came just right, as if she had predicted what she was going to say, "But what would you do if it happened again?
What’s the choice?”
"That goes without saying!" Lily answered without hesitation, "Even a pig can't fall down twice in the same pit?" She paused and lowered her voice a little, "Besides,
We understand... no matter how powerful we get, there are still things... we can't do."
"But strength is still necessary - otherwise, we would not be able to defeat Fimir." The girl's voice became softer, "Welcome back, leader."
"Um...thank you?" Lily shrugged, watching the young knight put the sword back to his waist, and then noticed who was talking to her, "You...can you speak?"
"Let's call it a blessing in disguise!" Elio turned his head and glared at Ariel on the other side, "Thanks to the "Lord of Light" for resurrecting us and healing Ann's throat, otherwise I would still have the debt and
You do the math!"
Lily was too lazy to pay attention to the quarrel between the young knight and the Celestial Clan. She bypassed the other party and came to An in two or two steps. The girl's skin was a little more rosy than she remembered, and her vitality was more abundant than before. She stared at the other person.
After a while, I asked about the doubts that gradually swirled in my mind after recalling the content of the "dream"——
"You guys...how did you defeat us?"
An raised her eyebrows. The girl's eyebrows were soft, but her expression was full of confidence.
"It's just a series of guidance." The girl "Explorer" from the empire said softly, "As you said, from the time Tiana came into contact with you, we have gradually conveyed a message to you: even if you get Eda
With all your power, there are still things you can’t do.”
"Ariel's killing of Elio and me, even just a little, will still make you shaken by Fimir's actions. And Tiana's killing of Elena will let you understand that the "Lord of the Earth" has no regard for death.
The control is over you." An held the notebook in her arms and tapped the cover with her fingers. "If Fimmel's departure doesn't keep you focused on the entrance to the "Mirror Realm", then the fact of Hart's arrival will
, enough to draw your eyes there.”
"Wait a minute." Lily interrupted the girl's narration and asked another question that bothered her, "What did you say to Hart to make him become a gang with you?"
"What happened in Breeze Forest two hundred years later, plus the secrets of the Mirror Realm." The girl smiled, "Hart is not lacking in curiosity. As long as he goes through the Mirror Realm in person, he will understand that I did not lie to him."
"After that." An stretched out two fingers and shook it, "Whether you choose to kill Tiana or protect "Alphonse" with your body, you will give us a chance to defeat you." She put her chin on the notebook
He raised the corner of his mouth slightly and said, "It was your feelings for Alphonse that defeated the curse imposed by Fimmel, Captain Lily."
Even though Lily had always been informal, her cheeks felt a little hot when she was said like this. She looked around and quickly tried to change the topic.
"Speaking of which... isn't Al here? Also, Bell, Elena and... Jill?"
"Ms. Gill has left. I think, if Bayard agrees, we should see her again soon." Ann replied, "As for Alphonse, Belle and Elena-"
The girl hesitated for a moment, and the black dragon sneered lowly.
"They went to the south. There 'used to be' a village there - don't say you didn't know."
A wave of heart palpitations spread along Lily's chest, and she raised her head suddenly, staring at the dim green firelight that was no longer bright.
"... Let me ask you, how long has it been since we killed you? Also, what did you want to say just now?"
"Half a year? Or three months?" Dekdula shook his neck with only bones left, "Without the position set up by the lich, we would have no source of magic power. As a dragon, I can wait until
When you come back, you will end up like those dead people -" He smashed his head in front of the female mercenary, blowing up a burst of decaying breath. "Turn into withered bones and be covered in dust."
Lily clenched her fists and turned her back, not looking at the disgusting head of the black dragon.
"Wait for a moment? Let's go find them and come back - and by the way, finish what should be ours!"
In just a blink of an eye, she transformed into a giant wolf and ran at full speed through the forest. Rotten trees passed by her side. The squirrels that had returned earlier were frightened and fled back to their holes in the trees.
She paid no attention to it and just headed south until the outline of the village came into view again.
The scene in front of her was also what she expected. The village was silent, no one greeted her arrival, and no words or footsteps could be heard. She changed back to her human form, slowed down her pace, and stepped into the "dream" or reality.
A very familiar square.
The green giant sequoia trees in the past are still withered, and the embers of the bonfire half a year ago are still visible. A huge pit that can accommodate dozens of people is laid on one side, with freshly dug soil and three worn-out shovels piled next to it.
Lily sniffed, walked through the open space, and walked straight towards an old wooden house.
There were two people she wanted to find in the room. Bell was holding a leather water bag and taking a nap against the wall; Alphonse was sitting on the edge of the bed, hearing the sound and closing the book in his hand. Lily jumped over in three or two steps, and then
Suddenly remembering something, he narrowed his eyes and stared at the other person.
"Al, this time you-shouldn't you be transformed into Jill?"
"You're back, Lilinonuo." The young-looking agent nodded vigorously, "Jill is a man of his word, which is really great."
