“…”
Jiang Jianming was caught off guard by the plea of “begging you”.
In his moment of distraction, Ryann took advantage of the situation, swiftly put the ring back on his right hand, and gently kissed his ring finger.
The Little Highness, already extraordinarily handsome, seemed to glow at this moment. “Is it okay? Jiang, please…”
“You…” Jiang Jianming pushed him away with a headache, wanted to scold but felt too tired, finally asked helplessly, “Why?”
“I’m scared. You said you’re not scared, but I am. I…I don’t know why.”
Ryann lowered his head, his emerald pupils dimmed in the twilight. He looked at his own palm and softly said, “Perhaps it’s because of this power.”
He was too different from ordinary people and had always been accustomed to loneliness. Since he had a lover, he became even more cautious, fearing that Jiang Jianming would be implicated in anything.
Sometimes, he watched Jiang Jianming and himself being intimate as if his soul was out of his body, and he was terrified. How could a soft and weak human be so unguarded and snuggle up to a ferocious monster?
It was too dangerous. Even if the arm accidentally rubbed against the monster’s fangs, it would result in a bloody scene. Not to mention, the monster would have enemies, what if something happened?
It was too dangerous.
He gave him the Wings of Venus, but it wasn’t reassuring enough; he gave him the mech S-Snow Dove, but it still wasn’t enough; even with the addition of the intelligence Seth Henry, it seemed still not enough.
He might as well split this terrifying power itself and distribute it.
If it weren’t for the fact that he still had to go to the battlefield, Ryann wouldn’t mind giving half to Jiang Jianming.
But this seemed impossible. The chief had said that the crystal particles were deeply integrated with humans, and forcibly extracting ten percent was already very difficult, twenty percent was the limit. If half was extracted, the whole person’s flesh and blood would be torn apart, and death would be certain.
So, he did his best and could only achieve this level.
“…”
Jiang Jianming rubbed his temples helplessly and sighed deeply.
It was too difficult. He wasn’t afraid of death, nor was he afraid of hardships and dangers, but the Little Highness…
In the end, he took a step back.
“I understand, it can stay with me for now.”
Jiang Jianming looked down at the ring on his ring finger and said softly, “But I won’t use it.”
“When this empire becomes better, and you grow older…in short, when you can be at ease, please come to me to take back this ring and destroy it with your own hands.”
Ryann suddenly looked up, both surprised and delighted. He didn’t expect Jiang Jianming to really compromise his principles for him, and quickly said, “Okay!”
He held his lover’s hand and refused to let go, embracing his thin body, and repeatedly said, “–Certainly, I promise you.”
Now thinking back to the youthful spirit of the past, that kind of firm belief in the future, it was somewhat naive.
At that time, neither he nor Ryann knew anything about the upcoming turn of fate.
Before returning to the empire, Jiang Jianming followed the Little Highness to the base, extracted a crystal particle from his body and combined it with the essence of the ring, and this golden blade under his control was completed.
Afterwards, time was twisted, a lot of things happened, and Jiang Jianming never used this ring.
He guarded that line for his reckless Little Highness. As long as he didn’t use it, it was just an ordinary engagement ring, not a crystal bone weapon.
If it weren’t for the star city being swept by artillery fire, the crystal chaos taking innocent lives; the heretics standing under the dim sky, proclaiming to take humans to paradise.
If it weren’t for him being told the truth about the crystal particles, the choice of racial survival being forced to the front…
Perhaps this golden blade would never be unsheathed.
But at least at this moment, it illuminated this dark sea of stars.
****
Crack!!
He stepped on the shattered crystal bone fragments, and Jiang Jianming’s eyes were filled with golden light.
The face of Bishop of Chaos twitched ferociously, losing his usual elegance. In the severe pain of the crystal bone being shattered, he heard the question of the young man in front of him clearly.
Did he say that the private feelings and desires produced by the split of thinking are the cornerstone of humans?
If the ultimate comes, will his faith and ideals also lose their meaning?
No, I don’t care, thought Laurent.
As long as I can lead humans to that happy shore, even if it means abandoning faith and ideals, I don’t care–
But in the blink of an eye, Laurent saw Jiang Jianming’s icy white face and deep black eyes.
“Only humans pursue happiness, crystal particles don’t. Your Excellency, what is happiness, have you thought about it?”
In this world, what exactly is suffering, and what is happiness?
For the children in the slums, being hungry and cold is suffering, and watching their relatives and friends die of poverty is even more suffering.
So their happiness is so simple: having a spacious house, a warm fireplace in winter; being able to eat hot, freshly baked bread every day, and sweet milk.
There is delicious food and fireworks during the holidays, the future is full of hope; family and friends gather together, laugh and scold, accompany each other.
Losing all senses, not feeling hunger or cold, losing emotions, having no relatives or friends, is neither suffering nor happiness.
That’s called “nothing at all”.
Because they “have nothing”.
“You’ve been on the wrong path from the start.”
Jiang Jianming calmly drew a half arc with the blade in his hand. At this moment, the two were close at hand, suddenly paused, and then brushed past each other.
“At the moment of the ultimate arrival, humans will not feel suffering, but they will not feel happiness either.”
Gently, silently.
The crystal bone blade slid across Laurent’s neck.
“Because at that time,” Jiang Jianming said indifferently, without looking back at the bishop, “they won’t feel anything.”
Having personal feelings and desires is human happiness.
“Having nothing” is not happiness.
