My Instant Death Doomed Firefly to a Lifetime of Regret

"Grand Diviner Fu Xuan, I've long heard of your reputation."

The golden flames receded like flowing water, revealing a silver-haired girl landing lightly on her toes. Her cyan dress fluttered slightly as she gazed at Fu Xuan with luminous eyes.

"This seat would rather not meet you either."

Fu Xuan's peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly, her cherry-like lips pressed tightly together. The usually decisive diviner now hesitated. The Dayan Qiong Guan Array shimmered faintly—this moment, unobservable to the outside world, had been carefully prepared through her divinations.

This was her only chance to meet Firefly. As the Grand Diviner, she was inherently opposed to the Stellar Hunters. Not arresting Firefly on the spot would raise suspicions of being possessed by a Sui Yang.

"Since you already know my name, you must have seen much through the Dayan Qiong Guan Array."

"Save your probing," Fu Xuan snapped, her chest inexplicably tight—whether from their opposing stances or something else. "Using this array, this seat observed three critical temporal nodes through the Eye of Truth. Even the Qiong Guan Array cannot pierce their veils."

A supreme existence had obscured his past. Neither the Eye nor the array could glimpse it.

Firefly listened quietly, arms crossed over her chest—a posture that inexplicably irritated Fu Xuan further.

"Speak plainly, Grand Diviner. You used his name to lure me, a Stellar Hunter, here alone."

A flicker of flame momentarily lit Firefly's hair. Despite her delicate appearance, she remained the Molten Knight, a warrior forged in Gramer's fires. Had Anming's name not appeared in the encrypted letter, she would never have risked this meeting.

Firefly would cling to even a sliver of hope. To see Anming again, she would die without hesitation.

"All causality bears fruit," Fu Xuan waved her hand, conjuring a starscape where three dim nodes glowed. The farthest cyan one pulsed faintly.

Firefly's lips trembled. Sunset hues flashed in her eyes, frozen in unmeltable grief—a past she could never forget.

"Anming... is it you?"

Hearing the name, Fu Xuan's eyes briefly darkened with loss and pain. Steeling herself, she continued: "His existence eludes universal observation. But recently, that node... loosened. Someone tied to your karma saw him."

"..."

The flames around Firefly's wrists dissipated. This was no trap—Fu Xuan's expression mirrored her own when reminiscing over photos. Silver Wolf often teased Blade: "See? That's the face of someone longing for death. Your poker face can't compete."

Blade: "?"

Mornings brought mirrors reflecting eyes clouded with longing. Through Fu Xuan's conflicted gaze, Firefly saw herself.

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears—when had she last felt this alive? Since leaving Gramer, she'd nearly forgotten this frenzy, this breathless ache.

Her lips parted, then closed. Finally, she inhaled sharply. Whatever the cost, she had to know. "You found Anming?"

"This seat cannot achieve such." Fu Xuan dismissed the stars, her gaze inscrutable.

Firefly stepped forward, eyes blazing. "Tell me. Where is Anming?"

...

[Simulation Terminated]

[If born to die, why live?]

[You burned near-limitless life to save a girl fleeting as fireflies]

[She loved you deeply, yet never kissed you]

[Fireflies chase flames—death births life]

Rating: S! (You achieved soul-searing love and guided Firefly to life's truth)

[You commanded the world, and it obeyed. A mortal surpassing limits became the ultimate Molten Knight, ending the final Swarm]

[Love transcends life, sparking world-changing miracles. Living is humanity's curse—and lifelong blessing]

Rating: A+ (You ended Gramer's Swarm plague, reshaped an empire's fate, witnessed the Molten Knights' finale)

[Slayed  <｜place▁holder▁no▁797｜> unmatched in the starsea. Your talent is undeniable]

Rating: A (Will to live transformed swordsmanship into a shield for all)

[Simulation Complete. Distributing Rewards]

Light Cone: [The Unfinished Kiss]

Path: The Destruction

Rarity: 5★

Skill:

[Flickering Ember]: Burn HP to enter Blood Rage, drastically boosting all capabilities.

Blood Rage stacks up to 5 tiers. Tier 5 cannot be canceled.

Description:

She hears cheers and laughter.

She feels warmth fading in her arms.

If eyes stay closed, the last kiss never ends.

The girl tiptoes, facing empty air, unwilling to open her eyes—as if this keeps him beside her forever.

Until stars dim, fireflies dance among white bellflowers.

"I love you."

...

[Wordsmith (Gold)]: Burn emotions—your words reshape reality.

[Life too long, epitaph too short?— (Red)]: "SUCH DELIGHT!" (Error: Data expunged)

[Dojo Sword Saint]: All blade weapons partially ignore defenses. (The last graduate went dragon-slaying.)

A crystalline Light Cone descended, landing in Anming's palm. The card depicted Firefly surrounded by fireflies, tears streaming as she gazed at the starry sky.

Something cool trailed down Anming's cheek. Touching it, he realized he was crying. His chest felt heavy. Closing his eyes, he relived moments with her—Firefly scolding his messy sleep habits, her hair trapped beneath him nightly, "punishing" him as her pillow. The terrible oak cake rolls they force-fed each other under moonlight, sharing every secret.

Was that truly just a simulation?

"Uh... sorry about that."

An unfamiliar voice snapped him back. Turning left, he saw a gray-haired girl fidgeting guiltily. March 7th peeked over her shoulder, wide-eyed:

"Wow, you're the real drama king here—crying like you just lost your wife..."