The coronation ceremony was scheduled to take place three days later.
There will be no grand ceremony, and there will be no crowds of people. The ceremony will be held in Futaba's room, and everything will be silent.
In this ceremony, Zhou Li will become the Black Emperor, Futaba will crown him, and Eluma will witness everything. After the ceremony, Zhou Li and Eluma will communicate with the gods. If the god chooses to kill or imprison Zhou Li, then Eluma will commit suicide and restart.
This is their plan.
There are two days left until the coronation ceremony.
Zhou Li sat on the terrace of the tower, staring at the brightly lit city in front of him. Because of the presence of bright moss, the underground city has no distinction between day and night, only day. However, people living in the Hades Empire would habitually light lamps even when sleeping. This was a habit they retained on the ground. Compared to plants, humans are more accustomed to lights or sunlight.
The temperature on the terrace is very moderate. With the efforts of everyone in the Hades Empire, this small country has been able to maintain a suitable temperature. Zhou Li felt the slightly fishy cool breeze coming from deep underground. He had no emotion and just sat quietly.
"Zhou Li, we can still give up."
Eluma's voice came from behind Zhou Li, and at the same time, there was the sound of metal interlacing in her holy heavy armor. After taking off her arm armor and leg armor, Eluma slowly sat on the chair behind Zhou Li and tucked her long hair, which was damp with fine sweat, behind her ears. She didn't look at Zhou Li and said, "Maybe we can find other ways."
"I know."
Zhou Li nodded and did not deny Eluma's words, but he still said softly with a slightly bitter smile: "But time will not give us so many opportunities."
"If you want to achieve a perfect ending, this is the most appropriate and easiest way."
Faced with Zhou Li's calmness, Eluma remained silent. She knew that if she just wanted to end this restart, then as long as she defeated the devil and the final boss, everything would be cleared. However, beating the level means there will be no restarts, and those who died will not have a chance to survive. Therefore, for Eluma, the most difficult thing is not defeating the Demon King, but how to defeat the Demon King while trying to avoid casualties.
"I can't bear to lose either you or Futaba."
After a long time, Eluma seemed relieved and no longer concealed her inner thoughts, "I want to save this world. I can't watch the suffering befall me and remain indifferent. However, I also can't watch my beloved die beside me." In front of me, I can only defeat the enemy in pain and bury all possible futures with my own hands."
Eluma's tone was not exciting, it could even be said to be dull. But there is a suffocating tenacity in this plainness. Four restarts, four lives, Eluma has experienced too much. She has seen the ugliness of people's hearts, she has seen how hard people try to survive, and she has seen one of her best friends or loved ones die in front of her.
After experiencing too much, one often becomes numb. But Eluma was different. The love and tenderness in her heart made her heart softer, and the dead people made her even more unable to accept separation. Therefore, Eluma chose the most difficult path.
She wants to save everyone.
Zhou Li knew Eluma's thoughts, or in other words, from the moment Eluma hugged him when he woke up and said that incomprehensible apology, Zhou Li vaguely felt the strange girl's aura. A tenacity that I cannot refuse.
"It will win."
After a long time, Zhou Li spoke, breaking the silence, "We will win."
Eluma didn't say anything. She just stretched out her hand and intertwined her fingers, feeling each other's warmth. Looking at the underground city under the lights, a trace of hope and expectation flashed in Eluma's eyes. This time, she was in the best position in the restart. Human beings were well prepared under Futaba's warning. The Demon King's momentum was retreating steadily, and his close friends were not harmed. This war seemed to be heading towards the light.
But that oracle was firmly stuck in Eluma's heart like a sharp thorn. She knew that if she didn't pull out the thorn, her ultimate goal would still fail.
"it does not matter."
Eluma closed her eyes and leaned gently on Zhou Li's shoulder. Her voice was soft and firm, "Even if I fail, I will restart everything again."
