......In a trance, a familiar sound drifted from somewhere's a dry throat, slow, slight, short, low-key but suddenly burst into the air. But it spread rapidly like magic, quickly penetrating the lonely crowd, as if it had the magical power to travel through time and space, reaching everyone's equally dry heart. At this moment, all eyes were on the throbbing sound source - people had been waiting for this moment for too long. "Horse ...... Mr. Maxi? Are you awake......" Eugenie asked Maxi who had just woken up, suppressing the excitement surging in her heart and cautiously probing.

“…… Well...... Yes. Maxi opened his eyes, as if in response to Eugenie's call. Obviously, the comfortable touch and silent environment made Maxi uncomfortable, but the others were a little anxious to catch up as soon as possible - but even Eugenie quietly and firmly stopped him.

"Eugenie......" Maxi called, taking a deep breath and composing again.

"Yes, Mr. Maxi, you say."

"Has the 'long arm' been shattered...... Everyone still ...... How many more people. Maxi frowned, slightly worried.

"Hmm...... Sir, the apocalypse is not here, but ......" Eugenie said, the words groomed in front of her lips.

"Ah......" Maxi let out a long sigh, "Excuse me, help me up......," he commanded, closing his eyes slightly.

Eugenie nodded, put her hands on Maxi's shoulders, and said, "Teacher, be careful. Maxi immediately opened his eyes, regained the sparkle in his eyes, and stood up with a slight trembling support.

"Rocky Ta...... Nope. Gregory leaned over and shook his head at him with a tired expression.

Maxi quickly understood, he just let out a long sigh, even if there were no violent movements and words, the people present could still deeply feel the sadness that belonged to him, "I understand. He said.

"Colleagues, brothers." Maxi simply looked at the few heads in front of him, and said with a little frustration but extremely serious: "Presumably, many people have sacrificed their lives for us and for victory, just like Loki. However, even so, the crisis is not over, and the apocalypse is still here, threatening our lives at all times. We still have to be locked up in this dungeon, burning what we call 'worth' for that fabled great purpose. As he spoke, Maxi smiled wryly, "We all know by now that the monster and Devna are guarding the last egg called 'Big Eye', waiting for us to go...... Go and die. But even so, I had to stop it, even if it would put my fragile life in danger of death. Because this is my mission as a returnee and as your predecessors. ”

Maxi pursed her lower lip and blinked, "I can't ask you to ...... I ask you to walk with me into the trap and hell that is at hand. Maxi said this, and there was an imperceptible choking in his resolute words: "But if I can't come back, please remember all this on behalf of the contemptible people; If you can finally get out of here, please say peace to my parents. With that, Maxi let out a long sigh, set up the [DATA EXPUNGED] pliers, and walked towards Gray and Maxi who had been waiting at the door for a long time, leaving a back that was fading away.

"Wait, Mr. Maxi!" Eugenie suddenly shouted, picked up the eye lamp in her hand and hurried after it. Maxi was about to say something when he saw this, but he was still moved by Eugenie's sincerity: "I also fought with the Apocalypse, I can help!" So saying, she followed her and walked along.

"And us!" Bella and the remaining two comrades-in-arms of the punishment department also rushed forward, "Let's go too, we are going to chop off that monster and avenge the eldest sister's head!" ”

The rest of the people looked at each other and held their breath, but the atmosphere gradually became restless. "I ...... We ...... too" At this time, Camille, Yui and Parker also stepped forward, even though their seriously injured bodies were still not fully recovered at this time, and they needed Yui's support to barely move, but they still stepped forward strongly, each with their weapons on their backs, and decided to go with Maxi: "Senior Devna, at least let us see her one last time." ”

"Senior Gray, we all owe you our lives." Corbinia and Liver, the only remaining members of the Security Department, also stepped forward: "Please let us follow you, and for the sake of Maxi seniors." ”

"The Ministry of Intelligence can also help." On behalf of the three Intelligence Department colleagues, Neves said, "Please let us replace Loki's predecessors and Ada's predecessors and complete their unfinished business!" ”

At this time, those who remained in place became a minority, and the Ministry of Welfare, out of friendship with Maxi, was also ready to join the team to defeat the apocalypse. The six members of the headquarters are still wandering, and seem to be arguing about something, and it seems that there are still impatient people who are dissatisfied with the weapons and ready to start, and they are still dissuaded by their colleagues in the welfare department, so as not to really fight; But even with such a hiccup, everyone in the headquarters still joined the battle. Since then, all containment teams have been grouped together and ready to launch a final assault on the Celestial Apocalypse.

