[2. Prison of the Heart]

Once, we dreamed that we didn't know each other. We awoke, but we knew that we were dear to each other.

- Rabindranath Tagore, The Birds

-

"You-" As he spoke, he noticed that the scenery in front of him quickly distorted, and Cedar's uneasy premonition intensified.

In an instant, there was no spasmodic temperature in his hand, and when he grasped the air, his eyes were obscured by the billowing mist, and when he stood up, there was a light in front of him, and he was actually in the wilderness of daytime?

"What the hell is this—" He subconsciously gripped his sword and muttered, then looked to the side—

Ellie, Atayal, Ivan, Zhaohua, Sally, Jean, Abel, Han Feng, He Yanfang and Harden, in addition to them, there are Paris, Yueming, and Snow Crane who were not in the same place.

"Are you too?" he asked, but everyone was equally stunned.

"This ......" Ivan also said in confusion, but at this moment, the more urgent thing is probably the encirclement of the demonic beasts that surround them from top to bottom-

It was as if the beast formation that swept through the dark ground during the day was wrapped in their dark belly without any gaps, and the overwhelming pressure made their nerves ache faintly, and they had no way out!

"Lord!" Ivan decisively activated his ability, and the pastel-colored pattern lit up like a lantern in the eyes of the beasts, making them irresistibly controlled and revealing their minions to the endless corpses of their kind behind them!

Seeing millions of demons fighting each other, Jean freed the curtain of goddesses entangled around him, and spread the barrier with countless pure white mist silks that obliterate fiction: "Everyone reserve their strength first, don't act rashly!"

Indeed, they have great power to be proud of, and now that the situation is unpredictable, it is better to be cautious before facing real danger. Through the floating, blood-stained pearlescent mist, the bite they saw became more and more like a picture scroll of hell.

"The number has not decreased at all...... "The physical strength was quickly consumed, Ivan leaned on Cedar's shoulder and slowly absorbed the resurrection ability, his voice became unsteady, "This is endless! And my head hurts all the time, is this an illusion?"

"Wouldn't that—" Cedar tried his best to assist Ivan, and then flashed a terrifying thought, "Could it be an illusion that made us mistake our companions for Warcraft?"

Isn't it suspicious that the demons in the courtyard who were obviously in the same place suddenly disappeared! Thinking about this, he felt chills all over, and Cedar couldn't help but look at He Yanfang and Jean in confusion.

"No, don't be afraid, Komatsu, it's not through the Academy. Fine sweat oozed from the corners of his forehead due to the manipulation of the energy-consuming goddess curtain, but Jean's expression was calm, and his eyes were as sharp as ever, which made people calm.

"But what's going on......" Along the way with Ivan, Ataya drove the nitrogen gas to form a freezing storm of frozen beasts, and said in confusion, "I also have a headache, maybe it's really an illusion? But if the illusion beast comes to deal with us, it's too useless, right?" The Flame Eagle with fire and the Bitter Cold Six-winged Eagle with the power of frost...... Isn't that self-debilitating?"

"The conspiracy of the deceased seems to be manipulated from afar, maybe it's just to stumble us, it doesn't matter how you consume it?"

"The distance of the caster needs to be judged by the performance of the technique, and we have to carefully observe the characteristics of the place first. And ......," Jean asked, frowning, "you guys...... Don't you think the cry of the six-winged eagle is wrong?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Ivan snapped, "I think there's something out of harmony, their real screams are stupid, like ...... It's like ......"

"It's a wood-pecking sound that doesn't feel the momentum of a bird of prey at all," Harden frowned, "if that's the sound......"

"TV dubbing," He Yanfang then responded, "because they are small but lethal bird demons, in order to fear that the masses will mistakenly think that they are not a big threat, they will be accompanied by fierce voices later in the recording of the program." ”

"Then this is really a lonely illusionist, I haven't seen the real thing on display here. With a chuckle, Harden leaned in Jean's direction again, "Then Mr. Jean, where do you think that guy will be?"

"I think...... It's kind of weird. Jean still frowned in thought, and with the faint sound of the wind, the swaying fog around him was slowly gathered back like flowing water.

"Teacher, why are you ......" Watching him retract the goddess curtain, Ataya hurriedly released all her strength to stir up the wind to fill the void, while asking puzzledly.

"Is your headache less now?" Jean asked.

“...... So, it seems better?" Ataya was stunned and looked at everyone.

"Is it......" Jean whispered, frowning and falling into thought, "My own people have reactions to fictional erasures, specific people gathered from different places, and Warcraft with abnormal strength......"

