The God closed its eyes high in the sky, and the people above Middleshills saw that after the red moon disappeared, the two abnormal moons in the starry sky had both vanished.
But then, directly above Sicar Mountain, brilliant silver light appeared like grains of rice. The light of those rice grains bloomed until it transformed into a complete silver Moon.
The silver Moon, so real it was almost maddening, was not smooth but covered with indentations; it truly descended above Sicar Mountain, illuminating the mountains and the City.
That pure and flawless Moon slowly fell until it plunged into the mountain from the mountain pass and disappeared.
People wondered about the meaning of this scene, but then, accompanied by a rumbling earth tremor and the shaking of the mountains, a silver light burst out from the mountain pass.
The Moon flew out from the mountain again, soaring into the sky, towards the spatial rift where the Star Sea Whales had departed. And behind that sterling silver Moon, scattered silver light points, under the deep night sky, trailed a small path of fragmented light from the mountaintop to the Star Sea.
People heard singing, a sound praising death and the Nether Moon. But listening closely, it was clearly only the sound of the wind and the forest in the mountains.
“No, this is indeed singing.”
The green-haired Thirteen Ring Sorcerer of the Natural Church bowed respectfully:
“That unknown Moon God is Directing Death. The world sings for this; this is the sound of nature.”
The enormous silver Moon was embedded in the spatial rift, and at the end of that silver path of fragmented light, on the summit of Sicar Mountain, white figures appeared in groups of two or three. But then, more and more white figures emerged from the mountain pass, walking along that sky-reaching silver path of fragmented light, beneath the inverted starry river, towards the Moon at the end.
“This is...”
Iluna looked at the Moon in a daze.
“Nether Moon.”
Someone gave the answer, and at the same time the answer was given, a dark crack appeared below the Moon. Then, water with scattered silver-white light emerged from the crack, until it merged with the starry sky, submerging most of the silver Moon. It was hard to distinguish whether the Star Sea illuminated that tranquil body of water, or if that body of water reflected the brilliant starry sky.
The souls departing from Sicar Mountain thus ascended along the small path of fragmented light under the deep night sky, entering the tranquil body of water that overlapped with the Star Sea.
Silently, sacred and peaceful. The stream of light formed by the flickering souls quickly intertwined completely with that path of fragmented light, but the light was not particularly bright, until it painted shining brushstrokes in the oil painting of the long autumn night. And in the waters of the Star Sea, each of those figures was so clear.
Roar~
The deep blue translucent Star Whales, for the first time since their appearance, collectively let out a cry. These semi-physical Star Beasts swam freely in that Star Sea, accompanying the pure white souls, wandering towards that sacred Moon.
No one spoke at this moment. Those who witnessed this moment quietly watched the myriad souls emerge from the Gap, silently walking under the starry sky towards the Moon high above.
The Star Sea hung inverted overhead, and silver-white light stretched into a sky-reaching road. It was like souls walking, but also like countless white light points forming the path of fragmented light itself.
Even the residents of Middleshills, at this moment, looked up at the starry sky from their windows, gazing in a trance at the sky-reaching road extending from the mountaintop.
People saw many familiar faces, many faces that had long since departed. They stood on the water at the end of the path of fragmented light, bathed in starlight, waving towards the City.
For thousands of years, the souls accumulated in the Gap over several epochs finally found a way to leave. They waved goodbye to the City, bidding farewell to their still-living family and loved ones who missed them, and then, with smiles, walked along that body of water overlapping with the Star Sea, towards the Nether Moon at the end.
Roar~
The Star Whale's azure body illuminated the path of departure and carried away all those thoughts.
The white mist above the City completely dispersed. The light of the Nether Moon became faint, but those white shadows re-illuminated the starry sky and the City.
White light points floated above the City, guiding the lost souls scattered throughout the City towards the path of fragmented light. That small path led to the sky, to the end of everything.
“Bei Ya Si, prepare for battle.”
Mr. Lacan Matisse of the Sun Church said.
The gods had departed, and everything was gradually returning to normal. The battle between the gods did not affect the City; if not for the scene in the Star Sea, everything that happened earlier would have seemed like an illusion.
“The big guy born in the cocoon is about to revive. The gods have guided the lost souls to a path of departure, and we mortals must return this undead aggregate to the Gap. That Moon God has already generously offered help; this is the best opportunity to completely solve the Middleshills problem!”
Iluna gasped, taking one last look at the silver Moon half-submerged at the end of that body of water in the starry sky:
“I understand. This time, I won’t disappoint him.”