In the corridor to the final battle area of the main lounge of the Ministry of Welfare, Maxi briefly stated the plan: the returnees are responsible for doing their best to contain me, who has been dually evolved and far more powerful than in the past, and all the people who have fought against the Apocalypse Bird are still confronting the Apocalypse Bird, and the rest of the people destroy the "Big Eye". As soon as the order was given, the people consciously moved closer to three teams in action, led by the three remaining returnees, moving forward evenly and steadily.

It's not a long journey, parting, struggling, remorseful, tormented, relieved...... What happened during this period was a jagged and uneven way that could be described by words.

"We're here." Maxi looked up at the familiar and unfamiliar door in front of him and stood still. The people who followed also stopped, carried out the final inspection and debugging of the EGO equipment, and everyone waited in front of the gate, waiting......

"Ready for battle...... Comrades. Maxi said, pressing the button to open the door.

In fact, what happened next was so illusory, as countless myths and epics have indulged in eulogies: the brave heroes rushed into the Lord's rest with their blades and spears, and "I" and the Apocalypse Bird embraced this fateful battle and exerted their terrifying power with all their might. The Apocalypse Bird disappeared, the boundless darkness under the shadows completely enveloped the entire facility, and the golden eyes under the dome were dotted everywhere, and everything hidden was as childish and meaningless as a child's game. The twilight candles are bright, the giant eyes are flickering, and the promised wrath and punishment are sent down to all beings.

"Poof——! Ahem! Maxi rolled and flew out, slamming into the back of the head, fainting in front of Maxi who was also badly injured. Scold! Even though Gray is currently grappling with "me" with his skillful fighter skills, the tattered EGO armor, sweaty forehead, and heavily curled sword all indicate that he is about to lose. "I" no longer even bother to perform tricks and dodges, just holding the hilt of the sword and slashing with the speed of a knife is enough to overwhelm the encounterer. And that's exactly what happened, after a powerful slash, "Click! Gregory's Justice Judge broke and broke in two.

"......Shh But in the face of the heavy sword that came in the next second, he still seemed to be extremely powerless, after the thrilling block at the moment, Gray stumbled, clutching his right arm that was hanging down due to the fracture, but still had to face the fierce attack behind "me", Gray dodged and retreated, and was finally forced to fall in the corner, and there was no way back.

"I didn't expect that I would die in your hands in the end......" In front of me was the murderous figure that was getting closer and closer, but Gray just smiled bitterly, then took a breath of relief, and closed his eyes quietly.

"I" approached Gray without hesitation, raised the big sword without mercy, and fell from the knife in his hand, Gray instantly lost his breath, and fell to the ground with blood in his mouth.

At this point, the situation seemed to be unusually clear: looking up, the countless beautiful yet deadly rays of light released by the star-twinkling eye of the apocalypse condensed, merged, fell like meteors, and unleashed the brilliant explosion at the moment of contact with it, like a shower to inflict a deadly shower of gold on all who remained. Yue and Neves manipulated the Voice of Nova to do their best to intercept these dangerous light bullets, but unfortunately they were too many and too cunning, and even the aftermath of the explosion had already left these two strong men bruised and unable to sustain themselves. The offensive grew faster, the defenses weaker, and more and more light bullets flew through the crowd, exploding, harvesting those who didn't have time to dodge - but even if they were lucky enough to avoid it for a moment, it would be a useless struggle, and sooner or later the twilight would penetrate their ridiculous armor and erode their weak flesh.

But so what? Even if they are put to death, no one will retreat, and the hope is so slim, but people are still fighting for it, burning the anger and persistence from life to the "big eyes".

Finally, Neves fell, and in an instant he was drowned in the vast sea of twilight. And Yui, who had a sudden increase in pressure, also withdrew in the same dazzling light after a short period of perseverance, burning out his last energy with the last people who lost their protection.

In a trance, death has sounded its own countdown. But the physical pain was far less than the mental torture, and Maxi looked at his fallen comrades in distraction, unable to imagine how he was holding on to his sanity at the moment—and this action also brought him the last hope and determination in the darkness: yes, even though the whole body was pitch black, there were still several deep, continuous twilight cracks in the eggshell of the "big eyes", as if it could be shattered with one more blow. Maxi stared intently at the crack, took a breath, and swung the [DATA EXPUNGED] pliers and flung it out from afar.

"Bang!" At the moment when he was about to come into contact with the "big eye", "I" threw out the big sword and cut the long meat whip in two, one of which flew out immediately, and the other was completely useless, and fell to the ground in a dejected manner.