Laurent’s eyes were wide open, his features twisted. The first drop of blood emerged from the right side of his neck, quickly forming a red line connecting to the left side, his neck now bulging with veins, squeezing out a roar that had changed its tone.
“This, is, impossible——!!”
The voice was filled with strong resentment and grief, not knowing whether it was for the failed plan, or for his own impending demise.
Or perhaps, the faith he had believed in for many years and dedicated his life to, was completely denied by a young man.
That eternal and unique dream, the infinitely bright, happy paradise.
“Goodbye,” Jiang Jianming said, “Your Excellency Gerhard Laurent.”
In the blue crystal rain curtain, a string of blood splashed, and Laurent’s head rolled and flew out.
In mid-air on the starship bridge, the eyes of the Bishop of Chaos were staring from the air, dead but not closing—
This young and broken human was pale and bloody, gently closing his eyes, every inch of his face was breathtaking, and the crystal dust and starlight crowned him.
Thud.
Laurent’s head fell to the ground.
Thud!
Jiang Jianming’s knees weakened, and he knelt on the ground, swaying.
“Your Excellency the Bishop!!”
“The Bishop of Chaos has been killed——”
Shouts rose, and countless guns in the hands of the Crystal Cult members were raised again, aiming at the exhausted imperial officer on the bridge, pulling the trigger!
Bang——
The loud noise of the porthole shattering covered the sound of the gunshots.
Everything happened in a flash, shadows covered the bridge, and the Mech M-Slash crashed directly in!
The glass shards were swept out of the spaceship by the low air pressure. Under the sweep of the red gold crystal bone, all the bullets were deflected; the Crystal Cult members under the bridge were blown into mid-air, and blood mist rose in the screams.
But Jiang Jianming’s consciousness had already quickly blurred.
It seemed like mountains and seas were roaring around him, the sun and the moon were upside down. He fell silently to the ground like a withered leaf, but someone held him.
He knew who it was, his heart ached sourly, he wanted to say, Little Highness, don’t use the crystal bone anymore, something will happen; leave here, please take me away… take me back.
Even if we can’t go back to the pure youth, but at least we are still by each other’s side, there is still a way to go together.
Right?
……..
The starship was engulfed in raging flames, plummeting towards the cosmic sea.
The half-destroyed Slash Comet was left there forever, the mecha Snow Dove flew out of the sea of fire, its wings piercing through the thick smoke, escaping from the encirclement of the Crystal Cult at the fastest speed.
Along the way, the starships parted a path in silence. No one dared to stop, the small mecha like a snow pearl went straight away, heading towards the direction of the Imperial Golden Sun Wheel Fleet.
“Jiang Jianming!!”
“Look at me…you look at me…”
A blurry voice echoed in Jiang Jianming’s ear, sometimes far, sometimes near.
“Open your eyes…”
“Please.”
It was the same tone as in the past years, the years he had gone through seemed to flow back at this moment.
Jiang Jianming’s consciousness was sinking and floating in the waves of time.
In a daze, he was still sleeping in a corner of the Aslan library, the half-open window blew in the fragrant spring breeze, the gentle sunlight fell through his eyelids, everything was thriving.
The young Ryann quietly came to his side, used his body to block the sunlight for him, and leaned down to kiss his eye corner.
–Jiang, have you ever regretted it?
In the chaotic and disordered dream, the blond-haired young man who leaned down was playing with his broken hair with his eyebrows lowered, and asked like this.
–You…even if it’s just a moment, have you ever regretted meeting me?
Jiang Jianming’s mind was dull, but the voice by his ear nagged him to the point of irritation.
He didn’t know why, it’s been three years, oh no, it’s almost four years, the phantom of the young crown prince from that year still stubbornly harassed his dreams every day.
Is it that he can’t let go in his subconscious?
Like every time in the past, Jiang Jianming raised his head coldly in the dream, his eyebrows and eyes were cold and harsh.
This time he chose to pick up a book next to him and threw it over, the phantom of the crown prince shattered, the last look at him was sad and affectionate.
The world collapsed, boundless white light enveloped him——
“Ugh, cough…!”
Inside the treatment cabin of the mecha Snow Dove, the body of the non crystal human that the rise and fall of the chest could be hardly seen, convulsed violently, and he coughed out a few mouthfuls of blood with a painful expression.
Jiang Jianming opened his eyes, in his blurry vision, he vaguely saw the glass cover of the treatment cabin, and outside the treatment cabin was the interior of the mecha Snow Dove.
His face was covered with an oxygen mask, countless needles were connected to his body, and advanced medical fluid was soaking him.
“…Good, clear your starship’s mecha runway, medics prepare for emergency treatment!!”
Opposite was the driving control panel, Ryann hung up the communication with red eyes, heard the sound in the treatment cabin and trembled, hurriedly turned back, “…Jiang?”
“Ry……ann…”
Inside the treatment cabin, Jiang Jianming’s eyes were lost, his fingers hanging at his side weakly curled up, as if he wanted to reach out to the person in front of him.
“I’m here!” Ryann quickly took two steps and came over, kneeling beside the treatment cabin in a panic, “We’re going back to the starship, just hold on for a few more minutes.”
He opened the cover of the treatment cabin, let Jiang Jianming’s head lean towards his side, and spoke in a low voice, “Don’t be afraid, open your mouth and spit out the blood…”
Jiang Jianming, tired, half-closed his eyes, and rubbed Ryann’s palm with his cheek.
His consciousness was blurred, and he murmured weakly, “Your Highness…”
“Cough, can…give me some water…”
“So…thirsty.”