Countless emotions were mixed together and merged into the perception that Alphonse conveyed to her. It was uneasiness, confusion, anger, worry, expectation, sadness, and the happiness and joy that overwhelmed them all.
"You really... are completely human." Lily sighed contentedly, hugged the machine man's arm, and sat down on the edge of the bed next to him, "How long have you been back here?"
"Two days and twenty hours, Lilino." The agency man turned his face and looked at her and replied, "Elena brought us here, and we dug out the grave together, but she said... she wanted to wait for you.
come over."
Sure enough. This fact was like a basin of cold water, slightly diluting her joy of reunion. Lily stood up and licked her lips, "What about her person?"
"I'm here."
The blue-haired nun came in, took the female mercenary's hand, and led her outside.
"Follow me, there's something they left over there - for you."
She let the other party hold her hand, and led Al with the other hand. The three of them walked through half the village and came to the largest wooden house. Elena opened the door, and Lily saw at a glance, the simple wooden boards
Text printed on the wall.
"Lord September, and your companions:
When you visit again, I believe we have all returned to the embrace of the earth.
I have always believed that you can lift the constraints and curses imposed on us, and facts have proven that you have done it.
There is no need to feel sad for us, we already have a long enough life.
Maybe there is another adventure for us in a place that no one knows about.
Thank you in advance for restoring this forest to its original state - it may not be that simple, but I believe you will be able to do it sooner or later.
Maybe...if we meet again one day, don't be scared by us.
Bye now."
The handwriting written in charcoal was vaguely familiar. The 'letter' was not signed, but a light blue palm print was printed on the right side of the end. It was a female hand with slender knuckles, and Lily was slightly
Clenching his right fist, it seemed that he could still feel the warmth from the other's palm as the two people sat opposite each other in the memory.
Under that were more palm prints, ranging from small to broad, from slender to thick, and there were no less than a hundred of them. Lily was silent for a moment, walked towards the wall, and placed her right hand on the first palm print.
"Elena——" She didn't look back, she just asked softly, "Do you know what that world will be like?"
"Lord St. Leon told me that no matter which world, it can be real." The nun walked to her side, "Maybe Ann can explain it more clearly, but I think... just don't forget them."
Lily was silent for a moment. In the past hundreds of years, she has traveled through the crystal wall system more than once to other worlds - this time is just more special. Thinking on the bright side, that means that after the "Mirror Realm"
In history, 'Mother', Revelle and others were able to live out their lives peacefully. That also means that the lives she took away in the "other world" cannot be written off just because she left.
She will naturally have to bear this debt, but if one day she sees Fimir in "this world", she won't mind putting all the debt on his head. As for now, maybe just like Ailian
Na said that she should remember everything in the past and move forward.
The female mercenary raised her head and let the cold wind dry the corners of her eyes.
"Let's go, let's prepare for a funeral?"
…
When she personally put the remains of the villagers into the grave, Elena completed the prayer for everyone, Alphonse and Bell covered them with soil, Lily turned back to her "original body", and took the other three people back to the forest again.
In the center, with the power of a giant wolf's legs, even after running back and forth, the sky was still just breaking.
Elio seemed to have gotten up early to practice his swordplay, and was taking a rest at this time. Grum caught two snowshoe rabbits from somewhere, and was slowly roasting them on the campfire. Ann and Ariel were sitting side by side by the tent.
Perhaps some secrets were whispered on the tree stump.
"Welcome back." An turned to her and said the same words as the previous day, "Is everything okay?"
"That's...natural." The female mercenary exhaled forcefully, as if to drive away all the unhappiness she had accumulated so far, "Finally, our Lilinono group is together again?"
"At least, that will be the case before returning to Volcano Castle." The girl's "explorer" calmly continued, "After that, I may have to go back to the empire - of course I can't say yet. And I feel that this
This adventure is far from over."
"I miss Teacher Karan a little bit too." The nun gently combed her blue braid, "Where are you Lily? And Ariel?"
The Celestial Clan stood up, "Whether Lord Saint Leon knows everything or not, I should report everything I saw to him." She patted her skirt lightly, "Because the star realm is impassable, I'm afraid I need to borrow somewhere
A mirror will do."
"Then let's... just go find Yuffie and Lin? Then we'll find a way to capture a few strong men -" the female mercenary shrugged, but she didn't feel dissatisfied at all, "It's like this every time, look.
If our Lilino team wants to become the "strongest", there is still a long way to go!"
Everyone laughed together, diluting the sudden feeling of separation.
The old Belon man took the slightly roasted snowshoe rabbit off the shelf, smelled it, and then tore off a hind leg. Bell ran over in a hurry, tripped over a tree root, and almost fell in the snow.
Somersaulting. Lily held Alphonse's hand, looked at the glow piercing the forest, and heard An's slightly serious voice.
"Now that we are all here, Ariel, can you tell us the last wish made by Fimmel Stark in that world?"