Maxi looked solemnly at the thing in his hand, which was so badly damaged that it could no longer be called a weapon. Not far away, "I" was staring murderously, above the dome, the big eyes of the apocalypse penetrated all the thoughts that were trying to hide, and under my feet was the seemingly unreachable road, and my face was stained with the blood of the victims.

"I ...... I won't give up......" Maxi muttered, staggering to his feet and limping closer to the dark egg.

At this moment, Apocalypse also seemed to stop the attack mockingly, and all the big eyes were focused on Maxi - how this man who was burdened with countless expectations and dreams, but at the moment faltered in a short distance, faced the ridicule of fate, and what choice he would make for this.

At the same time, as if to add some fun, Apocalypse flashed his eyes wide, manipulating the energy-filled body of "I", dragging the sharpened sword like clay, and approaching Maxi step by step: a second, two seconds, the distance between us was getting closer and closer, and it seemed that Maxi's life was about to die. But even so, Maxi seemed to be deaf to the footsteps of death behind him and the faint laughter echoing in the air, and still did not stop his painful steps, walking and moving forward, leaving only a long trail of blood behind him, a tired back.

Finally, through that tormenting and painful time, Maxi approached "Big Eye", but the moment he arrived, he immediately fell on it due to physical exhaustion, and "I" seemed to lose patience and swung a big sword at Maxi fiercely. "Click!" The warrior's instinct caused Maxi to immediately raise his right arm to block, and even though it was almost scrapped, the [DATA EXPUNGED] pincers still faithfully fulfilled his last duty, not allowing the sharp blade to sink into Maxi's body. But this last stubbornness seemed to infuriate the apocalypse, "I" raised the sword again, and launched a series of powerful slashes at it, and Maxi did not retreat, even if the humerus had already broken into pieces, but as long as there was a piece of muscle in the right arm, he immediately came to meet it, and no longer cared about the price.

"Boom!" Finally, there was an extremely sharp sound of piercing the air, and the [DATA EXPUNGED] pincers shattered, and the sharp blade passed through Maxi's scarred body without delay, and bright red blood splattered ten meters away, staining the pitch-black walls of the main lounge. Suddenly, the air was quiet, as if everything had come to an end in the summer.

And the only hiccup is Maxi's satisfied smile in the face of death.

"I" probably can't think, but at this moment, as if the apocalypse was triumphant, a discordant sound was suddenly captured by "me": it was not the remnants of human beings, not the treacherous reflexes of nerves, but the faint sound of cracking, shattering...... The sound of a bird's egg breaking! Following the prestige, an unprecedented terrible sword wound appeared on the "Big Eye" - it was Maxi, who deliberately attracted "me" to slash himself, and used his life as a bargaining chip, and finally completed the murder with a knife at this moment, this final lore!

Obviously, the Apocalypse does not express any emotion, or that it is the will of the superior that the human being, who knows himself only through the poor nerve impulses, cannot understand from beginning to end, perhaps it is the cunning skill of Maxey that plays a role, or maybe it is only the necessity that the great being foresaw in advance. My body twitched violently again, and Apocalypse reappeared from the darkness to the present world, like a devout monk, calmly awaiting the last promise.

And so it all went on:

"Click...... In a slight cracking sound, the "big eye" gradually cracked, like a sudden burst of foam, and the residual energy turned into a golden light, which merged into my body again.

The big bird's eyes, which could see hundreds of miles away, were no longer visible......

Suddenly, at this point, I came back.

Yes, after being manipulated by the forces of the Apocalypse for so long, a soul known as Devona - myself, once again aware of my own insignificant consciousness in the endless darkness and darkness, "woke up".

But now, it was still dark in front of me, and it seemed as if I should try to move—even if I didn't feel my legs, or even if I wasn't sure I was really moving forward, like a floating ghost. But I still tried and showed extraordinary patience. It was as if this was a mission engraved in my soul, a pilgrimage to dedicate my life.

Finally, after "moving forward" in the darkness for an unknown amount of time, I finally noticed something unusual, and as I walked on, the scenery around me changed abruptly. The blood-red sky replaced the endless darkness, and the surrounding forest was a grotesque forest of charred black trees that stood alone on the black-gray earth, as if they had undergone a baptism of fire, dead and lifeless; The ground, uncovered with grass and shrubs, was bare with black and red soil, like a horrific scar.

And in this strange and grotesque forest, in the sparse place of scorched wood, a "road" gradually appeared in front of me. Out of that indescribable power, I almost didn't hesitate to embark on this "path" and continued to move towards the gradually expanding space. The forest was unusually quiet, and the scenery around me was extremely monotonous, but I didn't seem to pay attention to it, as if I was strolling leisurely in this frightening environment.

