Aimou tilted her head and looked at Bologue, with scratches scattered across her face, making her resemble a homeless stray cat.
Bologue said, "Just like novels, operas, movies also need a theme."
"I can’t think of any theme," Aimou pondered for a moment and said.
"Having no theme is also a theme... like the state we’re in now," Bologue’s wounds were healing slowly, "I can’t quite understand what we’re fighting about."
"It’s just venting emotions," Aimou defined their brawl.
"After venting our emotions, shouldn’t we have a proper talk?"
Bologue couldn’t help but relax; he didn’t know what Aimou intended in the fourth Time Reversal, but suddenly, Bologue thought it wouldn’t be bad for it to end this way, though it did trouble his team leader.
While he was battling wits and courage with a woman, Lebius was truly fighting bloodily.
Aimou stared at Bologue expressionlessly, still having no intention of conversing, rejecting to open her heart to anyone.
Suddenly, Aimou flung herself onto Bologue, pinning his thighs with her legs in an extremely intimate manner, as if embracing him.
"What kind of expression is this?"
Aimou softly wrapped her arms around Bologue’s neck, asking quizzically.
"Your eyes seem to be telling me to hurry and leave... I remember those courtship novel plots where the protagonist loves such scenarios, right?"
Bologue tried to struggle but lacked the strength. After being hit by the Forbidden Spirit Bullet, Aimou took advantage of his weakness and administered several bottles of poison, leaving even the Undead struggling to endure.
"That kind of plot is quite good, but I recall this part shouldn’t be in the storyline, right?"
Bologue glanced downward, and as Aimou’s knee applied pressure, the dagger embedded in his thigh twisted, reopening his barely healed wound.
This isn’t a courtship novel anymore, but more like a suspense murder novel.
"Hmm? Literary works certainly have some discrepancies with reality," Aimou said while nodding to herself.
Bologue slowly lifted his head; he couldn’t sense Aimou’s breath, only the slight trembling from beneath his body, akin to a heartbeat.
"I really don’t understand what you intend to do, Aimou."
Bologue spoke sincerely.
Bologue was never good at guessing others’ intentions, given his expertise didn’t involve such matters; when faced with challenges, he could only crush them with his iron fists.
It’s hard enough to guess what ordinary people are thinking, let alone an Alchemy Puppet’s inner world.
"If you want me to stay put here, you could just tell me straightforwardly, not achieve it in this manner."
Bologue wasn’t sure if he was numb from the pain or losing too much blood; he was hardly able to feel the pain anymore.
"You are the expert after all; surrendering control to an expert makes people uneasy."
Aimou didn’t deny her intentions; she controlled Bologue cruelly... merely to have this inexplicable conversation.
"It does resemble here..." Aimou suddenly said.
"The Alchemy Workshop."
The corner of his eye scanned the surroundings; Bologue refuted, "This is entirely different, come on."
"No, I meant the ambiance."
Bologue was even more baffled; does the ambiance here resemble an Alchemy Workshop? This should really be a crime scene.
But then again, how could anyone understand what an Alchemy Puppet is thinking?
Aimou had no plan to elaborate further; although the place indeed wasn’t like an Alchemy Workshop, she felt it was cozy despite the dust. The once Alchemy Workshop was as warm as this.
"I recall vividly, when I first met you, the contrast was so stark." Bologue said.
"Was it that time? Actually, I was poorly disguised; I should’ve been more docile, being overly lively only arouses suspicion."
Aimou remembered her first encounter with Bologue, joking and being playful.
"That wasn’t our first meeting... I saw you even before that."
Bologue fell silent, revealing a mocking glance; in such a scenario, he could only use this tactic to discomfort Aimou.
Aimou remained silent, curling up to Bologue like a swallow, burying her head in his chest.
The scene should’ve been quite beautiful, but Bologue was covered in wounds with his chest a mess of blood and flesh, giving a dreadful impression.
"You’re right, Bologue."
Aimou’s voice carried a sense of relief and ease, seeming to have revealed a heavy secret.
"I long for the teacher’s love and approval."
Aimou’s mood was serene, solely expressing herself, almost like conversing with Bologue.
"I think just letting the teacher see me, sacrificing for Alice’s revival wouldn’t matter to me...
But then I changed, experiencing unknown joy and knowing the horror of death firsthand."
Bologue remained silent; this wasn’t the time for jokes.
"I made efforts to suppress my desires and fears, akin to self-imposed asceticism, a form of self-sacrifice; overcoming so many hurdles should’ve made the teacher glance at me... "
Aimou’s words paused for a few seconds; Bologue felt vibrations, unsure if they were body tremors or Aimou shivering.
Aimou inquired to Bologue.
"Why was I born to be someone’s substitute?
Actually, I also want to live, to savor more desserts, listen to more music, watch more films, to see a larger world rather than remain trapped in this dark Great Rift."
Aimou spoke, clenching her fists in resentment.
"Do you despise all this?" Bologue questioned.
Aimou thought for a long time, slowly loosening her fist, "No."
"The teacher wasn’t wrong; he just cared too much for Alice. Alice wasn’t wrong either, as my existence owes thanks to her... no one was wrong, yet it created this painful hell.
I can’t understand all this, humans are incredibly complex."
Aimou felt sorrowful, thinking she should cry, yet without tears; only sadness shown on her face and the dimmed halo in her eyes.
"It’s strange, Aimou."
Bologue tried to move his arm, gently wrapping it around Aimou, "Why say these things now?"
Aimou whispered, "You’re right, leaving without saying goodbye is terrible. I don’t know how you found me, but after seeing you last in the time reversal, I thought I should properly say farewell."
"Time reversal?" Bologue feigned ignorance.
"This is the last goodbye, Bologue."
Aimou didn’t explain the time reversal, she simply shared her thoughts.
"Goodbye? Are you going to do something after this?"
"Yes, something very important."
Aimou leaned close to Bologue’s ear, sharing this secret carefully. Latest content published on novel(ꜰ)ire.net
"Bologue, even though you’re certainly not right in the head, to me, you’re my only friend.
The first time someone celebrated my birthday with me, the first time I knew what birthday cake tastes like, the first time watching a movie, the first time..."
Aimou’s voice gradually weakened, speaking these words was not easy, nearly exhausting all her energy.
"Looking at it this way, all of this is your fault."
Bologue asked, "Why blame me?"
"You showed me the beauty of this world, then let me experience what death means... I’ve already seen the light, and now I can no longer tolerate the darkness, not for even a second."
Aimou tightened her grip around Bologue’s neck, slightly forceful, as if trying to strangle him.
"I can’t go back to being that good child, and it’s all because of you."
Bologue remained silent, though Aimou’s words carried a sense of reproach, he oddly felt somewhat... honored?
"Bologue, I’ve decided, since the teacher doesn’t love me, I will love myself.
I want to become human.
I refuse to be anyone’s substitute; I want to live.
I want to eat more sweets, listen to more music, watch more movies, leave the Great Rift, and see the larger world.
Yes, that’s right, feel the never-ending storm at Wind Source Highlands, see the great ships and vast oceans at Free Port, and visit the Land of Green Shade, walk in the wild..."
Aimou expressed the secrets from her heart at that moment; this time she wanted to be a selfish child.
"Become human? Previously, you said you never wanted to become human."
"I was lying, you’re too easily deceived."
After a moment of silence, Bologue spoke again.
"I can’t understand, Aimou, you were so resistant to interacting with me before, why are you telling me this now? Just for a goodbye?"
"For the sake of a goodbye, you open your heart so easily?"
"This isn’t really opening my heart."
"It’s just my self-talk, and you won’t remember any of it."
Bologue felt he had grasped something crucial, he asserted cautiously, "I won’t remember any of this?"
"It’s cumbersome to explain, but even if I do, you’ll forget soon after."
Having finally spoken all this, Aimou felt much more relieved, a rare hint of laughter in her voice.
"You really are a coward," Bologue said, "only daring to reveal your heart to me when I won’t remember any of it."
"I’m a coward, I admit it, so what? Anyway, you won’t remember."
Aimou, obstinate as a stubborn child.
"I don’t care about the result, I only care about the process; since I have said goodbye to you, even if you forget, I am satisfied, like a hollow tree, I don’t need your echo."
"I won’t remember any of this? That sounds quite selfish."
"At a time , who cares about whether it’s selfish or not."
Aimou straightened up from Bologue’s embrace, the two stared into each other’s eyes, then Aimou kissed Bologue’s forehead.
"I’m going to a better place."
Aimou placed one hand on Bologue’s chest, feeling his heartbeat, and with the other hand on her own chest, extinguished the glow of the Fantasy Species.
She hummed a familiar tune, Bologue had heard this song; it was from the records he had recently collected.
"My body is my cage, my thoughts are the key to unlock the confinement..."
"Goodbye, Bologue Lazarus."
The light went out, and then a more dazzling light burst forth, transforming into a blazing white tide, engulfing all.
Scarlet blood splattered across the cliff, thick veins crept like vines over the rocks, in those large tumors, breeding crazed life, many tendrils curled up, greedily consuming the surrounding beings.
"This isn’t Illusion Creation," Lebius looked at the wildly expanding flesh, "the Immortal Heart lost control, didn’t it?"
The bizarre flesh devoured the surrounding matter, Alchemy Workshop had been entirely engulfed by it, suspending like a nest at the center.
Waves of astonishing Ether reactions emanated from within, it must be the core of the battlefield.
Lebius prepared to move forward, he turned back, seeing the blazing light tide rising from beneath the Great Rift.
The Fantasy Species had been destroyed, the fourth time reversal was about to end.
"Well, at least, during this time reversal, plenty of information was gathered."
Lebius murmured, then he looked beside him, at the figure who had been following him all along.
Hood, Gold, Fast, the three people were covered in terrifying injuries, pupils dilated, within them drifted with eerie blue light.
"See you next time reversal."
Lebius waved, bidding farewell to the three deceased.
The fourth time reversal ended.
The fifth time reversal began.