He Yanfang asked him gently, "Did you think of anything?"

"This ......," Jean lowered his gaze, "whether it was stress or induced, probably a fantasy of our own construction." ”

"What?" the conclusion was completely unexpected, and Cedar was stunned.

"The fact that our headaches were reduced after the revival of the Goddess Curtain that had erased the fiction may indicate that the illusion was originally created by us, and that the Goddess Curtain only stimulated our spirits more obviously. ”

"How could it be ......" Surprised by Jean's inference, Cedar and Han Feng looked at each other blankly, muttering helplessly.

"I've seen a similar description in Wuzhou Yuan's illusion guidebook, which is probably what Wuzhou Yuan's 'Divine Hell' said, which may not be a space created by a specific enemy, but an environment that one or more of us unconsciously created due to excessive worry and nervousness under the inducement design. "It seems to be certain, and Jean gives his judgment.

"Then this is the world we all fantasize about, but if this is the ideal, how can there be monsters?" Paris's doubts remained unsolved.

"Because we want to avoid it, but deep down we know that we can't avoid it," Jean said as he looked around the group, "Yuan believes that this situation is mostly found in warriors and more determined groups, because such groups will choose to create an environment of resistance in extreme pressure and chaos. It's true that there are monsters here, but don't you feel it, it's a safe environment that doesn't really threaten us. To put it simply, the real desire reflected in this environment is to 'work together against a clear adversary'. ”

This can be understood, Ellie couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Is this our ideal environment......"

"But who wants to live in an illusion like this! Our bodies—" We can only feel this devastation by hearing, smell, and touch, and this turbulent state must be more unsettling than everyone else, Harden became anxious.

"We're moving straight from reality to here, so you don't have to worry too much. But staying in a fantasy space that doesn't exist is detrimental, and the reason why it's 'Hell' is because the anxiety and consumption that grows over time can make people weak and even crazy," Jean said softly, "and time in reality continues to flow, there is no time to waste, we have to get back to reality as soon as possible." ”

"How can you be ...... like this" Han Feng looked very bad at dealing with this kind of illusion enchantment type spell, and Han Feng looked very at a loss.

"The desire to escape, the desire not to be harmed, the desire to protect, constitute this cage that isolates the outside world. This time our opponent is ourselves, which is really a strategy in line with the demon style. Jean smiled, his eyes still sharp.

"Then let's reason? The Six-winged Eagle is a bird demon from the north, and it's easy for people who haven't seen it to mistake its call, right?" Ellie pointed out a guessing direction.

"And the Flame Owls, they are stronger than normal individuals, maybe because the maker was not strong enough when he met them, and then he didn't meet them again, so he misjudged their power level, and set the wrong thing here?" Ivan also boldly speculated.

"Could that be me?" Cedar pointed to himself in amazement.

"It's supposed to be a composite environment, and it's hard to figure out who is involved in creating these illusions. Rather than figuring out who created the space, let's talk to each other. Jean suggested.

"But isn't it time to break through the illusion as soon as possible?" Han Feng didn't understand.

"It may sound like the most time-consuming thing to do, but it's a real shortcut. "Anxiety and anxiety can only enhance the effect of the illusion, and the way to return to the outside world is to remove the stress – to untie each other's knots and accept the brutal truth that will eventually come." ”

"Then just ask it all at once?" Cedar, who lowered his head and thought in the silence of everyone, finally made up his mind to raise his head, "I have some questions...... Would like to ask Harden. ”

Suddenly being named, Harden was stunned for a moment, and stepped back with a timidity different from usual, as if he wanted to hide behind He Yanfang. Seeing his abnormal behavior, Cedar also hesitated and looked at He Yanfang.

Responding to his gaze and gently pulling Harden, He Yanfang rarely showed pity: "Xiao Song, just say what you want to say?"

“...... Harden, I believe you, but I'd love to hear from you!" Encouraged to hold his mind, Cedar shouted loudly, "Even if it makes you feel uncomfortable, please tell me, okay?"

Harden was stunned for a moment, frowned and subconsciously turned his head, and finally said in a vicious voice: "Say it." ”

"Do you remember when you told me about 'stressing because you care?' you said you were relieved, but you didn't say why, like to show you don't care about us......" Cedar stared at him expectantly, "and that night, you said your friend was unlucky...... Do you think we're not good enough? Tell me, why do you say that?"

Harden burst out laughing, waved his hand and unleashed a destructive fire haze into the beast array that was still trying to break through the storm defenses, and then sighed in a brilliant and terrifying dark red: "You can understand it however you want—"

"No!" Cedar interrupted excitedly, leaving him and everyone stunned for a moment.

