Qiao Qiao has always remembered that day many years ago when her father brought Soo Soo home.
At that time, the younger Soo Soo appeared like a lost puppy, blinking her eyes, hiding behind her father, her face showing nothing but timidity and panic.
Qiao Qiao also remembers that from that day on, her father told her, "From now on, she is your sister, and you must take good care of her and protect her."
Initially, Qiao Qiao didn't take this sentence to heart too much.
However, because her father was busy with his business year-round, occupied with various matters, and most of the time it was Qiao Qiao and Soo Soo who kept each other company. Over time, with her father repeatedly saying, "Take good care of your sister, protect your sister," hundreds or even thousands of times to her, the consciousness of protecting her sister had already deeply permeated Qiao Qiao's heart.
When such words are repeated hundreds or even thousands of times to a child, the consciousness of protecting her sister had already deeply permeated Qiao Qiao's heart.
She had always done so.
She worked very hard at it.
When her father wasn't around, her sister was the closest person to her, the one she depended on the most.
Occasionally, Qiao Qiao would also notice that when her father was at home, he would sometimes gaze at Soo Soo with eyes that carried a hint of complexity.
Qiao Qiao never thought much about it, simply believing that it was her father reminiscing about a deceased old friend.
And at this moment, as Soo Soo's mouth uttered...
"Blade!Mountain!Flame!Sea!"
As Qiao Qiao uttered these four words, her heart began to crumble, like a sandcastle being slowly demolished!
...
Soo Soo's parents didn't die in an accidental fire.
They were murdered.
The words spoken by the killer could clearly be understood as... eliminating the traitors in the Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild.
Soo Soo's parents were traitors, so the killer is...
Blade Mountain Flame Sea Guild??
How could it be like this?
...
Qiao Qiao's heart was in chaos; she stared blankly at Soo Soo, feeling as if she had a thousand things to say, yet not a single word could escape her lips.
Soo Soo gently placed her hand on Qiao Qiao's chest, the little girl and the older one locked eyes, just like that.
After a while, Soo Soo finally spoke softly.
"What should I do, sister? I remember things I shouldn't... It seems like the person who killed my parents is your father."
Qiao Qiao remained silent.
"Should I seek revenge for my mom and dad? Sister? But, I can't bear to harm you." Soo Soo spoke in a calm and indifferent tone. "Even if many people in the world may not care, you still mean a lot to me, sister. When I think about hurting you, my heart hurts so much."
Qiao Qiao's body trembled, and she remained motionless.
Soo Soo's fingers slowly left Qiao Qiao's chest, and she continued, "You're still the same sister who acts silly to protect me. Sister, why didn't you dodge when my hand touched you just now? Do you know? I could have hurt you."
Tears quickly filled Qiao Qiao's eyes. She suddenly took a step forward and hugged Soo Soo tightly.
"Soo Soo! Soo Soo! You're my sister! You're my sister!" Qiao Qiao cried out desperately. "There must be a misunderstanding! My dad wouldn't harm you! He couldn't be the one who hurt you! Otherwise, why would he bring you home?! Soo Soo, things can't be like this!"
"So, does sister's father know the truth?" Soo Soo suddenly asked in a low voice.
Qiao Qiao was stunned, speechless!
Her father... does he know?
Many images flashed before her eyes, and occasionally, her father would silently look at Soo Soo with that complex expression.
Does her father... know?
Qiao Qiao understood the answer to this question very clearly in her heart.
However, how could she find the words to say it to Soo Soo at this moment?
"Sister, you can't answer, right? You don't know, or you can't say it?" Soo Soo smiled softly, her little face still cold but tears streaming down.
Qiao Qiao's body trembled, and then suddenly, she screamed loudly.
"Leave us!! Let us leave!!! Don't continue this scenario!!! Don't do this mission!!! We want to get out of here!! Leave!! Leave!! End it!! End it quickly!!!"
...
Thud!
When Roddy saw Nicole approaching gracefully, dressed as a Floating Angel, his body shivered, and he involuntarily knelt on the ground, kneeling amidst the hard rubble.
He lifted his head to look at the sky, then glanced at the surrounding ruins, and finally, his eyes settled on Nicole in the distance.
"Why can it be... so real?"
Nicole slowly raised her hand, and under the propulsion of the Floating Angel's thrusters, she instantly rushed to Roddy, then raised her hand...
Swish!
Roddy's body flew up once again and crashed violently.
