Chapter 66 Chapter 66: He Said, The First Price of Bearing Power is Responsibility
Chapter 66: He Said, The First Price of Bearing Power is Responsibility
"Hmph, ignorance breeds fearlessness."
Cocolia sneered lightly, then gently pressed the Stellaron, which she had somehow raised in her palm, against her chest, her voice trembling with excitement: "This is... the power of the Stellaron!"
In an instant, a fierce wind surged around Cocolia, and thick, solid ice spread almost instantly from her ankles all over her body.
By the time the bone-chilling gale that made it impossible to keep one's eyes open had completely dissipated, Cocolia standing at the center of the field had completely changed her appearance—not only had her entire form and face taken on the appearance of some deep starry sky, but her clothing was completely replaced by ice, and she hovered in mid-air in a completely angelic posture.
"Hear it... this power is surging... singing..."
"The promise the Stellaron gave me is this world's only hope... Seven hundred years ago, it drove away the Antimatter Legion—today, it will also erase your existence!"
Even though, in reality, no civilization in the universe has yet been able to research or develop any of the power within a Stellaron. But now, with the cooperation of the Stellaron's own will, Cocolia unexpectedly possessed that wondrous and immense power.
Feeling the power brimming within her body, Cocolia felt as if she were nearly omnipotent at this moment.
"At first I was wondering whether you wanted to destroy the world out of your own ideas or if you were really bewitched by that thing... But from the looks of it now, you've clearly turned into a complete monster!"
At this point, what room was left for further communication? Seele directly raised the scythe in her hand and almost in the next moment transformed into an afterimage, flashing behind her opponent, swinging her weapon down with a fierce slash.
BANG————!
However, Cocolia merely lightly raised her frost-covered palm and blocked this attack that could easily tear monsters apart.
"Is this all the power you have? Pathetic."
BOOM——!
A terrifying ice storm instantly erupted around Cocolia, violently blowing the slender Seele away. Fortunately, just as she was about to fall from this high platform, Stelle arrived in time to catch her in her arms.
"Are you okay, Seele?"
Faced with her companion's concern, Seele gritted her teeth, forcing herself to endure the physical pain as she stood back up, saying: "I'm fine, it's just that this person... seems a bit tricky to deal with."
Not only is her defense maxed out, but she can also unleash full-screen attacks anytime. Who designed this stupid boss?
"Humans... are always weak and foolish, always overestimating themselves..."
As she spoke, Cocolia casually raised the lance that was now utterly useless to her, aiming it at the two standing together at this moment.
"—Allow me to bestow despair upon you!"
A fierce gale instantly chilled their limbs to the bone, and that frost-covered lance shot forth in the next moment... Seele, whose body had already been frostbitten from the previous attack, simply couldn't react in time.
"Watch out, Seele!"
BANG——!
Facing the relentless, sharp cold wind pouring in, Stelle unhesitatingly shielded Seele behind her, then raised the baseball bat in her hands to meet the oncoming attack head-on. However, the weight of that lance completely exceeded her expectations; not only was the baseball bat in her hands knocked away, but the tip of the lance pierced through her chest without any hindrance.
"Stelle??!"
Stelle heard Seele's anxious cry from behind her, but she felt as if that voice was rapidly moving farther and farther away from her... This thought had just flashed through her mind when all physical sensations vanished in the next moment.
When she regained awareness of her body's sensations and opened her eyes again, her surroundings had completely transformed into a starry sky that felt quite familiar to her.
The last time Stelle was here was back on Herta Space Station, when Nanook of The Destruction glanced at her, granting her the power to fight against the Doomsday Beast.
This time... is it because of an 'Aeon' again?
Holding this doubt in her heart, Stelle walked forward step by step. The originally empty surroundings gradually began to manifest phantom images—these were memories belonging to Cocolia. Here, she successfully saw the reasons why this 'Supreme Guardian' would gradually lean towards the Stellaron.
From Belobog's current dire situation to the Stellaron's constant whispers in her heart, to her final resolve shifting from initial persistence to believing in the Stellaron's promise... She drove away friends who supported her, betrayed citizens who trusted her, all just to achieve the new world free from calamity promised by the Stellaron.
Only at the very end of this journey did Stelle finally see a figure gazing at the lance thrust into the center and murmuring softly: "This city is crying out... The power of The Preservation is fading. In the end... we still cannot resist the will of the Stellaron."
"It was Cocolia herself who abandoned The Preservation," Stelle said to that back.
"That's right... but we have no right to blame. For the past seven hundred years, the Fragmentum has been expanding every minute and every second. What we leave for our successors is not faith or wealth, but only boundless despair. Witnessing the home we swore to 'preserve' gradually vanish before our eyes is torture. Add to that the incessant, seductive whispers..."
"The firmest will is bound to waver; this day was destined to come. His protection... is destined to leave us."
From her words, it wasn't hard to deduce that this seemed to be a special collective will formed by successive generations of 'Supreme Guardians,' yet she did not resent Cocolia for her choice.
Stelle was just about to say something when the other person's next sentence uttered something completely unexpected: "The willingness to sacrifice oneself to protect others is a prerequisite for receiving The Preservation's favor... You are not the first outsider to come here, but that person refused our request."
"He said that wanting to bear great power requires first bearing heavy responsibility... Perhaps he understands the true essence of The Preservation even better than we do."
Another person?
The image of that white-haired man inexplicably surfaced in Stelle's mind. Her intuition told her they were talking about him.
"Then let me give it a try!" Stelle suddenly blurted out these words.
"You... very well."
This figure whose features were unclear hesitated slightly when looking at Stelle before turning her gaze back to the lance not far away—
"Go touch the amber light, Trailblazer. See if your will for The Preservation is strong enough... strong enough to attract His gaze."
Following the other's will, Stelle stepped forward and approached that lance entwined with blazing flames. Enduring the burning pain, she gripped it with both hands and then exerted all her strength to pull it out fiercely—
"Hahhhh—"
Bursts of scorching heat surged outward with increasing force. But this flaming lance also gradually loosened under Stelle's increasing strength until finally—
CRACK——!
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