The torrent of memories finally reached its end. Evernight, like a silent ferryman, brought the consciousness of the Express crew back from Asterion’s mountainous past to the tranquil Vortex of Genesis.

Not long after returning to reality, it was Welt, with his wealth of experience, who reacted first.

He looked around at Stelle, whose eyes still held lingering confusion, and Dan Heng, whose brows were deeply furrowed in contemplation, and couldn’t help but sigh softly.

He clearly understood that in the face of such extraordinary circumstances, beyond conventional ethics and choices, the young ones needed guidance and clarity.

"Stelle, Dan Heng," his voice was steady, carrying a power that calmed the heart. "If you’re feeling lost right now, unsure how to choose... then let’s follow the Astral Express’s tradition and hold a Trailblazer meeting."

He looked around at everyone and solemnly announced the agenda:

"The agenda for this meeting is: Whether to respond to Khaslana’s request and help him complete that ultimate plan, which comes at the cost of himself."

Then, he turned to Evernight, who stood quietly nearby, his tone polite and inclusive: "Miss Evernight, as someone who has guided us and knows the inside story, you may also express your opinion."

Suddenly called upon, Evernight was visibly startled, a flicker of surprise in her dark red pupils. "Ah? I’m included?"

She seemed never to have considered that she would be part of this vote determining Amphoreus’s fate. After a brief pause, she resumed her usual languid, detached posture and waved her hand:

"My suggestion... is not of any value. I abstain." Her relationship with Asterion was merely a transaction; she had no intention of interfering the Express crew’s own choice.

Then, Dan Heng also spoke. His voice was calm and restrained, yet carried a hint of complex emotion barely perceptible: "I... also abstain."

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "Doing anything to protect those you cherish...this kind of action..."

He recalled some unpleasant memories belonging to "Dan Feng," and finally shook his head. "I... find it hard to judge."

At this moment, Dan Heng had not yet fully realized that beneath his rational exterior, deep in his soul, perhaps lurked the same obsessive factor for the sake of protection.

Everyone’s eyes fell on Stelle.

Stelle looked up, her face filled with struggle and pain. She glanced at Welt, then at Dan Heng. "Is there... really no way to both preserve Phaethon and save everyone in Amphoreus... a way that satisfies both..."

Her voice held hope, but gradually weakened as she posed the question, because deep down she clearly knew—Phaethon had tried across over ten million recurrences. If such a way existed, he would have found it long ago. Now, that possibility was infinitesimal.

The cruelty of reality, like icy tides, drowned the last glimmer of hope.

She slowly closed her eyes, as if unable to bear witnessing the inevitable ending, and spoke her decision with all her strength:

"Forget it... I agree. I agree to help Phaethon... complete his plan."

Welt was silent for a moment, his gaze behind his glasses deep and complex.

He recalled Asterion’s memories—that resolute willingness to bear the weight of an entire world for the sake of protecting a cherished few, that unwavering commitment to protection despite his own coldness... He spoke slowly, his voice heavy with acknowledgment:

"The Express crew... has neither the power nor the qualification to stop an existence from making such a heavy choice based on their own will. I also agree to help Asterion complete his plan."

He thought to himself: That figure so similar to Kevin... at least this time... he has the chance to protect everything he cherishes.

Perhaps, among countless terrible possibilities, this was already... the best choice. Both for that counterpart walking the edge between salvation and destruction, and for his own heart, weathered by time and unwilling to witness more.

The meeting ended.

Two to zero.

The conclusion was obvious. The will of Trailblaze had chosen to respect that sacrifice spanning over ten million recurrences.

...

While the Express crew was making their decision, earlier at the Eye of Twilight.

The Chrysos Heirs of this cycle stood frozen in place, like statues, as if the passage of time had lost meaning for them.

The ten Coreflames, symbols of hope and lies, still floated silently before them, completely unmoved, like a silent mockery of the emptiness within after their beliefs had collapsed.

BOOM——!!!

Suddenly, the entire Eye of Twilight violently trembled! Then, Amphoreus’s false sky, with a deafening roar, erupted in large area of flashing static!

The sky flickered crazily like a faulty screen, becoming shaky, as if it would completely collapse at any moment!

This sudden change was like a bucket of ice water, waking the Chrysos Heirs immersed in self doubt and nothingness.

They looked up blankly at that dying sky.

"Everyone!"

Aglaea’s voice rang out first, breaking the deathly silence. She forcefully suppressed the powerlessness in her heart, swept her gaze over her companions still trapped in confusion, her voice clear and powerful, trying to pull everyone out of their own mire:

"No matter how lost we are right now, no matter how much we question the meaning of our own existence... at least, let’s first see what ridiculous ’last words’ were left for us by those ’predecessors’ who once walked the same path as us, who also experienced this kind of failure and despair..."

With that, she hesitated no longer, taking the lead. She resolutely reached out and firmly grasped the Coreflame of 「Romance」that belonged to her!

The moment her consciousness connected with the Coreflame, countless fragments of information and emotion surged into her mind like a flood.

However, just the first sentence that entered her mind made this usually elegant and composed demigod of 「Romance」tremble violently inside, as if struck by the sharpest ice spike!