I don't know how long it took to come to an end for the "road" to come to an end of its own—a grotesque and wicked structure with an indescribable shape, a wriggling pedestal glowing scarlet, an irregular array of sharp objects, a pair of pitch-black wings behind it, and above it were the flickering heads of the Apocalypse, staring at me intently.

It seemed to be a great altar, and on top of the pedestal, was offered a weapon—what appeared to be a great sword, unusually similar to the weapon I had used to slay Gray, but with sharper blades, a more slender and sturdy blade, and large golden eyes dotted with stars, like the wings of the apocalypse. And when I really saw everything clearly, the "road" behind it disappeared, and in its place was a door, a door through which three birds crossed the real world; And the only difference from when they came was that there were countless joyful souls around the gate.

At this moment, I understood everything. Even though the forest is still very quiet, the sky is still wide and breathtaking. Regarding the truth here, there is no way to regret the redemption here...... All of this seemed to come into my mind as a matter of course, as if I was born to know the absolute truth of the world:

"There will be redemption to move forward, and there will be a price to pay for going back."

If I choose to go back and pass through the gate, I can leave here without any burden, even leave the Brain Corporation, and finally be reborn as a human and live out my ordinary life normally. And the price is ...... It is the souls of the colleagues who were sacrificed.

But if I choose to move forward and choose the responsibility on my shoulders, then death will be reversed, the divine punishment of the Apocalypse will be turned into an incomparable blessing, and all those who died on Day35 will be reborn. And I'm ...... But as the only price, while having great power, it will eventually fall into the destined incomparably dark future......

I seemed to hesitate, reverence for the unpredictable darkness of the future, far beyond the fear of death. But even so, in the face of the apocalypse, a choice made by a lowly personality named Devna, everything that came from my memory of the past made its last struggle at this time......

One step, two steps...... I walked slowly, I don't know how I had overcome that unimaginable and utter fear, but I did it, I stood on the altar, stretched out my hand, and gripped the hilt of my sword tightly.

At that moment, in the intense twilight in front of us, Devna and I finally returned to our bodies that we had been absent for a long time. With the rapid restoration of power to the facility, the long-lost light was once again shrouded in all sides. And when I opened my eyes again in the light of the electric light, it suddenly became clear that everything that should have been strange before me was clear: the apocalypse had returned to me the memories that had been left behind during the manipulation of my body. And it also kept its promise, in the flickering twilight, the dead colleagues ushered in the final rebirth one after another, and at the same time, the pitch-black short feathers gradually stretched behind people's backs (later judged by the R&D department, identified as EGO jewelry), with the hazy awakening, none of them were surprised by what happened in front of them. And I also completed the final evolution at the same moment, the pitch-black shawl behind me was studded with golden lights, and in the center of the whole coat, the big eyes of the Apocalypse Bird were reflected like the sun, and I lowered my head and saw the right pupil that shimmered golden yellow reflected in the blood. The remnants of the Apocalypse Bird lay lifeless on the hall where the Lord rested, and in my hand, I already held the great sword called "Bo Twilight".

The people finally conquered the darkness of dusk and prepared to face the light of dawn.

And what happened next is no need to be repeated: panic, surprise, suspicion, explanation and treatment, after finally my colleagues confirmed that I would not dismantle them for the time being, I was sent to the welfare department for inspection as promised, but when they tried to take off the ego I was wearing, they were surprised to find that there was no way to do it, but when I needed to take it off according to my will, it disappeared without a trace like a blur, even if they tinkered with the size of the instrument to scan my nude, but found nothing, In the end, I had to be given a normal rating such as psychological test and infection test.

However, the R&D department found that the R&D department found that the equipment I was wearing, including the trench coat and the broadsword, was undoubtedly ego, but as the first case that I could put on and take off without the need for manufacturing and maintenance from the R&D department, I naturally became their focus and asked me to accept their routine inspections at any time.

I finally accepted and went back to my dorm room to reconnect with my colleagues who had experienced death and complete my daily work......

And in that dim forest, is the chirping of birds still resounding?

After the "Miss Report Secretary......" work area was cleared, somewhere in the facility, where few people had stopped, a figure was standing in front of the recovered body of the Apocalypse, holding an unknown device in his hand, reporting something to the communicator.

"You're doing a good job, Angela." The voice on the other end instructed: "It is not advisable to stay here for a long time, and evacuate as soon as possible, so as not to attract notice." ”

"Yes, yes." The figure stuffed the instrument into his bag, looked at the corpse of the Apocalypse behind him, and muttered slightly provocatively:

"It's really worth it...... Thank you for that, Daphna......" she said, and ghostly retreated into the shadows under the cover of darkness.

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