by Feng Yue
Finally, it became solid and red. It was the legendary product from the School of Choir, a miracle on earth, the beautiful object that could reverse life and death—the Philosopher’s Stone!
At that moment, the boundless strength was spent as if an ocean was dried without even leaving behind water vapor. All that remained was the miracle created by drying seven seas.
Among the burnt ashes, Elsa had started breathing again. As if she was sleeping, her eyelashes trembled.
Ye Qingxuan held his breath.
394 Witches’ Dance
In that moment, Ye Qingxuan almost held his breath. And in that moment, a furious roar began. The abyss wind tunnel opened and black mud burst out like a fountain. Paganini roared and screamed. Yanking out the Sword, he revealed the ghastly hole. He was no longer a human but he still bled from the wound. As soon as the Sword was removed, the Garment wrapped around it, restraining it as if locking it inside a box. When it fell onto the ground, the blade dulled to scrap metal.
A black hand yanked Ye Qingxuan up by the throat. “B*stard, do you know what you did?!” Paganini’s furious face emerged from the mud. He yelled, “Do you know how precious that thing is?! You wasted the biggest miracle in the world! You-you-you…you can’t even die to atone for the sin!”
The mud spread along the hand, swallowing him. Immense pain as if falling into Hell overtook him. It felt like countless hands mashing down on his nerves. The pain poured into his limbs and body, besieging his sanity. He screamed in pain.
“Biggest miracle?” Ye Qingxuan laughed through the immense pain. He looked up at Paganini tauntingly. “You don’t even know what the biggest miracle is.”
“Then come to the Styx with your miracle!” Paganini smiled cruelly. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you die. During the rest of your long life, your biggest miracle will be ‘death’.”
Mud suddenly swallowed Elsa. Ye Qingxuan felt the hand around his throat tighten. His neck creaked in protest. His vision turned black.
In the last moment, his mind was empty but for some reason, a thin figure flashed past. It was an alley in Avalon. Under the dim light, a girl wore a dusty white dress. She looked back him with cloudy eyes.
“Cousin…”
Bai Xi, sorry.
Closing his eyes, Ye Qingxuan used the last of his strength to yell, “Wolf Flute!”
-
In the sky, a scorched Wolf Flute and the remaining grandmasters landed haphazardly on the floor of the iron whale temple.
“Father…” Wolf Flute looked up at Bann with troubled eyes. “He wants me to tell you that the time is up.”
Bann looked down at his watch. The second hand and hour hand overlapped.
It was exactly thirty minutes. The time was up.
“Child, we will meet again in heaven.” He closed his eyes sadly and no longer hesitated. Closing the watch, he tossed it into the air. It rolled on the ground and shattered crisply. Time stopped at that moment.
In the stillness, under the piercing noise, Bann stepped forward. He yanked the sword out.
Heaven’s Door was activated. A sea of light blossomed above the vault of heaven.
-
As the sea of light surged, the heaven and earth thundered. Somber music played from the iron whale, shaking the world.
In that moment, Father Bann lowered his head. He supported himself with the sword and stopped breathing. It was as if he had died and became a stone statue. However, an incomparable graveness and holiness brewed inside of him.
A lotus bloomed in the sea of light. The radiant flower created by countless ripples bloomed between the sky and earth. It illuminated Paganini’s confused face. His white face paled even more. He was once again illuminated by the light that appeared constantly in his nightmares—Heaven’s Door… Seeing the light, his spine flared with pain as if it was going to tear apart.
Hundreds of years ago, when he fell into the abyss, the sixth pope had stabbed him in the back. He survived and removed his human body but the pain still remained in his soul. The power of judgement flowed with the music theory, engraving into his soul. It tortured him nightly and still hurt after the centuries. Now, the light cast down like a cold gaze. It was lofty and yet so disdainful.
“Ursicinus!” Paganini spat the sixth pope’s name out as if wanting to gnash at his throat. “You’re not dead yet! I know! I know! You’re even more abnormal than me…”
The moment Heaven’s Door opened, the wind tunnel from the abyss froze. It was no longer an exit. The light shone down like God’s mercy but it was undeniably cold and cruel. It covered the world inch by inch. Even the Garment began trembling and cracking apart.
A vague figure slowly emerged in the sea of light. As if the door to Heaven had opened, the archangel guarding Heaven wielded a sword of light. He slowly raised his head and walked out. The world was silent.
In the reflection in the sea, the large illusory figure looked down at Paganini. Compared to this vast figure, everything in the world became as insignificant as dust. Who could bear the day of his arrival? Who could withstand his appearance? He was like the fire that smelted gold; he was like the alkali that bleached fabric.
Under the solemn melody, the angel’s reflection hoisted the blade and brought it down on Paganini!
“Long time…no see!” Paganini stared at Heaven’s Door. Expressions battled on his face until it settled into a look of disdain. “All that pretense is still as disgusting as always.”
Paganini opened his mouth.
What he spat out was a strangely beautiful melody. It seemed to have a shape, woven by countless music theories, and transformed into an enchanting side profile. The figure was dressed in a wild yet ancient dress and a painted face. Bathed in darkness, her smile was still bright. She was ignorant to the judgement falling from Heaven. Still intoxicated by the melody, she danced. The song and dance was not demonic or wild at all.
It was just flawless beauty.
There was no so-called holiness or any treacherous feelings from the abyss. The countless music theories had constructed pure beauty. It seemed to have peeled away all pretense to reveal a desire for truth and beauty. No matter how others viewed it or how the morals of the world judged it, it would still continue down this path without any regret.
It was a thirst from the bottom of one’s heart.
Thus, the sky and earth were influenced by the melody. They changed and reality transformed under the music theory. It seemed to be reconstructed after breaking apart, turning into a pure and clean world.
It was the Witches’ Dance.
Throughout history, only musicians who had a pure desire for music theory could inherit the saintly title of ‘Paganini.’ This was why Paganini had overlooked the boundary between humanity and demons, choosing to fall into the abyss.
Hundreds of years later, his obsession of abyss music theory had faded from Paganini’s core theory. It no longer rejected the Sacred City’s strength but neither could influence his true nature. He used pure music theory to combine the two, removing all categorization to become a part of himself.
Under the power of the Witches’ Dance, the body that he kept in the abyss was sublimated and purified. It broke free from the mud, transforming back into a vague humanoid figure. It looked like both man and woman and one could tell if it was ugly or beautiful. There was no eeriness or feelings of justice and holiness. It was only filled with the desire and reverence of music.
He had almost broken free from the abyss’s restraints and transformed into some sort of product. With time, he may be able to break free from Hyakume and become a new natural catastrophe. Unfortunately, his plan for success was personally ruined by Ye Qingxuan. He was only one step away.
Now, the illusion of Witches’ Dance finally clashed with the sword of Heaven’s Door. In an instant, everything was swallowed by extreme light. It swallowed Paganini and evaporated the sea of light. The dozens of iron whales shook and were pushed into the distance by the wild
power.
Even sound was muted by the uncontrolled power created by the collision. Any eyes that dared to look at the sky were burnt to a crisp.
The two completely different music systems created shockwaves. Within the radius of thousands of miles, all musicians who had constructed a music theory within them, felt their hearts constrict, almost destroyed by the aftershock.
Aether balls and other delicate equipment quickly shattered one by one. