Chapter 313: Let’s Shape A New Future

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It was kind of a gamble… The Heavenly Demon can be a very aggressive and impulsive man, but so do I!

So the thing I did was just bring him here and just show him what happened without any explanations or anything.

It was rough, but the boy wanted to see his father.

I had to bait him to attack me so I could grab him and then Supplex him into the Heavenly Empress Inner Realm.

But it totally worked.

The moment the Heavenly Demon glanced at his own son suddenly appearing out of nowhere, he completely froze.

“Daddy!”

Song called for him as he was sitting and eating, quickly flapping his only wing and rushing towards him.

“Anna?! Did you have to bring him here like this? So roughly at that!”

Master reprimanded me, but it couldn’t be helped.

I was a bit tired of these two hating each other for these things.

Blaming one another will not help you, even less when you have to raise a kid.

This Song is also the real Song, he’s a part of him, he’s his history, the records he left behind.

Therefore, he’s your real son too!

“Huh?”

The Heavenly Demon gasped as he felt his son’s hug. He was about to reflexively push him away, but he suddenly found himself unable to.

He was always a rough, brutish man… But suddenly, before his own son, he just couldn’t force himself to be like that anymore.

“H-How is this possible? Is this… are you an illusion, Song? Perhaps a Dream? What trick is this, Hue Xian? How cruel can you be? To toy with me like this, using our son’s image…”

The Heavenly Demon looked sad, his face growing grimmer.

“My son…”

“Papa? What’s wrong?”

Song smiled cutely, caressing his father’s black feathered face with his little hands.

“Are you ok?”

“Hahh… Song… Even if you’re an illusion… Let me hug you… even if this is not real…”

He completely changed. The furious, proud, demonic man… turned into a father who just wanted to see his son again.

I see…

So that’s how you really are, master.

“Song!”

He started crying, hugging his son; tears constantly fell from his crimson eyes.

“Daddy…?”

“I’m so sorry… It was my fault… I’m so sorry, Song! I miss you… You don’t know how much I miss you…”

Song was confused as he caressed his father’s crown of feathers above his head.

“If this was your plan to catch me weak… You’ve triumphed, you wicked woman… Is this what you wanted to see? The ruined man I truly am?”

The Heavenly Demon kept crying, glancing at the Heavenly Empress.

“You’re mistaken…”

Despite all the shit each other talked about while the other wasn’t present, master’s eyes toward the heavenly demon…

They were full of compassion and love.

“He’s not an illusion, nor a dream… He’s real.”

“W-What? But Song turned into that thing! The Demon King and…!”

“Yes, he is sealed, and he’s also here.”

“How? How is that even possible?! What nonsense are you talking about?”

Even as he roared furiously, he was still gently holding his son.

“Papa…”

Song seemed confused as well; I don’t know if he was listening well to what was being said right now.

But maybe it would be a good time to make him understand what was happening here and that this wasn’t a complete copy of the simulation.

Things were much different because in this timeline…

I wasn’t there to save him from taking the Demon King Seed.

If the simulation was the “good ending," this was the “bad ending,” where everything was ruined.

So, in reality, it is as if the protagonist of the good ending came to the world of the bad ending to help the one that couldn’t make it.

And I think that Song is a very smart kid; he’s beginning to understand what’s going on.

Maybe that’s why he isn’t asking questions.

“It’s complicated and a long explanation…” I said. “But I guess Song here… needs to know how he appeared here as well.”

“Huh?” Song was still trying to figure it out.

“Why everything seems a bit different, why your mother and your father aren’t reconciled…” I said. “I know you’ve realized already, right, Song?”

“Um… Yeah…” he sighed. “I’m not… I’m not from this world, right?”

Kind of, well, yeah.

It is as if the trial, that simulation…

It became a copy of this world, and that’s the original world he belonged to.

Yet, at the same time, it was also part of this world.

Perhaps a “shadow” of this world, or an “echo” of it.

“Song…”

The Heavenly Demon slowly began to realize what was happening.

This talk needed to be done now; the faster we can get this over with, the more we can begin finally cooperating with one another.

Because honestly, I’m tired of switching from one place to another.

This divorced couple… I want to learn from the two of them at the same time!

“Master, please sit down,” I said. “Sorry for being a bit brutish, but sometimes that’s the only way you understand… Let’s talk.”

“Hah…” he smiled lightly. “Just what have you done now while you left, Anna? Seriously…”

“Heheh, a lot! Now, let’s begin… We shall explain what happened to you and Song. Right, master?”

I glanced at the Heavenly Empress; she nodded lightly.

“Yes… Han Zhenye, would you sit down and listen to our words?” She asked; her charm was strong.

The heavenly demon, despite how he acted, could hardly resist her request.

This, coupled with the empress’ kind and merciful eyes…

I think these two still have feelings for one another.

Maybe.

It’s just that after what happened with Song, they blamed each other and also themselves.

Maybe more themselves than the other, judging by how the heavenly demon acted after seeing Song.

I’m not going to play cupid here or something; this is something they have to resolve on their own.

But… I think what I’ve done so far might facilitate that process, even if a little bit more.

Becoming their disciples and everything, bringing back Song.

I’ve created more than one connection they can’t back down from now.

And as the explanations continued, and we told them everything as it was, they understood.

Song was still a bit confused, but the heavenly demon understood everything very quickly.

“I see…” he was still holding his son, letting him sit over his legs. “So Song… is the real Song too? A part of him?”

