Chapter: 156. One More Time
Time rewinds slightly.
When Nagi and Kanade separated and walked into the dressing room, they unexpectedly encountered a figure.
“Welcome~ I wonder which wedding dress you would like to try on, esteemed guest~” The shadow of Shūen Nagi displayed a business-like smile, wearing a classic black-and-white maid outfit, each hand holding a pure white wedding dress. The purple-black starlight flickered in the depths of its eyes, casting a faint purple-black shimmer over the surface of the wedding dresses.
“…..Shūen.” Nagi did not immediately take a defensive stance, but rather calmly closed the door behind her.
With a soft click of the door shutting.
The room where Nagi and Shūen Nagi stood seemed to be isolated from the world.
“Why are you here?”
“Of course, I am here to help my master.” As Shūen’s shadow spoke, it slightly bowed, performing an impeccably standard curtsy, as if it were the most loyal maid of the black-haired girl before it.
“Help me?”
“Mm-hmm, after all—” Shūen Nagi revealed a meaning-laden expression:
“—it’s quite difficult to wear a wedding dress alone, you know! Master!”
Energetically lifting the pure white wedding dress in its right hand, Shūen continued, “It seems that a figure like yours is more suited for bolder strapless designs~ Also, I must mention the lace ruffles on the chest and the bows on either side of the waist are definitely plus points~”
Nagi momentarily stood frozen, unsure of Shūen Nagi’s intentions.
She knew she was no match for Shūen Nagi.
As for the most lethal “Starlight Authority” of magical beasts, Nagi currently possessed only a small shard, whereas Shūen Nagi held the main body of the shards.
When Nagi came to her senses, she realized Shūen’s shadow had already removed her clothes and she stood in front of the mirror, now adorning the pure white wedding dress that had just been held.
Shūen stood behind Nagi, diligently helping her adjust the zipper and the corset.
Nagi’s already slender waist displayed an even more elegant and seductive curve under the corset, with the pure white dress perfectly accentuating her hourglass figure, the contrast between her narrow waist and full bust creating an exaggerated silhouette.
The back of the pure white wedding dress revealed a large expanse of snow-white skin, faintly showing the dip of her lower back, while the bows on either side added a naive beauty yet retained an air of seduction.
With the strapless design, her flawless white shoulders were exposed, delicate and smooth like high-quality mutton-fat jade, with a beautiful concave line forming at her collarbone. Below, two soft white mounds were gently distorted by the pressure of the dress, forming alluring curves, soft flesh slightly spilling out from the edges of the strapless design, emphasizing the enchanting dip.
The thin fabric was elevated high, rising and falling gently with Nagi’s breath, creating a dazzling visual impact.
Despite being a bold and avant-garde design, once worn by Nagi, it did not convey any sense of vulgarity; instead, it exuded an aura of dignity and nobility, as if it had been tailored specifically for her.
Nagi began to suspect whether this outfit had been brought back by Shūen Nagi from the outside.
Even Nagi herself was stunned by the beauty of the girl in the wedding dress that appeared in the mirror.
“All done~ How is it? Master, my skills aren’t bad, right?” Shūen Nagi radiated a brilliant smile, seeming genuinely pleased.
Shūen Nagi’s voice snapped Nagi back to reality.
“Is your target the special circle SEMA?” Nagi tried to steer the conversation back on track.
After a moment of thought, she attempted to deduce Shūen Nagi’s goal.
The only conclusion she could come to was, “The special circle SEMA’s ability users currently residing in Chuanye City.”
These ability users were clearly one of the obstacles for Shūen Nagi to fulfill the wishes from her previous life; eliminating them at the right moment could effectively reduce the combat power of the human forces—
“Not quite, ah no, saying it that way isn’t quite right; it should be that it’s just a side matter.” Shūen’s shadow responded with a laugh, pulling up a chair for Nagi to sit down.
“Indeed, your plan has gathered the ability users of the special circle SEMA in this city, and most of them are pure ability users who are quite troublesome for me. If I could seize this opportunity to erase them from this world, it would greatly aid my plans for the future…”
“But no, that’s not my purpose in coming here.” Shūen Nagi suddenly shifted the conversation, denying Nagi’s guess.
At the same time, it pulled out some cosmetic tools from somewhere and began busying itself with Nagi’s face.
“As I said, I’m here to help you, my master—”
“Help me with what?”
“—Help you die.”
Shūen Nagi’s unexpected answer caused Nagi to instinctively turn her face, but the next moment she was gently turned back by Shūen Nagi.
“That’s not right, I still haven’t finished your makeup properly~”
“…..What did you just say?”
“Ah, because even someone as naturally beautiful as you, Master, will look even more stunning in a wedding dress with appropriate bridal makeup, right?”
“That’s not what I meant! I’m talking about the previous sentence!”
“The previous sentence…..‘You go first! Leave the rest to me!’”
“You just didn’t set up such an urgent flag, right?!”
“Master, if you don’t eat the leftovers in the fridge soon, they’ll expire~”
“That’s not a leisurely phrase!!”
After Nagi’s rant, Shūen Nagi let out a gentle sigh, then revealed a serious expression.
“I am here to fulfill your wish, to personally kill you in front of Tsukimi Kanade.”