Zhou Li had no words. He had never experienced it, but he knew that the taste of death was definitely unpleasant. After all, even after restarting four times, he clearly felt Eluma's helplessness and hysterical pain at that moment when he just woke up this time.
but···
"it does not matter."
Eluma repeated this sentence again, but at this time she was already a little drowsy. She leaned against Zhou Li. Only when she was with Zhou Li was Eluma's most relaxed moment. Her head nodded slightly, dozing off, and she whispered unconsciously.
"I can always find you."
Feeling Eluma's warm breath while sleeping beside him, Zhou Li maintained his original posture and remained motionless. Eluma hasn't had a good sleep these days. As a divine messenger, she has much more missions and burdens.
************************
There is one day left until the coronation ceremony.
"Yo."
At the gate of the castle, Zhou Li waved and politely said to the orange-haired girl in front of him, "Good morning."
"Good morning."
Futaba seemed a little unaccustomed to this way of greeting, but still responded to Zhou Li. She stood beside Zhou Li with a slightly petite figure and asked, "What do you want from me?"
"ah···"
Zhou Li scratched the back of his head, smiled slightly, and said, "That's right, I want to ask you something."
"oh?"
Futaba raised his eyebrows, as if he noticed something, and the corners of his mouth curved in an imperceptible arc. She looked at Zhou Li, and her plain voice had some ups and downs, "From the previous life?"
"Um."
Zhou Li nodded, looked around, and then said to Shuangye: "Let's find a quiet place to chat, please."
Looking at Zhou Li with a sincere tone in front of him, Shuangye nodded after a brief thought and said, "Then let's go to the restaurant and treat it as morning tea."
There are very few people in Futaba's castle, except for a few maids, only Carrie. Carrie is considered her personal maid. Of course, this is because Carrie really couldn't stand Futaba's problems of not liking to eat and dressing casually, so she volunteered to take care of Futaba's daily life. In previous lives, Eluma had done this kind of thing, so when she first got the news about Futaba, what Eluma was most worried about was whether there would be anyone to take care of her daily life.
If Eluma or Carrie hadn't helped Futaba take care of her daily life, she might have been able to eat the same food until she died and wear the same clothes until she was old. Of course, Futaba, like Eluma, has a clean constitution and there will be no dust or stains on her body, so even if she wears a piece of clothing for a lifetime, it will still smell good.
Sitting opposite Futaba, looking at Futaba who drank the cold bitter coffee in front of him with an expressionless expression, Zhou Li suddenly got stuck on what he wanted to say.
"That's not it···"
Zhou Li was a little shocked. The coffee Futaba drank was brought here by him. It could be said to be the kind of bitter coffee that was bitter to the core, and once it got cold, even Zhou Li couldn't drink it. But after Futaba saw the rest of his morning coffee, he didn't hesitate and drank it all in one gulp. He didn't know what to say for a while.
"got used to."
Futaba put down the cup and said calmly: "We had no supplies for a long time. The three of us drank a cup of water for ten days. Later, we got used to it."
Zhou Li was stunned. He blinked. After a while, he said, "What else?"
"a lot of."
Futaba knew what Zhou Li was talking about. Her eyes were no longer as sharp as in front of outsiders. She turned the cup at hand and said calmly while recalling: "Burns, cuts, lightning penetrated the nerves, and the devil's breath burned. Half of the body. During the four restarts, we all had injuries that were more or less incurable."
Zhou Li was silent. When he realized that Eluma had experienced a reboot, he couldn't help but think about how much pain Eluma had suffered. But when someone who had experienced everything told him this, Zhou Li found that the pain was far deeper than he thought. He opened his mouth, but found that he could not ask the questions he wanted to ask before, nor could he say any words of comfort.
"Say it."
Shuangye looked at Zhou Li, as if she had understood the other person's thoughts. She picked up the coffee pot on the side, filled the cup just now, and placed it in front of Zhou Li, "She should not only be surrounded by suffering, for Eluma For her, you are a good medicine."
