Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

"No, this is not right!"

the crazed Silver-Eyed One suddenly shouted. Shard's eyes widened, his silver light blade was about to fly out, but he was stopped by Miss Annette: Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire

"She will solve it."

"Hatred only breeds more hatred!"

The Silver-Eyed One cried out, her originally frail body surprisingly bursting forth with energy as she shouted:

"Killing me would merely pass on the hatred. Let me go and end this cycle of hatred, that's the principle of what you call balance. Since you are the Balance, you cannot walk any extreme."

The weak Miss Beyas's expression was solemn, the young girl looking even more divine:

"I... the so-called balance is a dynamic one. I am both the Balance and a person. I only need to hover around that line, not maintain absolute equilibrium."

Shard looked at her with a smile. It was something he had said on a rainy morning.

"And anyway, this notion that 'hatred breeds hate'..."

Thunder gathered in his hand, his Ring of Fate fully merging with the Golden Scales above his head. Amidst the wind and pure daylight, the color of the Brass Life Ring shifted towards gold. This was not just Shard's ring temporarily tinted gold by divine light; the material itself had changed.

The Ring of Fate transformed, assuming the form of the Golden Scales, and repositioned itself behind Miss Beyas, who was hanging upside down from the tree:

"...only a psychopath would suddenly forgive you now."

The Sunlight Gun fired straight down, the Silver-Eyed One did not even have time to cry out before the thunderbolt shattered her head. Her entire head evaporated in the golden thunder, her two silver eyeballs clinking to the ground.

The Silver-Eyed One had not been able to use the Sublimation Incantation even in her dying moments.

A brilliant golden color completely burst forth from Miss Beyas, severely injured Miss Annette was unsteady, and had to lean on Shard to continue watching this scene.

The long-haired young girl, who had sacrificed her left eye, hung upside-down from the tree, arms extended. Her waist's Holy Bell shimmered, resonating with the massive golden scales behind her.

The pure white Light Pillar turned a golden hue, the thirteen light points of the Ritual Circle merging with the Scales behind, then a golden shock wave spread outwards. This power, seemingly crossing through ancient times, originated from an era much older than human capabilities. If before there were mere suspicions that the Thirteen Chosen Ones corresponded to the Thirteen Ancient Gods who had departed, now Shard was utterly certain; the power of the Chosen One directly stemmed from the Ancient Gods.

Luckily, they were underground and besides the three of them, everyone else was dead. Otherwise, this scene might have attracted quite a few spectators.

After a long while, that luminosity gradually faded, Miss Beyas slowly descended from the air.

She landed on the ground, confusedly got up, then cried out in pain, instinctively clutching her still-bleeding left eye.

The strong girl now showed a desire to cry. But seeing the corpse of the Silver-Eyed One under the tree, she still painfully got up.

Turning to her companions, because she had lost part of her sight, she couldn't see them immediately in the dim surroundings.

Then, she was embraced.

Under the strange, dim blue light above, she was not embraced by one person, but simultaneously by Miss Annette and Shard.

The seventeen-year-old girl finally put her arms around their necks and wept aloud. Perhaps it was the long-held resentment dissipating, perhaps it was the settling of old scores, perhaps it was the injustice and unrest of losing an eye, or perhaps it was purely from the pain of crying.

Shard was not the one who initiated the embrace; it was Miss Annette who pulled him over. He could smell the blood, but his mind was at ease now because things had finally ended.

"It's okay, it's all right."

Miss Annette gently patted her back. Although she was not in good shape herself, she was still happy at this moment:

"Shard is still here, crying doesn't suit you."

Miss Beyas immediately pushed the two away:

"Luviya, really!"

It was the first time she addressed Miss Annette by her first name.

"Shard, you see, choosing to tell you everything on the carriage that night and asking for your help was indeed the right decision."

Miss Annette continued, her complexion pale but still smiling warmly at Shard. In her purple eyes was a joy Shard had never seen before:

"At last, the first Chosen One has appeared, and we succeeded. The prophecy was correct."

Looking back on the past few weeks, although it wasn't a long time, the fact that the three of them were still alive and standing here was indeed no small feat.

"Really... Let's not talk about that now, I'll heal you first."

Shard also smiled and reached out to touch the water bottle.

"Shard, I knew my choice was not wrong."

Miss Annette, with her hands behind her back and a slightly embarrassed smile, her short hair swaying slightly. Then, she suddenly extended her arms, wrapped them around Shard's neck, tiptoed, and kissed him.

"You..."

Shard heard Miss Beyas's voice nearby and also felt his subconscious desire to push Miss Annette away, but he simply couldn't.

Both of them had a layer of dust on their faces after a long time underground and fighting, yet Shard still felt the softness of her lips.

In any world, this was the first time a girl had kissed him.

The kiss was very quick. Luviya Annette released Shard, her purple eyes looking at him without embarrassment, still filled with genuine smiles:

"There's no other meaning, just happiness. Shard, I'm really very happy, truly very happy."

She had always been mature, but suddenly seemed like a little girl. It was an expression of relief from heavy pressure, at least that's what Shard thought.

"Hmm..."

Shard covered his lips, not knowing what to say. Of course, he was still very happy to be kissed by the girls.

The brown-haired Diviner then looked toward Miss Beyas on the side:

"Shard, Iluna, no matter what the road ahead holds, the three of us must continue together. The thirteen Chosen Ones, the Poem Chapter of Fate, all of it is correct."

She said softly, Shard nodded, and Miss Beyas, now a Chosen One, also nodded.

Of course, she was somewhat dissatisfied with the kiss Miss Annette had just given Shard. But she knew it was an impulsive act due to emotional turmoil, so she didn't say anything inappropriate at this time. The young girl concealed her own little thoughts; she hadn't yet fully understood what she wanted.

Gathering her emotions, the one-eyed girl turned to Shard:

"After becoming a Chosen One, I've also gained some additional information. About the Chosen Ones, about our Era, about the Old Gods. So, the path ahead, no matter how rugged or bumpy, the three of us must really continue together."

Shard nodded again, removing his hand from his mouth:

"I am willing to witness all of this, until the end. No matter what, I will always stay by your side."

These were heartfelt words, and although getting involved in such matters was dangerous, the rewards were truly significant.

The tree crowns swayed, the pale blue light surrounding the three as they looked at each other. But soon, Miss Beyas's sharp pain in her left eye interrupted the somewhat mysterious atmosphere.

When he took the water bottle from his pocket, the Outlander suddenly realized that maybe helping them wasn't just about wanting some benefits.

[What else then?]

Her mood seemed very good now.

"I want to witness their story."

He smiled.