"Of course you can't do that!I'm not suspicious of you, it's just that some things can't be conveyed without saying them, and I know you hate to explain, but no one can understand you better if you don't say it!"

“...... It's stupid—" Harden turned his head again in exasperation and confusion, "I have to say a meaty thing to be satisfied, right? I'm sorry, I wasn't born to say stupid things, I didn't-"

"Harden!" Cedar stubbornly pleaded.

Harden glared at him in annoyance, then hesitated.

"If the estrangement is caused by the inability to convey ideas, should you try to stop the split no matter what?"

Harden sighed again, hesitated for a moment, and hugged Cedar.

"Is that all that going to be conveyed?" he asked, annoyed, "I hate to talk about meat, is that okay?"

"Harden......" Cedar was stunned for a moment, then laughed out with relief, and reached out in response to the blunt hug, "Thank you......"

"I know, you're afraid of me, you're afraid I'm going to do something to you......" Harden whispered, "I won't say it a second time, I won't hurt you, I can even admit that I really thought about killing you at some point, but who can say that I didn't have demons? No matter what I thought, what I didn't do is the truth! I was, am and will never do that, I know I can't do it!"

Accustomed to his awkwardness, after hearing his confession, everyone was silent for a while.

"I say I'm relieved, because none of you will die easily because of the enemy, I'm relieved......! It's not that you're bad, but—" As his voice fell, Harden smiled sadly, "The people around me are either dying one after another or suffering all the time, and they will be hurt by me. ”

Slowly raising his hand to cover his dull eyes, he hung his proud head: "That night...... I know I just hate myself, but that forces Musk out of that, it shouldn't be like that. ”

Hearing his words, Zhaohua also became sad, and subconsciously grabbed his arm that had been strangled by the demon: "That's because I'm too fragile...... Don't do this. ”

Originally, he was just uncomfortable with Musk's statement, and with such an explanation, there was no suspicion, Cedar gently patted Harden on the shoulder: "Later...... I don't think I'm that smart, and it's hard for me to understand if I don't say it......."

"If there's anything else......" Pursing her lips and glancing at Atay and Ivan quickly, Cedar still spoke, "Sister Paris......

Apparently having come to her senses, Paris just lowered her face gently: "I'm sorry, I'm afraid that you will be ...... if I say it I've thought about it, I've thought about following the instigation of the real murderer, but I've been stopped, and I just as much hope that the murderer will be found, and I hope that I can continue to be on the same side as you!"

"But I still have to emphasize again," He Yanfang said with a sigh, "If you follow our side, your lost life is not guaranteed." ”

For his words, Paris just looked directly at him and smiled and nodded: "Even so." ”

"On the other hand, to what extent do we have attained enlightenment?" Smiling slightly, Jean looked at He Yanfang again, "Shall we say what we want to say?"

Seemingly not surprised by Jean's proposal, He Yanfang smiled faintly and said bitterly: "If you say it...... I may not be able to go back. ”

"But that's the biggest knot between you and me. ”

"Yes, ......" does not deny that He Yanfang's lowered eyebrows and eyes show sadness in the light and shadow, like a faded icon on the wall of a distant ruin.

"What do you want to say?" asked Ivan, curious at their conversation.

He Yanfang looked at them, with complex emotions in his eyes that they couldn't understand: "Almost all of our synthetic beast related people gathered here, right?"

If so...... Cedar and they glanced at each other, the leader and Ivan of Xenomorph No. 1, Dimon and Harden of Superbreed No. 2, Paris of Xenomorph No. 2, He Yanfang of Xenotype No. 4, Dengzhi and Cedar of Xenotype No. 5, Abel of Xenomorph No. 6, and Jean of Xenomorph No. 7 are indeed almost all the synthesizer forces here.

"After all, only the true will can bear the suffering," He Yanfang stared at them, slowly revealing the truth in a calm and deep tone, "All the synthesizers and contractors, there are some things you need to know ......"

There has been no such sense of community since receiving the approval of the mountain, and Cedar felt a faint tingling sensation from the rattan pattern on his back, as if responding to the chirping of his kind.

"I think you all have your own reasons to fight, and this power means a lot to you. As he drove the power of silver to defend against the phantom beasts, He Yanfang's abyssal eyes stared at them one by one.

Of course, the lines imprinted on the body in order to be with everyone and live with everyone are like a testimony of Cedar's courage. This feeling should be ...... for everyone It's all in common.