"I would like to know···"
Zhou Li paused for a moment, then said with a wry smile: "I want to ask, in the first few restarts, will the relationship between Eluma and me be as close as it is now?"
Futaba seemed to have expected Zhou Li to ask this question, or in other words, she couldn't understand the young man in front of her.
After all, Eluma was not the only one who experienced four restarts with him.
"Don't have any scruples."
Shuang Ye sighed softly in her heart. She knew why Zhou Li would ask herself such a question at this juncture. She lowered her eyes slightly and said softly: "Don't feel alienated by so-called memories. You should understand that Eluma loves you more than anyone else."
"No."
Shuangye raised her head, a strange light flashed in her eyes. She denied her statement, and then said to Zhou Li word by word: "Her feelings for you have exceeded the so-called love."
I restarted it four times and it has always been by my side. You can trust unconditionally, and you can also give your softest side to the other person.
Pure love can no longer describe this relationship. Zhou Li and Eluma are like puzzle pieces that have been integrated into each other's souls. I am in you, and you are in me.
same···
Shuangye looked at Zhou Li, who was gradually smiling, and for some reason, she felt a strange feeling coming from her chest. It's like expectation and regret, it's hard to describe and it's hard to describe.
yes.
Zhou Li's slightly excited voice came to his ears. Futaba clenched his hands slightly, and an emotion called depression flashed through his heart unconsciously.
Here, it is not only Eluma who is experiencing a restart, but also herself. She witnessed the changes in Zhou Li in every restart, and also saw how Zhou Li fought bloody battles for Eluma until the last moment. It can be said that she, Zhou Li, and Eluma, in this virtual timeline, are also lovers whose souls blend together.
However, in reality, Eluma will always accompany Zhou Li in the four restarts, witness his growth, integrate each other's hearts, and finally face the disaster again. And I never existed.
Futaba felt that her lips were a little dry, but she understood that this was an illusion caused by the stuffiness in her heart.
"Futaba, what about you?"
At this time, Zhou Li's words brought Shuangye, who was meditating to himself, back to his senses. She raised her head with slightly confused eyes, looked at Zhou Li, and asked softly in confusion: "What?"
"I mean···"
Zhou Li looked at Futaba. He was not Eluma and could not smell emotions, but he could see how this girl who seemed to have just gained emotions walked carefully step by step. He looked at the other person and asked what he had been doubting for a long time.
"Futaba, you and I have always been close friends, right?"
Facing Zhou Li's inquiry, Shuangye was stunned. She knew that Zhou Li had never gained the ability to reboot. It was always Eluma who gained the ability to reboot. Zhou Li had never had the memory of rebooting. However, he was able to ask this question while deliberately keeping a distance from him.
Why?
She looked at Zhou Li with confusion in her eyes. Futaba didn't have the slightest understanding of the world, so she wouldn't hide it. When she was confused, she asked directly: "Why do you ask that?"
"I can see that."
Zhou Li pointed at his eyes, smiled, and said in a normal tone: "Although I can't remember, my eyes can see many things. For example, Eluma's strangeness, and when you look at me That’s not a well-hidden concern..."
Shuangye was stunned. She didn't expect Zhou Li's observation to be so keen. In other words, she didn't expect that Zhou Li could easily detect her emotions even without memory.
Just like in the previous restarts, Zhou Li once said something to himself.
"It's not necessary. If you don't like it, don't wear the mask. Eluma and I will not dislike you."
The words seemed to be joking, but they appeared in Zhou Li's mouth every time. He will always find Futaba emotionless in a new restart, and he will never look at her strangely. He would tell Futaba to take a rest if he was tired. There was no need to carry it all by himself.
At this moment, Futaba's heart began to beat in a real sense. In other words, only at this moment did Futaba understand a truth.
I have never been without any emotions, but have been suppressed and controlled. From the very beginning, from the moment he got along with Zhou Li in reality, he already had emotions.
(End of chapter)