At the foot of the mountain, by Bena Lake, the lake water had returned to clear and transparent. Silver Moonlight shone on the water surface, and the small path of fragmented light in the sky and the myriad souls on the path reflected a tranquil light trace on the lake water.
The shimmering ripples were so serene. Neither the City in the distant war nor Sicar Mountain, which seemed on the verge of collapsing from a direct hit by a god nearby, could disturb this moment of peace.
A streak of blood-red light descended from the sky in this quiet painting. The disheveled God of Vampires stood on the lakeside land again.
Clutching its heart, the God's pale face looked back at the summit of Sicar Mountain, then at the unconscious Red Butterfly Twins there, a bloodthirsty desire in its ferocious expression:
“Moon Child, you are still too simple. I did lose to you, and I will abide by the judgment of Balance; the Red Butterfly is yours. But that doesn’t mean I can’t tamper with them…”
The Evil God, about to leave the material world, stretched out its long, deformed, monster-like hand towards the twin girls in the golden circle.
But at this moment, an orange and white kitten jumped out from between Helen and Grace.
Bathed in starlight and Moonlight, Mia looked at the monster in front of her with some apprehension under the starry sky, her fur bristling, but she still stood on Helen’s chest, “roaring” at the monster:
“Meow~ Meow~”
The darkness of the deep night covered the earth, and trees rustled in the night wind. Overhead were the myriad phenomena of the starry sky and the path of fragmented light where countless souls walked. Although the lake surface at the foot of the mountain was illuminated by that light, the shore was still shrouded in the shadows of the dense forest.
The brave cat stared with its amber eyes, facing the terrifying Evil God. Although timid, it faithfully carried out Xia De’s instruction before he left: “Watch over them, don’t wander off.”
It was just a small creature that could be pinched with one hand, but at this moment, it displayed infinite courage.
Noticing the cat, the God's hand froze in mid-air, its expression gradually turning to astonishment, and then that astonishment transformed into genuine terror:
“You, you—”
It retreated continuously, rapidly, until it reached the phosphorescent lake, completely oblivious to stepping into the cold lake water sparkling with light points:
“It’s you! How is this possible, how is this possible?!”
Mia, who always bullied the weak and feared the strong, seeing this scene, immediately boldly chased after it. First, she left the golden circle Xia De had drawn, then left the shadows of the shore, and also came to the place illuminated by Moonlight, just a cat’s width from the surging lake water.
The silver Moon shone on the orange fur on her back. Mia curiously looked up at the brilliant starry sky, like a painting in the sky, and felt as if Xia De was nearby, so she roared even more boldly:
“Meow~”
That sound made the Saint shiver. It retreated again, stumbling and almost falling. Only then did it show an expression of sudden realization, looking fearfully at the summit of Sicar Mountain behind it:
“Since you’re here… then you didn’t accidentally gain its power. You’re not the Moon Child, you are… How is this possible? This isn’t right…”
“Meow~ Meow~”
Mia, increasingly feeling that she had intimidated her enemy, called out again and made a predatory attack posture—even though Xia De had never seen this cat hunt live prey.
“Oh!”
The God of Vampires continued to retreat in terror. By this time, most of the Saint’s legs were submerged in the lake water.
Seeing that the cat had already chased to the lakeside, eager to jump into the water, the God’s pale fingers immediately took off the vampire ring from its right hand and threw it fiercely in the direction of Helen and Grace.
The blood-red metal ring arced across the night sky, falling in a parabolic trajectory.
Whether to protect the girls as per Xia De’s request or to obtain this ring, Mia suddenly jumped up, biting the ring precisely in mid-air.
The cat landed lightly back on the ground, but when it looked around somewhat smugly, it found that the “monster” in the water had left this world and disappeared.
In front of it, only the lake surface, stirred by the night wind, remained. The lake shimmered, and the ripples seemed to sparkle with starlight. And further away, high above beyond two hills, was the path of fragmented light and the Star Sea waters under the deep Moonlit night.
The night wind also blew Mia’s short fur. The cat squinted its eyes, enjoying the cool sensation for a moment, then peeked at the lake, tentatively extending a paw, wanting to search in the water.
But after a moment of hesitation, its furry paw did not touch the lake surface. It decided not to get wet easily, so it “meowed” again, trotting with its short legs, carrying the ring, stepping over Helen’s stomach, and returning to lie down between the girl in the black dress and the girl in the white dress.
Wriggling its body, the tiny cat slipped the new ring onto its tail, then contentedly narrowed its eyes, feigning sleep, quietly waiting for Xia De to return.
The small interlude under the starry sky was known only to the stars. And the disheveled God of Vampires would probably not appear in the material world again for a very long time.