Shūen Nagi tilted its head and countered:
“The lifelong regret plan, right?”
“…..Why? Why would you help me?”
Shūen Nagi’s words puzzled Nagi. While she was not surprised that it knew about the lifelong regret plan—after all, it had once existed within her soul as her contracted beast alongside Garuda, knowing about the lifelong regret plan was only natural.
But Nagi was confused as to why it would help her.
If she could die at Shūen’s hands, that would clearly be the most perfect outcome; Kanade would have ample motivation and target to unite humanity against the fantasy magical beasts and save the world.
For Shūen Nagi, who wished to complete her previous life’s regrets, this should be the worst possible result.
Shūen Nagi seemed to read Nagi’s thoughts, the corners of its mouth lifting slightly, and leaned in close to Nagi’s ear, whispering:
“Because it will be beneficial to the completion of our dreams.”
“Just like the master, even having lost her past memories and purpose, still unconsciously accomplishes what she’s always wanted to do; this makes me feel truly admire you~”
“What?”
“Isn’t it? Tying the star-eating beast with lies to your side, making yourself the only existence in its life, and then dying in front of it—”
“In doing so, we will obtain the star-eating beast that can tear through this world disregarding everything~”
“Whether it’s humanity or fantasy magical beasts, it will become our sharpest blade, eliminating all our enemies.”
Shūen Nagi spoke with an announcing tone.
For a brief moment.
A previously invisible thread linked everything together.
And in the mirror before Nagi, the faint silhouette of a black-haired man draped in a white coat appeared.
That was “Hikari,” her past self.
Nagi had thought “Hikari” was long gone, but at that moment, he seemed to return once more.
The figure of Shūen Nagi gently leaned against the black-haired man’s shoulder, her eyes shimmering with purple-black starlight displaying a confident smile.
“Rest assured, Master, I will go to any lengths to fulfill your wishes.”
The purple-black starlight seemed ready to swallow Nagi’s consciousness, dragging her back into the endless darkness—
Until Nagi’s eyes caught that faint yet brilliant silver glow.
Nagi suddenly grasped the ring in her hand, the lingering warmth on the ring allowing her to break free from the dark.
“No, I am not your master, I am not Hikari, I am Nagi, Star Palace Nagi, Tsukimi—Nagi.”
Nagi gently placed the ring on the ring finger of her left hand.
The silhouette of the black-haired man in the mirror abruptly vanished, replaced by a beautiful girl in a wedding dress.
“Kanade will definitely not become the beast that destroys the world as you wish.”
Nagi looked directly into Shūen Nagi’s eyes through the mirror, resolutely stating.
“No, Master… ah no, I can no longer call you Master now…” Shūen Nagi revealed a relieved expression and slowly stood straight.
“Everything we do is to save this world, save this hopeless world—My esteemed creator.”
The space where Nagi and Shūen Nagi resided began to sway violently, as if the entire space was about to be torn apart.
“It’s too late; Tsukimi Kanade has already forged hatred with the special circle SEMA—” A dazzling purple-black light erupted from Shūen Nagi’s chest, and murmurs of a deep dragon’s roar could be faintly heard.
“Although I detest Adam, who once killed you, I must admit that the hatred within him is the best fuel~” Shūen Nagi laughed: “To express my gratitude to him, let me retrieve that piece of shard hidden within his soul~”
After Shūen Nagi finished speaking, a sharp blade of light formed in her hand from the purple-black glow.
“Then, see you after I finish all my preparations… Tsukimi… Nagi.”
The sharp blade pierced through Nagi’s heart.
Crimson blood blossomed on the pure white wedding dress like a flower suddenly blooming.
Under the effect of the Starlight Authority, all of Nagi’s powers from her contracted beast became ineffective. For an ordinary person, a stab to the heart is a fatal wound that cannot be saved.
Shūen Nagi completed her plan—killing Nagi with her own hands.
But for some reason, there wasn’t a hint of regret or unwillingness on Nagi’s face; instead, the corner of her lips, stained with lipstick, slightly lifted—
“So you… even having my soul shard, do not possess all of my memories.”
“…..What?”
“…..Did you think this was the end?” Blood stained Nagi’s lips, combined with the bright lipstick, making her look extraordinarily beautiful.
“This time, you won again, but… this time the protagonist is not me. If it were him, he would definitely—”
Nagi gently pushed Shūen Nagi away, the blade withdrawing from her heart, a torrent of blood spraying out.
Yet Nagi’s face retained that triumphant smile—
—Xiaomi, please be sure to deliver this…
“Let’s do this again, Shūen Nagi.”
“Once more.”
“One more time.”
“Until—Kanade becomes the true protagonist, I will always be with you.”
The space finally couldn’t withstand the magic summoned by Omega and began to collapse.
Silver-white meteors streaked across the sky.
Chuanye City was engulfed in flames under the purple-black light.
……
……
A pure white space.
A circular tree diagram formed by flowing black flames saw one of its branches extinguished.
But the black flames hovering above the tree diagram pulsated, tiny sparks falling from the air, dripping onto the already extinguished branch, reigniting the flames—
This world had been rewritten, and possibilities emerged once more.
