Silent Crown

“Sancta Sedes?” The misty, spirit-like old man sat by the broken flower bed, looking at her with a self-deprecating smile on his blurry face. “I’m not meeting you in my capacity as pope. I saw you when you came to the Sacred City sixteen years ago. I never thought I’d have the chance to see you again.”

“This is God’s gift to me,” the old nun whispered.

The illusion of the King of Red shook his head, “God never cared about you, and He would never claim credit for this. This is a gift from the Grand Inquisitor, sister.”

“Ah.” The old nun looked up at the distant fire. She slowly nodded and looked back at the old man beside her, her eyes lingering on his face. “How are the children you’ve been looking after?”

“I’ve been keeping an eye on them, just like I promised you.” The King of Red was silent for moment, then he seemed to remember something, and said, “Sixteen years have passed, and so much has happened. Hamilton left the orphanage two years after you did. He used his upright character to get a businessman to fund him, just like you taught him. He’s married to the businessman’s daughter now. The business is boring, so I can’t really say he’s doing well. Windsor and Tami got married and had three kids. They fought all the time. After Tami died of cholera, Windsor re-married to a blacksmith. The blacksmith isn’t good to the kids, but he taught them his skills…Iger became a thief with Winston. They were hanged six years ago because they stole from a nobleman. Metz gathered a few companions, changed his name and went to the borderlands where he ran a smuggling operation. After he made enough money he came back home…”

For a while the King of Red told the old nun about the children’s fates and experiences, or everything that he knew about them at least.

The old nun listened silently with eyes closed, recalling those children’s faces, their smiles, and the warmth of their hands. It seemed to her that she was no longer alone in the cold Ultimate. Here in the farthest corner of the world it seemed like she still had their companionship.

“…Theresa, the children all lived their own lives in their own ways, just like you wanted.” The King of Red looked at her and whispered, “Some of them were happy, some unhappy. Some had regrets in the end, some had hearts full of hate. But for you their hearts were filled with the purest gratitude and love. Their lives began with you, so your life was not meaningless.”

“I see.” The old nun bowed her head, took a deep breath, and awkwardly covered her face as she tried to wipe away the emotion she was showing. “Good…that’s really good…” she couldn’t help but choke out.

“Thank you, Sancta Sedes.” She looked up at the pope in front of her, and her simple, old eyes were full of tears of joy.

“Theresa, I feel guilty about this.” The King of Red shook his head. He reached out and stroked her long hair. “Are you still willing to fulfill our original agreement,” he whispered. “Are you still willing to sacrifice yourself for this merciless world, even though it was never once kind to you?”

“It would be my honor,” the old nun responded softly. She nodded at the illusion. “Farewell, Sancta Sedes.”

“Farewell, Theresa.” The King of Red lowered his eyes and whispered, “May we meet again in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

A divine glow rose up in the sky.

The old nun smiled amidst the flames that burnt her body. A cold melody rang out from her frail body and echoed between the heavens and the earth.

Just listen.

The whole world was silent.

Everything cowered in submission.

Only this merciful melody flowed between heaven and earth.

Amidst the glow, Theresa seemed to melt into the light. Light burst forth from her body, gently and compassionately falling upon all the darkness like a hug, enveloping all within its embrace.

A trio in E major descended.

It was inscribed with the core music theory and movements of Schubert’s Scepter. After giving up attachment, it seemed to embrace everything and sublimate into the cold, lonely melody.

Sing the praises of everything in the world, and embrace the wonders created by God.

There was no more self.

No one could resist the almost redeeming embrace. The melody was like a gentle rain. It quietly followed behind everyone like a shadow, but no one could refuse the passionate love within.

In but an instant the gentle melody had wrapped itself around everyone and seeped into every corner of the Ultimate.

Amidst the pain of burning the old nun looked up at the sky, as if she was staring at the stars.

Her line of sight fell on the other side of the stars.