“Yes,” nodded the heavenly empress. “And Song… I-I… I’m sorry, this happened… because your mother couldn’t…” She was on the verge of crying too.

The boy also learned about “his other half”, the Song that became a Demon King.

“So Anna was never there for my other half… And he ended up becoming the monster we defeated?” he wondered. “T-That’s so sad! I-I… I want to save him—or myself; I don’t know how I should say it… but I want to help him… And mom and dad too… A-And this world!”

That battle where we put everything on the line… it seems to have helped him grow as well. I learned that Song wasn’t that old either; he was past his teen years of age, although his true age was never clarified to me.

He's smarter than other kids his age, for sure. And possess tremendous power as the Divine Son of Providence… the World’s Will itself maybe also is backing him, even when the Heaven’s Will is gone.

He’s really a true Protagonist, hahah…

Maybe that’s why he never showed up in the novel? My brother is the only protagonist after all!

“I think it’s because of the sponsorship I gave to you, Song,” I explained. “It must have caused your Records to gain “Life” and become sentient, you. But that doesn’t mean you’re not real; you’re perfectly real; you’re yourself, the Song we all love, so don’t worry.”

“Hmm…” he nodded, gripping his fists tightly. “I know… I know I’m not fake! I’m Song, mama and papa’s son! A-And I will save my other half… No matter what!”

“Ooh?!”

“My son!”

Out of nowhere, he declared something so boldly!

He was full of resolve.

We could see it in his eyes.

This boy... he is truly his mother's and father’s son.

“After experiencing what I did, I also want this world to have that happy ending, mom, dad!” he said. “S-So… Sniff… So please help me achieve it?”

Song started crying a bit, perhaps a roller coaster of emotions hitting him at once, realizing the world he came from was no more and that his other half was turned into a monster.

And that the world wasn’t saved, but the worst possible outcome had happened…

It was as if all our efforts were for nothing.

But we were here, and so were his mom and dad.

They were weakened, but they were here anyway.

And us as well, of course.

“But of course, my son…” the heavenly empress cried. “Always!”

“Song! You don’t even need to ask!” the heavenly demon said. “Your father will always have your back, you brat!”

Father, mother, and son hugged each other.

It was a very cute and emotional scene.

Dammit, why do I always become so invested in other people I know?

From every world… I end up always thinking about them and everything.

I care for them, and they become part of my heart.

Even the angels in the first trial, which was the shortest…

Every now and then I still wonder if they’re fine or where they are now.

I wish I could have talked more with them.

Then with Inferna, Isaac, and the demon village.

I want to see them again; I miss them all so much…

And these people too if we ever manage to triumph.

I’ll miss them once I leave…

…

Other people would be discouraged by this; they would try to not make bonds; they would try to think that all meetings are instead farewells.

But I value the present a lot; every second I am here with these people, it’s valuable to me. Memories of the people I care for and love also transform into Stories too.

They become part of my Story, and through experiencing these scenes and growing closer to such people, I too, grow stronger.

By shaping the lives of others and by being shaped by these people, I grow…

To become a Constellation as well, one day.

But unlike those that abandoned their worlds, like the Golden Sun Venerable.

I’m never letting go of Earth, and even less of these other worlds I’ve learned about.

…

Hah, enough overthinking things.

Enough internal monologues.

Let’s get this done with.

“Looks like things… resolved themselves?”

Fang Shuan stepped in.

“Oh, oh my…”

Sara was also here with us.

“Krieeh?”

“Woof!”

“Kyuuh!”

Even the little rascals of Violet, Snow, and Shiro.

“Gaaoo!”

“Woof!”

And even the Primordial Beasts of Yin and Yang, who had come back from hunting in the wilds.

“Alright, our party has become pretty big,” I laughed. “Masters! I’m in your care now. Please, just for this foolish disciple of yours, get along!”

I bowed before them as the two nodded, with smiles, as the heavenly empress carried her son on her arms.

“Very well, my reckless disciple.”

“Was this your scheme all along? Hah! Alright…”

The two agreed to teach me together, to work together, and for now, to set aside their differences once more to save this world.

This time, we’ll do it.

We have to!

There will not be a second chance, I believe.

This might truly be the last battle for this world.

I better grow, as much as possible.

“From today and until the last day of our planned training,” said the Heavenly Empress. “We’ll teach you everything we can to make you all stronger.”

“And then we shall once more go against the machines,” said the Heavenly Demon. “We’ll defeat the hostile ones…” he glared at Zero One. "Then we’ll unseal our son… and save him.”

“For that reason, we must first find ways to do all these things,” she said.

“Indeed!” I nodded. “Let’s begin.”

This wasn’t just about training, but we’ll be scrambling our brains thinking of ways, finding out ways, and also planning many things.

First of all, how to heal the Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly Empress. Zero One and Song will be the keys to healing them, I’m sure.

Second, how to separate Song’s body from the Demon King, perhaps his soul. Fang Shuan and his mastery over the soul, which surpasses all of us, will be able to help us with this.

Third, surpass my limits and achieve the true form of Myriad Self Arts. This all depends on me; it’s my own personal challenge.

Fourth, help Zero One gather all machines that aren’t hostile and make them our allies. This’ll be done by her, naturally.

And lastly, mine all the primordial yin and yang stones so we can recover the primordial divine powers of that lion and the wolf.

As long as their original powers are revived, even if a little bit more, our chances of winning increase exponentially!

And if they were gifted to me as just tiny fragments by the System Quest, I’m sure they’re important for this world…

With the Inner Realm time acceleration, I got almost a month to get things done…

Let’s begin.

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