Endgame

Aise looked at the dagger in his chest, and at Mian holding it.

He could feel the life force flowing out of him, streams of violet light eroding his existence along the blade's edge. This dagger had an extremely strong restraining effect on soul bodies. He had no chance of surviving.

"S-sorry!" Mian seemed to just realize what he had done. He let go of the dagger in panic, stumbling backward a few steps, putting on a show of youthful timidity that was completely unlike the decisive and ruthless person who had struck just moments ago.

"Tch, to die at the hands of someone like you." Aise wasn't hysterical either. At this moment of life and death, he had instead gained a touch of detachment. He pressed a hand to his forehead and shook his head with an expression of disappointment. "This feeling... it's just awful."

Mian looked at the dagger he had driven into Aise's chest and swallowed hard, but in the end, he didn't ask that obvious question: "Are you okay?"

"No... you're just an insignificant tool. The goddess—she is the one pulling the strings behind everything." Aise muttered to himself, his tense expression softening slightly, as if he had found some kind of comfort.

Mian scratched his head. What Aise said wasn't really an insult; it was indeed the truth.

"Ai... Aise." Mian spoke suddenly, his expression hesitant.

"What else do you want to say?" Aise slowly sat down on the ground, as if he wanted to take one last breather before the end. The edges of his soul body were already becoming transparent, like an oil painting soaked in water.

"Is there anything you want to say? Anything you want to tell Mr. Xia Lun?" Mian's gaze wandered, unable to look Aise in the face.

After all, he was the one who had struck the killing blow.

"Heh, you want me to leave a dying wish? I have nothing to say to him, and I wouldn't have you deliver it." Aise's look at Mian was still one of faint disdain. "Don't forget, you're going to die too."

"Oh... right, I almost forgot." Mian scratched the back of his head again, looking a bit uneasy.

If Aise died, the power of the demon stone vein inside Mian could no longer be suppressed by the chaotic force, and it would explode directly.

"Then, I'll go call Mr. Xia Lun over right now."

Mian hurriedly tried to get up from the ground, only to find to his astonishment that he couldn't complete the motion. His legs felt as if they were glued to the floor.

"I don't want to see him anymore." Aise extended his hand and made a pressing gesture, and an invisible force pinned the young man firmly to the ground, unable to move. "And I don't want to see Mother, either."

Suddenly, Aise looked up.

In reality, Musen was still outside, frantic with anxiety, trying to force his way back in. He didn't know what was happening inside.

But naturally, he couldn't do that. Aise wouldn't allow him to cause any more trouble.

The Soul Judgment Blade was still stuck in Aise's chest, and his form was visibly growing fainter.

The surrounding dream world began to disintegrate. The sky shattered into countless pieces, like a broken mirror. The ground cracked with web-like fissures, revealing the endless void beneath. It was like the end of the world.

Mian had never seen such a spectacle, and he looked utterly awed. Aise's face showed no reaction. When you had been outside the world itself, scenes like this were quite ordinary.

Silence stretched between them, broken only by the sound of the world collapsing around them.

"Actually... Aise." Mian suddenly spoke up, looking up at Aise. "I actually... really like you."

Aise: ...?!?

Aise stared at Mian, for the first time showing genuine surprise.

Earlier, Aise had felt something strange about the atmosphere between Mian and Musen, but he had dismissed it as mutual appreciation between fitness enthusiasts and hadn't thought much of it. Could this kid really be...

Once the thought started, it spread like wildfire through a prairie.

Thinking about it carefully, it seemed more and more likely. This kid had plenty of romantic prospects, but no one had ever seen him in a relationship. He only ever hung around that old bachelor Enlaisi.

For the first time, Aise regretted choosing Mian as his vessel.

A graceful figure appeared in Aise's mind. His own orientation was perfectly normal.

Seeing the strange look in Aise's eyes, Mian seemed to guess that he had been misunderstood and quickly began to explain. "Ah, what I mean is, I really admire you... You see, before you died, you were about the same age as me, but you were so powerful and confident... Compared to you, I'm worlds apart."

Aise still looked at Mian with some suspicion.

But his form was still fading. He had become so transparent that the scenery behind him was faintly visible. Fine cracks spread from his chest, like a porcelain doll about to shatter.

"Anyway, if there's a next life... I hope I can be your friend." Mian gave a shy smile, like the last patch of melting snow in spring.

"There is no next life. Death is death. You return to nothingness, all existence is erased, and you can't be resurrected." Aise coldly shattered Mian's beautiful fantasy.

"But what about you and Mr. Xia Lun?" Mian asked curiously.

Aise clicked his tongue. Their case was special.

"But there won't be any more exceptions from now on." Aise said flatly. "Death... is death. It's an iron law. After death, nothing remains, and nothing can be felt."

"That sounds kind of depressing." Mian shrank his neck, as if hit by a cold wind.

"Heh, I think it means I can finally get some good rest." Aise's voice grew weaker.

"Is that so?" Mian blinked.

The countdown to death had begun.

"It's quite surprising, Aise... Even though we're about to die, I don't feel that scared. Maybe it's because I have you by my side." Mian said this out of the blue again, trying to sound lighthearted, a faint smile on his lips, but his fists were clenched tight.

A vein popped on Aise's forehead. "You... get lost!"

"I'm serious. Dying together, the two of us... don't you think it's romantic? Ah... I don't mean it that way. Don't misunderstand." Realizing the ambiguity of his words, Mian hastily tried to defend himself.

Aise angrily mustered his last bit of strength, raised his right hand to point at Mian, and swung his arm.

The young man's figure disappeared from the fading dreamscape like dandelion seeds scattered by the wind.

"Damned disgusting piece of work..." Aise muttered his last curse, but a hint of some indescribable sparkle seemed to flash in his eyes. "Hell, dying together with you would be too degrading."

The dream collapsed completely, swallowing up Aise's remaining soul.