"Ni, Nicole! Nicole!!"
Roddy rolled over, shouting loudly.
Nicole paid no attention to his shouts and once again leaped to stand before Roddy.
"Nicole, Nicole!! Is it really you? Is it really you?!"
Roddy's eyes were red, staring intensely at Nicole.
"So what?" Nicole finally spoke, her voice cold but still so familiar. "So what? You ask me such questions because you know I'm already dead, and meeting me here was unexpected, right? Right? Right!!!"
Nicole kicked Roddy in the chest, sending him crashing into the wall, his body sinking into it.
Cough, cough, cough...
Roddy coughed up blood, but Nicole grabbed his neck and pulled him back, bringing their faces very close, staring at him intensely.
"Why? Why did you leave me here?"
Roddy was stunned. "Wha-what?"
"Why? Why did I die here, while all of you survived? Why!" Nicole shouted loudly.
"It was... that battle, at the end, you..."
"I died in battle! Why can you all survive?!" Nicole sneered, "So my sacrifice was just taken for granted, right? Why didn't you die with me? Why did you just watch me do it when I sacrificed myself?! Or were you all just a bunch of selfish jerks?
Ah!
That's right!
It's so dangerous!
In dire straits!
Did someone step up? Then let her sacrifice herself! Otherwise, everyone will die! It's better for just one person to die than for everyone to die! It's better to die for someone else than to die for yourself!
Is that how you all think!
Why! Why can you all leave alive!
Why! But leave me all alone here!
I died here, so I'm stuck here forever! There's nothing here! It's cold, lonely! This is a place of despair, do you know that! Do you know!!"
Boom!!!
Nicole violently threw Roddy!
Roddy's body shot out, crashing directly into a nearby building. As he neared the building, he finally instinctively summoned his Floating Angel to protect himself.
The tattered Floating Angel wrapped around Roddy just in time, forming a protective barrier.
Roddy had already entered the building, crashing through one end and, after a deafening collapse, emerged from the other side.
His body floated precariously in mid-air, the damaged Floating Angel unable to provide complete protection, and Roddy coughed up blood continuously.
A trace of coldness flickered in Nicole's eyes as she disappeared and reappeared in front of Roddy.
"This is... my property! This is my Floating Angel!!" Nicole grabbed Roddy by the neck. "You actually used what I left behind to attack me? Shameless! Shameless!!"
"I... I didn't..." Roddy gasped, looking at Nicole right in front of him but unable to bring himself to retaliate.
When Roddy's life index reached a critical point, the tattered Floating Angel was triggered once again.
With a loud bang, the thrusters on the Floating Angel automatically activated, propelling Roddy's body rapidly, breaking free from Nicole's control. At the same time, a floating cannon appeared next to Roddy, automatically aiming at Nicole.
Nicole sneered, raising her right arm, which transformed into a radiant shield.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several energy shots were fired, but Nicole easily deflected them with her shield. She looked coldly at the floating cannon. "That's my Floating Angel. You seem to be using it quite well!"
Roddy had landed on a rooftop, gasping for breath, and he looked at Nicole, desperately asking, "Nicole!! What do you want from me?"
"It's simple, I sacrificed alone, that's not fair! I want you to accompany me!"
Roddy's body trembled, and a faint smile gradually appeared on his face.
He didn't realize that his consciousness was becoming increasingly unclear.
At this moment, in his eyes, in his heart, the one standing before him was the real Nicole, it was Nicole!
"You want me... to accompany you?" Roddy took a deep breath and said slowly, "Alright!"
"Alright?"
"Yes, alright." Roddy looked at Nicole, a hint of obsession flashing in his eyes, then he lowered his head and continued, "Do you think I never thought about it?"
"...?"
"After the Tokyo scenario, I thought about these questions almost every day.
Why at that time, was it only you who had to sacrifice?
If back then, I had fought a little harder, tried a little harder, would you not have had to sacrifice?"
"What if, back then, I didn't leave, and I stayed there with you?
Nicole... I know, I know, I've always known! I'm willing to be with you, I'm willing to die with you in that scenario, because...
I love you!!"
The last "I love you" was shouted by Roddy with all his strength.
After saying it, his body trembled, and he knelt on the ground, tears streaming down his face.
She died, and we lived. She died alone in that place... If only I had fought a little harder back then... if I had held on for a few more seconds... maybe she wouldn't have had to die?
These... were the vulnerabilities in Roddy's heart!