"But the few Synthesizers should know better," He Yanfang exhaled heavily, "There is no noble reason for the acquisition of this power. ”

"War machines, demon kings. Noborea replied briefly, his tone calm.

He Yan shook his head, and while exterminating the beast herd with the wind of silver, he said thoughtfully: "Yes, but that's it, but it is precisely because of this that there will be endless doom." They are manipulated and used, fighting each other and fighting to the death, and there is no escape. ”

"But ......" Perhaps thinking that this was too unreasonable and desperate, Han Feng whispered as if he was uneven, but he couldn't continue.

"We may be able to escape the sad path of fighting each other, but there is no denying that this power is destined to make us fight to the death. Jean said lightly, smiling with a light smile full of awareness.

Even if it is driven by love and courage, the lines that emanate along the power will be like wild roses entangled with each other's doom and bound each other for a lifetime. Nobue had said from the beginning that if he wanted to gain this power, he had to accept the doom of fighting to the death, and Cedar understood that he just didn't really appreciate the sorrow that was yet to come.

"Now that you've accepted the seal, you can't escape it, can you? What are you worried about?" Harden wondered.

"A few of the synths probably feel it more deeply," Jean sighed, "Contractors may have changed over the millennia, and occasionally the Contractors have committed suicide out of desperation. ”

"Huh?" never thought about it, and even Harden was surprised.

"It's true that Harden Jr. isn't my only contractor," Dimon's voice said with regret and helplessness, "and there are indeed those who have committed suicide." ”

"Cedar is not the only contractor I have ever had, the last one was a very gentle and kind little girl," Nominee seemed to be talking about things related to him for the first time, and sighed in his calmness, "I can't protect my beloved, I hate myself and my powerlessness and cry and kill myself, cursing me for wanting to die with me...... Having survived, I was determined not to look for the contractor again. ”

"Ascending the branch......" Not knowing what to say, Cedar gently grasped the hilt of the sword and lowered her eyelashes.

"Future Heavenly Punishers, I also have something to say to you. This time facing all the children, He Yanfang showed a self-deprecating bleak smile, "How many times have you sworn this sentence...... Behind the strength and brilliance there is the price of immortality, the end of sorrow that has been doomed from the beginning, the slayer who will only fight to the death in the long years, this is the one who has been punished by God - we, the Heavenly Punishers. ”

This is the same as the synthesized beast associates, so this is the meaning of "heavenly punishment", heavy and cold.

"Even so, will you continue to fight?" He Yanfang asked, "Ellie, you are the princess of a country, all this is probably unnecessary for you, do you still want to enter the Heavenly Punisher?"

Being asked so frankly, Ellie frowned lightly and lowered her gaze, and slowly spoke: "Indeed, if you want to gain strength, it is probably enough for me to go to the Demon King to apprentice...... The responsibility of the Heavenly Punisher may not be borne, but if I ask my own heart, I want to be with you. ”

She has always seemed to be more lonely, but there was a hint of shame on her face when she said this: "I have always looked like an outsider...... But it's not irrelevant to me, who else but you can I consider to be friends who share the suffering?"

In response to her answer, He Yanfang smiled slightly: "I can't judge anyone, but I think the path that is really worth taking is the path that I think can be happy." ”

"And I'd love to ask Komatsu," Jean said softly and solemnly, looking directly at Cedar, "You're the only one who had nothing to do with all this, but you're involved, and you're full of enthusiasm to hear such an established fact, what do you think?"

"I ......" Thinking about it carefully, it seems that this is indeed the case, Cedar is indeed completely unrelated to magic and demon warfare, and unlike Zhaohua, he could have chosen to break away.

"I didn't think about what would happen in the future...... under everyone's gaze, Cedar tried to organize the language, "I just want to be with you, I want to continue to fight and fight together, and I am destined to fight to the death...... I was saved by Nobu-eda in that time with Kluet, so I think I should be grateful...... As for being sad or something, I think ......"

He was still too simple and simple, and he really didn't think about anything deeper. He finally raised his head and looked directly at Jean: "I think the most important thing in life is attitude, I think it's more time to be happy, right......? It's okay to stay alive until then, right?"

Accustomed to dealing with treacherous people, Jean lowered his eyes slightly sadly for such a frank and simple answer: "I arranged it like that without consulting you, you were used by us, Komatsu." ”

"Mr. Jean......" Not angry at such blunt words, Cedar shook his head, "I am still alive because of the opportunity you gave me, and I thank you." ”

Because of the young and pure kind answer...... Should I be grateful for this beauty or should I lament the ugliness of the world," Jean muttered to himself, then turned his head sideways and continued to ask, "What about Ataya and Xiaoxue, who still have a choice?"