In the distance she caught a glimpse of the past and the future.

She had truly become an incarnation of everything.

In the next instant the coldy melody softly sank into silence as it reached the end. It was followed by thrilling piano music. She opened her arms wide to the tremors of the stars as they rose and fell like piano keys and the final salvation rained down from them.

This was Schubert’s final performance.

She had sacrificed herself, embraced the flames, and brought the movement of light and salvation to the world.

Ever since it had been made, there had never been a time when someone had used Schubert’s Sacrifice Movement. But now it was completed by a frail old nun who was not even a musician.

She used her own soul to imbue the movement with spirituality, completing the Sacrifice Movement, awakening it, turning herself into part of its music theory, and playing her final elegy together with it.

“Prometheus”!

In that moment, Ye Qingxuan finally understood, and his face went pale.

–

–

“Make her stop! D*mn it, make her stop!” The withered skull finally lost its temper. “Is it true? It’s true! How could they have accomplished this d*mn thing! What has the Church done?”

Even when facing the punishment of dies irae he had never felt such fear and anger.

“Dies Irae” would only destroy catastrophes and heretics, but “Prometheus” brought absolute salvation and change. Even catastrophes could be completely transformed.

Once the movement finished, the entire Ultimate would be transformed into a branch of the Holy Cauldron, becoming a heavenly fire that would bring humanity into a new era.

And everything that the Abyss had done would become a stepping stone for the Holy Cauldron, and this battle upon which rested the fate of the Abyss would be nothing but a joke!

But who could master such a miracle? And who could feel enough compassion to bring salvation to catastrophes?

After the sacred name of Schubert had been passed down for more than ten generations it had finally been cut off and sealed up in an expendable body. It was on its last legs.

For hundreds of years there had been no one who could master this power, or even awaken it.

No one could truly understand the path of compassion. No one could even touch the edges of it.

But now, this fairy tale as silly as the tooth fairy was completed by such expendable hands? An old woman who was little more than a puppet had been able to feel compassion for demons and catastrophes?

This was the greatest irony of all!

“Strike the bell! Prepare the vessel! Completely awaken the Black Knight!” The broken skull quickly made a decision. It had a savage look on its face. “Kill everything! Destroy everything! The future of the Abyss cannot be ended like this!”

Abandon everything, turn the existing Ultimate into nourishment for the Black Knight, and let him sweep away and destroy everything.

All that the Abyss had prepared for hundreds of years would be completely turned into nothing. But at least they could save its essence, and would not lose its plans and completely fall apart.

This was a sacrifice after all. The broken skull would take responsibility for it afterwards. The Abyss Sages might not be able to bring the scattered pieces of the Abyss back together like before.

This was the last resort, but it had to be this way.

But soon everyone else was swallowed up by the chaos.

The iron casket was empty.

“How can this be? Where? Where is it? It must be here…” The big headed dwarf reached out in frustration, feeling about in the empty casket. Finally, he gave a desperate cry.

“The elements of the Black Knight! They’re gone! They’re all gone!”

He turned the casket over and shook it hard, but nothing fell out. It was still just as empty as before.

There was only the bottom of the iron casket, and a note stuck to it.

The handwriting was scribbled, and an ugly smile was drawn at the end.

The broken skull read the note slowly, then roared: “Naberius!”

–

–

“What are you doing?” Ye Qingxuan looked at the holy light in front of him and suddenly had a splitting headache. A piercing pain came out of his skull, as if a knife was poking out from within, bringing with it deep, sharp pains.

He looked at the burning nun and began to pound angrily on the light in front of him. “Answer me, what are you doing?”

The nun was silent amidst the flames.

Ye Qingxuan opened his mouth to call her name, but was suddenly silent.

What was her name?

It turned out that he still didn’t know her name.

It wasn’t his fault, no one could blame him for this

Who would care about some old nun’s name?

