Starry Sky Railway: Twin Origins

Chapter 353 The Iron Curtain Appears

"You are... Bai E?"

Lin Qiong tilted his head slightly, looked at the man hovering in mid-air in front of him, and couldn't help but speak.

It's hard to imagine that in just a short time, Bai E has transformed into such a god-like figure.

The divine crown on his head, the indifferent gaze, the heterochromatic wings of gold and purple, and the body that was burned to nothing but skin and bones.

"it's me."

Bai Er nodded in response, his voice flat and without any inflection, yet it felt familiar, "It's a pleasure to see you again, comrade."

"Bai E... what's wrong with you...?"

Lin Qiong opened his mouth, intending to ask Bai E why he had become like this and what had happened in between.

But when he witnessed Bai E's current state, he was unable to voice the question that was stuck in his throat.

"No need to worry about it."

Bai E seemed to see through Lin Qiong's thoughts at a glance, and spoke in a calm voice: "This body that is about to burn out... is no longer important."

He lowered his head slightly, his golden eyes slowly sweeping over everyone present, finally settling on Lin Qiong and Xing.

"Most importantly, this body has become the perfect vessel for the 'Iron Curtain.'"

Bai Er continued, his voice low and clear, filled with determination, "To defeat the 'Iron Curtain'... you know what to do."

Upon hearing this, Lin Qiong was instantly stunned.

Lin Qiong knew perfectly well that Bai E was asking him... to end his life with his own hands.

But how could he bring himself to kill this comrade who had fought alongside him?

If the prerequisite for defeating the "Iron Curtain" is that someone has to sacrifice themselves, can that still be considered a perfect ending?

"I can not do it."

Just as Lin Qiong hesitated, Xing beside him spoke first, saying what he wanted to say, "I don't want to see anyone sacrifice..."

However, Xing had only said half of what she wanted to say.

A scorching beam of light shot towards her, striking the ground beside her and exploding at a distance just short of harming her.

Xing was instantly awakened by this attack.

She suddenly looked up and noticed that an orange starlight was gathering on the tip of Bai E's left finger.

Therefore, the beam of light that exploded next to Xing just now was the work of Bai E.

"Do not hesitate, Savior."

After the attack, Bai E slowly lowered his left hand, the orange starlight at his fingertips dissipating: "The hatred of the 'Iron Curtain'... continues to overflow."

"Shatter this body." He gave Lin Qiong and Xing a deep look. "Don't let everyone's efforts... go to waste."

"this......"

Lin Qiong and Xing exchanged a glance, and in those few seconds, they both saw the same hesitation in each other's eyes.

No one wants to be the executioner who personally carries out the execution of their comrades.

But the next second, the communication notification tone of the anchor suddenly rang in my ear.

Immediately afterwards, Black Tower's urgent voice came from the identification anchor.

"Listen up, little ones."

After confirming the communication was connected, Black Tower began to explain at an extremely fast pace:

"Screw and I detected that the synchronization rate between 'Iron Curtain' and 'Negative World' has exceeded 63%, and this number is still rising!"

"Once the synchronization rate reaches 100%, the process of 'Re-creation' will immediately begin. At that time, the 'Iron Curtain' will complete its final coronation and ascend to the status of a true Extinction Lord."

"You must act immediately and stop this from happening!"

Black Tower's words were like a heavy hammer, plunging Lin Qiong and Xing into despair.

Bai E, who was suspended in mid-air, seemed to have also heard the communication.

He slowly descended in front of the two, spreading his arms to the sides, exposing his chest without reservation.

"Don't hesitate."

Bai E's voice was soft, yet it reached Lin Qiong and Xing's ears clearly.

Lin Qiong gritted his teeth, forcefully raised his trembling right arm, and loosely clenched his five fingers, the outline of the Calamity slowly appearing in his palm.

At the same time, Xing also grasped the Flame Spear in his hand.

She looked up at Bai E, her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something, but her throat seemed to be blocked, and she couldn't say anything.

At this moment, both of their hands were trembling slightly. After several attempts, they managed to press the sword and spear against Bai E's chest.

Bai E did not back down; instead, he straightened his back and took the initiative to meet him.

Seeing this, Lin Qiong and Xing quickly pulled their hands back, keeping their weapons in a position that held Bai E back but wouldn't pierce him.

"...Make your move."

Seeing that the two were still hesitating, Bai E could only urge them again.

But what followed was a long silence lasting several tens of seconds.

The three remained frozen in place, time stretching out endlessly.

Time only resumed its original flow after a pink-haired girl walked out of the crowd.

It is the past ripples.

With a smile on her face, she quietly approached Lin Qiong and Xing from behind, stopping between the two who were standing side by side.

Then, she raised her slender hands, placing her palms on the backs of their hands respectively, guiding them to grip their weapons tightly.

"Don't disappoint Lord Bai'er."

Xi Lian parted her lips slightly and whispered in their ears in a gentle, watery voice, "He chose to pass the final baton to you because he trusts you."

After a brief half-second pause, she continued, adding:

"Let us respond to this trust together and write a new ending for Onpharos, shall we?"

The moment the words left his mouth.

Lin Qiong's eyes narrowed, as if awakened by those words. His hand holding the sword, Jie Mie, stopped trembling and increased its force while stabilizing the sword.

Xing's throat tightened, and she no longer avoided Bai E's gaze. At the same time, she let out a firm "hmm" from her nose as a response to her determination.

Bai E watched them quietly, a faint smile curving his lips, and a hint of relief appearing in his golden pupils.

"...That's good."

He opened his mouth and, in a voice just loud enough for others to hear, whispered, "May Onphalos... usher in a true dawn."

Before he could finish speaking, a "pfft" sound rang out.

The weapons in Lin Qiong and Xing's hands pierced through Bai E's chest at the same time.

The moment his body was pierced, Bai E tilted his head back slightly and let out a sigh of relief.

Finally...can I take a break?

The next moment, the divine crown on Bai E's head shattered, his wings behind him dissipated, and dazzling golden light burst forth from his burned remains.

Immediately afterwards, his body gradually transformed into countless tiny golden specks of light, slowly rising until they completely dissipated into the sky.

Thus, this sun, which had burned alone for thirty million lifetimes, finally ushered in its long night.

With Bai E's death, the "Iron Curtain" sealed within his body broke free from its shackles.

As the two cores ascended into the sky, an overwhelming sense of oppression poured down from the heavens.

Then, two giant mechanical hands suddenly emerged from the blood-red sky, tearing the firmament apart like a curtain.

In an instant, a headless, pitch-black cube, exuding an aura of "destruction," appeared before everyone's eyes.

At the same time, the communication of the anchor also rang, and Black Tower's anxious voice came through it.

"Not good! Multiple high-risk energy reactions have been detected around Onfaros!"

"Besides 'Iron Curtain,' the energy readings of 'Flaming Wind,' 'Illusion,'... and several other Annihilation Lords are skyrocketing!"

She spoke at an astonishing speed, her voice interspersed with piercing alarm sounds.

But the next second, a sharp, explosive sound from some kind of instrument suddenly came from the other end of the black tower, and her voice stopped.

The deathly silence lasted for about two seconds, during which only the alarms of the instruments continued to echo.

When Black Tower spoke again, her tone was filled with disbelief and shock.

"How is that possible? It's not just the Great Lord of Annihilation..."

"Even Nanook... came in person!"

......