"My sister and brother have to struggle, how can I stand back?"

"Honestly...... My consciousness is not enough," Xuehe, who thought that being too shy might be assertive, also replied seriously, "but before the final answer is given, can I work hard with you?"

After a slight pause, Jean smiled brightly, "Thank you, Xiaoxue." ”

Listening to their words, Han Feng grabbed his hair, and then said, "I'm not good at thinking about these things, and I'll stay too." ”

Hypocrisy, cruelty, sinisterness, that's where they are. Longing, pursuing, vacillating, struggling, hurting, disappointed, but even so—

"I won't regret it," Cedar said, holding out his hand, "I'm glad that I want to go down with you even though I've been through a lot of terrible things since I came here." ”

"Each other!" Han Feng also stretched out his hand to overlap with him, and everyone stretched out their hands one after another due to their infection.

"Finally, it's Harden again," it seemed that Harden was the last to say when clinking glasses at the welcome banquet in the ancient capital last time, Ivan smiled and grabbed Harden's hand, "Okay, all assembled!"

The short journeys overlap here, and there is bound to be a meaning. Gently fold your outstretched arms and clasp your bloody hands together. At the moment of handshaking, the jade green vine pattern extended and transmitted, and the green firefly-like sparks flew in their eyes, like the wind blowing snow.

"In my realm, I won't let you go back with injuries. Smiling with a moist look in his eyes, Cedar said softly and put his other hand on it, enveloping them all with the tenderness of rejuvenated green.

"Then I swear by my emblem that I will not harm you. Harden exhaled lightly and made a firm promise, the red seal could not be seen from his eyes, but the glow-like fire appeared from his body, dancing with the green fire.

"I can swear by the seal, too......," Paris burst into tears, but her expression was brightly relieved by the blue sparks.

"It's going to get better, we can change!" Ivan smiled brightly, revealing the pastel-colored brilliance from the palm of his hand.

"Thank you, Holy Lord, I have finally met you......" Abel's lonely and painful face, which had long been suppressed by the hatred of losing his homeland, was comforted, and the pale gold moss blended into the tide of light.

"I've been worried about ...... But I think it's like owning the whole universe just by being together......" Jean hugged them with his other arm, amber shards radiating warmly.

He Yanfang, who smiled softly and wordlessly, also hugged them all with the other arm, and the long-term lonely and painful marks on his back finally resonated peacefully, spreading the silver snow. They had no shelter, but the roaring beasts that rushed in like the tide of the sea were annihilated by the waves of light—

"A fantasy fairy tale, a vermilion utopia...... Even so, let's fight for it until the last breath. ”

It seems that the wind is passing through the sea of flowers, this beautiful illusion infused with colorful colors, even if it is a fantasy fairy tale, as long as you are willing to believe, you can still transcend the present together. Cold, hypocritical, and sinister, in that case, tear the world that resists them deeply!

Guided by the light in the eyes reflected at this moment, the fog cage that originated from the heart slowly dissipated into the night rain with the light of the flowers, and then—

What surrounds them is a real killing intent.

-

Preview: "Mr. He...... Isn't he there?"

"Oh no, I'm afraid—"

"One of the masterminds has finally revealed his true nature. ”

"Brother, I want your permission, please allow me to kill this man!"

"You're really the most disgusting enemy I've ever met, I've designed so many and made such a long detour, but why are you still alive?"

The true meaning is revealed, the fangs that lurk between the lips of the shallow smile are revealed, and the two sides who cannot coexist reflect sadness or hatred in each other's eyes? Still haunted by gloomy memories, even if it is too late, pour it out in the wind and rain—

"Why don't you betray the whole world for the people you cherish, and what does the world have to do with you if you lose the people you cherish the most? Don't use fate and the people as an excuse, it's just a means of escape!"

"I didn't show up when she needed me the most, and until now I've wondered if there's another way to save her......"

Whose expectation is the scarlet girl phantom above the tide of sin, and the past full of regrets is finally accompanied by the mournful rain who is executed over and over again. I love, I want to know, do I really love you, or do I just miss you? the past that haunts me and guides my future, are you the landmark of my life, or is it just the nightmare of the rest of my life?

In the next chapter, the bitter dream execution.

—

Note, if you are interested, you can listen to the BGM "Preserved.Roses" (translated as "Eternal Roses") when I wrote this article.