Everything that was now appearing before his eyes was a fake [script]. But as long as no one exposed the [script], then whether it was the moon falling or a solar storm...
Even this [God] before him was real.
But... that was all.
Shu suddenly raised the scepter in his hand. The dream-like brilliance instantly took over the entire battlefield.
The [God] who had just established his footing here suddenly began to distort. After a futile struggle, He was decomposed into countless fragments by the dream-like rosy glow.
It was still the Herrscher's defeat!
And in that rosy glow, the Herrscher paid no mind to the blood seeping from his seven orifices. He swayed, like a proud dancer performing his final dance.
He was like a conductor, conducting the endless stream of scripts, and like a brilliant composer at the end of his life, composing the symphony of life.
Cosmic battleships... the revival of gods... dimensional strikes... deus ex machina...
He had shattered all the shackles on the core, and also shattered all the shackles that had bound him.
Wasn't it just life? Wasn't it just cognition?
Wasn't it just memory? Wasn't it just meaning?
Take it all, lose it all!!
Now, I only need one thing—
I want to exert my utmost to my heart's content... the utmost of my imagination!!
"Hahahahaha—!!" All he could do was laugh wildly, freely unleashing everything.
His body was rapidly decaying and collapsing. Even his power was dissipating. And within him, the cracks on the Herrscher core were rapidly spreading.
At this moment, there were no more troubles from the past, nor the heavy pressure of death.
At this moment, he belonged only to himself.
---||---
Everything came to an abrupt halt.
The sound of the core shattering was crisp, even to the point of a pleasant lightness.
This core had reached its load limit. Finally, at this moment, it collapsed, just like the Herrscher himself.
All the scripts came to an abrupt halt. And at that instant, Shu's scepter, like a spear, instantly pierced the Herrscher's chest.
And behind Shu, the vast cosmic battleship fell in the starry sky. The common people mourned for the passing of a god. The constantly shifting dimensions began to unravel, returning to calm. The god who had appeared without reason also gradually faded into illusion.
It was over...
The Herrscher took one last look at Shu's eyes, which contained a brilliant galaxy, and closed his eyes in satisfaction.
...
On the sailboat, Noah sat with his head bowed, facing Mei.
"The result is important." Behind Noah, the Herrscher, his figure as faint as a light veil, gave Noah a triumphant smile. "This time, I won."
"Mm," Noah said, his eyes closed. He knew that the Herrscher was not really behind him.
"Oh? No rebuttal?" the Herrscher said with a triumphant laugh.
"A rebuttal is part of the process," Noah opened his eyes, speaking softly as if to himself. He didn't turn around, but still showed the same smile as the Herrscher. "Since you only care about the result, then you shouldn't pay attention to the process."
The Herrscher didn't answer. Instead, he turned his head, his gaze passing through the wooden planks of the cabin, looking at the brilliant light constantly blooming in the sky.
"He's really amazing..." A trace of undisguised admiration appeared in the Herrscher's eyes. Noah nodded in agreement. "He really is amazing."
Perhaps Noah's repetition made the Herrscher want to laugh. He let out a laugh without any restraint. After a moment of silence, the Herrscher looked at Noah again.
"You're not going to see me off? The [me] who is about to rush to a new life?"
"There's no need... the [me] who has already rushed to the end."
"Suit yourself. Anyway, my [script] ends here. At this time, I really envy you. You can't see your own future, you don't have to worry, and you don't have to calculate everything..."
"That has no meaning anymore," Noah opened his eyes, revealing his vacant gaze. "Neither the ending, nor the process, nor the combination of the two can satisfy our needs.
"We lack the [origin], so we don't need the [Honkai] or the [finality]."
The Herrscher looked at Noah in silence. At this moment, his figure was almost gone.
"Yes... we were both wrong..." After a long time, the Herrscher finally relented, letting out a long sigh.
"So, you're really not going to see me off? Right here..."
Noah still shook his head. The next moment, he raised his hand and placed it on his chest. A faint light appeared in his palm.
"It should be... we."
Mei, sitting in front of Noah, was suddenly taken aback. Looking at the crystal-clear crystal that Noah held in his hand, she was at a loss for a moment.
"Raiden Mei, our argument ends here," Noah looked at Mei and showed a gentle smile. "Thank you for providing us with an answer. So, please accept this core as well."
Noah's hand tilted slightly. The core completely left his body and fell, finally landing on the deck of this old sailboat.
A ripple spread out. Noah ignored the words Mei was saying in his ear and slowly closed his eyes.
"A foolish choice," the Herrscher commented.
"But it is the most sincere choice." Noah stood up, walked toward the Herrscher, and then waved his hand. A piano appeared beside the two of them.
"Right here, let's reconcile."
"...Alright."
The true final act was performed here. There was not a single audience, only the self-indulgence of the two main actors...
[Starring: Noah]
[Vocal Director: Noah]
[Action Director: Noah]
[Screenplay Reference: Noah]
[Special Appearances: Shu, Kiana Kaslana, Raiden Mei, Bronya Zaychik, Schrodinger, Sin Mal, Frélle Cages...]
[With this play—a toast to all tomorrows]
...
Holding the scepter, Shu looked silently at the Herrscher, who was no longer moving. After a thorough scan of the body with the tiny, almost negligible aftershocks from his investigation, Shu finally withdrew his hand.
This time... it's really over, right...
The scepter in Shu's hand disappeared. His cold expression shattered at this moment, turning into a thick fog of confusion.
Now... what does he do?
Right, he had a promise with Kiana... He had promised that when Kiana opened her eyes, she would see him...
Just as Shu was about to turn and leave, the Herrscher, suspended in space, suddenly trembled slightly.
Shu froze, but what came was only a seemingly pre-recorded sigh.
"In this drama... everyone has found salvation, except for you, Shu."
"I sincerely feel sad for you."
Shu waved his hand. The great flaming sword consumed the remnant. Shu did not turn back, only let out a somewhat hoarse reply.
"I don't need it."
Half a lingering sound was left in the boundless universe.
"Then what are you [hoping] for?"