She wasn’t precious, she wasn’t beautiful, and she had no value except for the fact that Schubert was occupying her body. He already showed great kindness and saved her life, who could ask for more than that?

“I already gave you your freedom.” Ye Qingxuan looked at her and his voice was hoarse. “You can live, you don’t have to die for anyone. Why are you choosing this dead end?”

Answer me, why?

He couldn’t suppress his anger. He screamed at her till the end. He roared, shouted himself hoarse until the veins stood out in his face, making him look as fearsome as a demon.

“…For this so-called God? For that clay idol and empty shell?”

In the sacrificial fire, the old nun lowered her head.

She still looked so humble as she trembled like a child who had been caught doing something wrong. The flames emerged from her body, burning her inch by inch.

“I’m sorry. I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you again.” She smiled with embarrassment and avoided Ye Qingxuan’s gaze. “I just think that someone has to do something. Since someone needs to be sacrificed, why not let it be someone like me who has no use? At least…not in this world.”

When she spoke this last sentence she met Ye Qingxuan’s gaze. She gave a smile which pierced Ye Qingxuan through the heart.

The endless flames were like a powerful torrent pouring out of her body. They flooded out like a pillar of light that stretched out between the heavens and the earth. Afterwards, a merciful rain began to pour down, saving everyone from their thirst.

Ye Qingxuan thought he could hear crazy shouting from far away.

They were ecstatic prayers, feverish praises, and wild cheers.

They prayed that God would shed his mercy upon them.

They praised this true miracle.

They cheered for this great sacrifice.

“Holy! Holy! Holy!”

In the Church’s fleet, the bishop’s face had turned red with excitement as he stared at the light of Prometheus with a fanatical glint in his eyes, “The Father has given us this miracle!”

“Look! Look! Is this not the will of God? Is this not the light of redemption?”

“What pure dedication, what a sacrifice worthy of praise!”

He shouted passionately, as he forgot himself amidst his praises, “Our pious prayers have finally been answered! God approves! Everyone give praise! Worship! The Kingdom of God is coming! Divine redemption will fall upon us!”

It was as if God had truly appeared in the sky and poured down a bit of redemption, bringing joy to the world and making countless people worship wildly. But no one ever thought about what price had to paid for this so-called redemption.

No, compared with this precious miracle, such a small price showed God’s generosity.

Just sacrifice, just praise, just believe, and all would be fine…

“Is this the world you wanted to save? Look at it! It’s not worth your sacrifice, why can’t you see that?” Ye Qingxuan roared furiously. “If God really loved the world then the world would be good, and you’d have a place in it! You have to live!”

He reached out and slammed the Staff of Fate down, firmly trying to bring an end to Schubert’s operation even if the flame burned him. He was like a mantis waiting for death in front of a spinning wheel, hoping it would miraculously stop.

The old nun was silent.

She looked at Ye Qingxuan for a while and smiled with relief.

“Your Excellency – God probably doesn’t love us, right?”

She reached out and gently pushed away the lifeline that Ye Qingxuan had reached out to her, cutting off her last hope.

Within the flames her eyes were full of compassion as she looked at Ye Qingxuan. “But at least we can choose to love each other.”

His headache became fiercer and fiercer. Ye Qingxuan rubbed his throbbing forehead and gritted his teeth. He reached out and tried to pull her back.

But she was swallowed by the flames and disappeared.

The flames rose into the sky and a grand melody rang out throughout the entire world.

As if in response to the miracle, a cheer rose from the Ultimate, and the fragments of the Stone Plate slowly rose, attracting the core that had been scattered to the four winds, instantly gathering it back together.

The sea of aether began to boil, like terrifying fluctuations were bursting forth from the stars one after another. The realm of aether and the Physical World suddenly overlapped, and in the distant Originator a line of illusory light shone quietly.

It was like there was a baby crying. It was like there was nothing.

But everyone felt that a formless giant had emerged from the Originator and was descending into the world.

A catastrophe had been born.

A miracle was finally coming.