Chapter 176 Chapter 176: Even the Stars in the Sky, I Will Cut Them Down
Chapter 176: Even the Stars in the Sky, I Will Cut Them Down
Hero...?
Kevin could hardly even remember how long it had been since he last heard such a word.
In the distant Previous Era, when The MOTHs were struggling against the onslaught of the Honkai, they had once tried to mold them—the MANTIS fighting on the front lines—into such heroic figures. They aimed to boost the morale of all humanity, so that people could still hold onto hope under the pressure of disaster, preventing the entire social system from collapsing completely.
But Kevin himself understood very well that he did not deserve such a title as "hero."
Because a true hero should be someone who can face anything perfectly, anytime, anywhere—a radiant existence.
Yet he knew clearly in his heart that he couldn't save everyone. There were many times when he couldn't even save a single person... Moreover, he had more than once caused the death of his own comrades.
Some might say that life is unpredictable, that no one is perfect, and who can be without fault? But a mistake is a mistake. No matter how much regret one feels inside, no matter how hard one tries afterward, those who have passed will never return.
It was precisely because he understood this truth so well that Kevin didn't know how to face himself. That's why he had gradually closed off his heart, becoming like a cold, unfeeling person who showed little interest in anything beyond the necessary.
Everyone thought he had changed a lot, but only Kevin himself knew that he hadn't changed at all... It was precisely because he was still that young man who couldn't bear too many grand ideals that he became taciturn after suddenly shouldering such a heavy burden.
From then on, this heavy burden was never lifted from his shoulders for even a single day; instead, it grew heavier with time—until finally, the hopes of an entire civilization, of all people, rested upon the not-so-broad shoulders of that young man.
And to this day, the current civilization on Earth probably wouldn't call him a hero no matter what... After all, in the impressions of most people, he likely isn't some steadfast guardian, but rather more like a behind-the-scenes mastermind constantly plotting.
To be honest, Kevin didn't really care much about these opinions—after all, he was still that young man without grand ideals, only willing to protect the familiar things around him.
But Kevin could tell that this person before him, Jingliu, who called herself an abandoned pawn of the Xianzhou, cared deeply about these things.
Even though Kevin didn't yet know her true identity, even though he didn't understand the real story of what happened with the Xianzhou Alliance and her... if she truly didn't care about her past sins, she probably wouldn't keep emphasizing them over and over, nor would she make hatred her sole driving force now.
Furthermore, combined with her condition—the Mara-Struck state, which Xianzhou natives deeply despise and which, once triggered, most likely leads to madness... Kevin could already roughly guess what must have happened to her back then.
"I don't know what exactly happened to you or on this Xianzhou ship back then. But I can sense that in your heart, besides hatred, there is still sorrow and regret... and hesitation."
Kevin looked at Jingliu and unexpectedly voiced the thoughts in her heart: "Even now, you still doubt and hesitate... wondering if, back then, you hadn't made that choice, perhaps you wouldn't have made such mistakes, perhaps more innocent people wouldn't have died."
"But sacrifice is sacrifice. No one can unhesitatingly sacrifice the 'few' for the 'many,' and no one can unhesitatingly sacrifice the 'many' for the 'few'... Those who can make such choices easily naturally wouldn't have so much hesitation in their hearts."
"If you feel that you could have done better back then, then hone your sword, make it faster; if you believe there was no better choice at the time... then engrave that sacrifice in your heart, and never forget why you walked this path."
Hearing this, Jingliu, who had been about to turn and leave directly, immediately stopped in her tracks and stood frozen in place.
She couldn't help but think of the Xianzhou Luofu back then—a dear friend who had already died was transformed by the power of The Abundance into a calamitous dragon, wreaking havoc on the Xianzhou... And偏偏 those who did this were her two other sworn siblings, as close as flesh and blood.
The half-dragon abomination streaked through the air like lightning, its body large enough to swallow the horizon crashing through one floating island after another. Countless cries of anguish intertwined, thundering across the sky.
It was at that moment she seemed to see the apocalyptic star of her childhood; it was at that moment she tore a strip of black silk from a banner and blindfolded herself, never again truly gazing upon even a single blade of grass or tree of the Xianzhou.
In hallucinations both real and dreamlike, she felt her flesh and blood finally surpassing their limits and beginning to disintegrate. It was as if thread-like restraints were tightening around her limbs and bones, slowly slicing apart her last shreds of consciousness.
In that instant, she grasped the sword she had always dreamed of... It was not forged from ordinary metal but formed from a shard of solid ice, holding a faint glow like clutching a sliver of moonlight in hand.
The sword was three feet seven inches long, light as nothing.
But everything has its price, just like this power summoned amidst the madness of Mara... Even though she managed to control herself in time, it couldn't change the fact that she had pointed her sword at her comrades and slaughtered her own people.
She did not regret being exiled from the Xianzhou, but she regretted whether she could have done better back then. After all, humans are such creatures—incessantly plagued by insatiable greed.
But now she seemed to understand a little.
What's past should be left in the past. After all, humans are not abominations; how could there be a chance to start over?
And even those self-proclaimed celestial abominations and The Abundance that plagues the heavens—she would cut them down with the sharp weapon in her hand.
"You are right. Rather than dwelling on meaningless regrets and weighing options, it's better to hone the blade in my hand more diligently, awaiting that day's arrival."
As if truly understanding Kevin's words, Jingliu lowered her head and gave a slight shake. Then her entire demeanor, along with her tone of voice, instantly turned icy cold.
"The sword... all techniques relying on physical form are but inferior paths. Now I have cast aside mundane iron and stolen a sliver of moonlight to illuminate all rivers and streams of this dusty world. This is my 'sword'—its creation and destruction at my will, existing everywhere."
"Even the stars in the sky, I will cut them down."
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