No sorry to us!" Sozai interjected suddenly, shattering the emotional moment before it could overwhelm. "And no thanks to those who can't digest our chemistry!"
She and Wùji looked at Sozai, then at each other, and shared a faint, understanding smile. Then, as if on cue, a beautiful, melancholy melody—a duet of flute and guqin—began to play in the background. The final reminder. Their time was up.
Kage Ou sighed, eyes closing. "Today we had more fights here than in our own world in the last seven days… and we only got an hour to breathe." He was grumbling, but Língxi, as always, reframed it into poetry.
"And that one hour will stay in our hearts like a holy flower," Língxi finished gently, turning his brilliant smile on Kage Ou. "Isn't it?"
Kage ou blinked, caught off-guard. He could never argue with that smile. "Um…" he started, unprepared, his cheeks flushing. "Yes… that one hour was… the greatest time we had together. Without the swords. Or the blood."
The others murmured their agreement, their own smiles bittersweet but unwavering.
"Where is my smiling exorcist?~" she called softly once more.
Língxiāo peeked out from among them, his customary serene expression in place. "So I'm remembered too?" His smile widened just a fraction, his golden-brown eyes sparkling.
"Of course," she whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead as well. "You really are a golden light that guides the lost. I'll miss you all."
"All you have to do is trust us," Língxiāo repeated, his mantra now a promise. "That we'll make your author's dream come true." He offered a light, respectful bow.
"Yeah, Wèi will!" Kirihito chirped, clapping his hands. A few white birds, which had been nesting in his hair, peeked out, chirping in agreement.
Then, it began. One by one, their forms started to glow and fade, dissolving into the hues that defined them.
She smiled at them, her expression a complex blend of bittersweet joy, happiness, and deep thought. "Any last words for your audience?" she asked, a playful lilt returning to her voice.
"Me first, as always," Kuradome stated, stepping forward as his form began to shimmer into a warm yellow-gold. The others waited respectfully.
"From the world you're reading this… it might not be as fantastical as this one," he began, his voice softening into a fatherly warmth his red fox eyes rarely showed. "But all the emotions you'll face here are true. Raw. Even if the words are unpolished, a little messy… After all, we've come this far for only three things: our creator's dedication, your love, and our own souls, which refused to stay quiet or change." The others nodded in solemn agreement. "So, if you love us… don't stay silent. Tell us. We'll come back to you stronger and richer. Speak to your own soul, speak of your feelings for us. Neither we, nor our creator, will ever judge you. We love you from the bottom of our hearts."
Soft applause followed as he faded completely. Kyoren stepped up next. "The foundation is the most important thing. So are you. Because when we had nobody, you first ninety-four souls stayed." His fox ears gave a final, friendly twitch before he, too, faded into yellow light.
Kansai came forward, glowing white. "I… don't have much to say. Just… stay with us, as you did with the others. Goodbye." He vanished with a shy bow.
Suji was next. "We all appreciate your presence here. We forever will." A final, soft bow, and he faded away.
Xio's silver light began to glow. "Some stories are too heavy; you can't help but feel their weight. But some stories are like unpolished jade—sharp, rough, yet beautiful. They need you, all of you, to be polished into the best shape they deserve." He offered a soft smile before dissolving into silver mist.
"Try to value what you have," Yurei said, his prideful tone belied by the gentle gray light enveloping him. "Or you might regret it after losing it—just giving you a free life lesson." Sozai chuckled. "Stop laughing, you pussy cat!" Yurei huffed, but his expression softened. "I'll see you back in Kazomaki." Then he was gone.
"Let me tell you a secret," Sozai said, his grin back in place as lotus-green light swirled around him. "Always smile. Never let anyone know what you look like when you cry. Then, when they finally see you break… be a hundred percent sure they'll feel every tear in their own eyes, slowly rolling down." He winked. "Just like me." And he faded.
"Life is never fully beautiful," Língxiāo said, his golden light serene. "Nor is it fully ugly. It's always a mix. But mostly ugly, I know. Yet, you have to make it beautiful in your own gaze. You can't change what others see, but you can change how you let them look at you. Just as I have." Mò Qīn chuckled faintly around his neck, and then he was gone.
"If you need something, you take it without a care," Kage Ou stated, his form darkening into pure black. "But if you love something… you protect it from afar. You just hope that this bird will be yours without you ever caging it." He didn't look at Língxi, as if suddenly shy of his own poetic words, and faded away.
Língxi blinked, touched by the unexpected beauty of the sentiment. He took his turn, his royal blue aura beginning to rise. "Words are a way to communicate. But the effect people show to the ones they love… that is the purest love, deep as the ocean itself. Do give your best effort for those who matter. It's worth more than silver or gold. Trust me." With a final gentle look, he dissolved into shimmering blue light.
Lastly, Kirihito remained. She stepped closer to him. He looked suddenly sad, hugging the white birds close to his chest.
"Let's say it together," she offered gently, "and wait for the next time."
Kirihito blinked, then nodded eagerly as he understood. He licked his lips, cleared his throat with theatrical gravity, and then, in unison, they declared:
"It's a new generation~ of System Tearstone!
Let me introduce myself to all my insects on the dance floor~"
She stopped, her smile wide and joyful. Kirihito's cute expression froze for a second before shifting into his signature, darkly playful toughness. He pointed a sharp finger directly at an unseen audience, his crimson eyes glinting.
"Heh. Wèi never sleeps."
Then, the garden lights flickered out as if plunging into sudden night.
A heartbeat later, they came back on.
The spider lilies swayed in an empty breeze. The garden was beautiful, serene, and utterly still.
Both the creator and her beloved creations were gone, leaving behind only the echo of their laughter, the memory of their warmth, and a promise hanging in the fragrant air: Until next time.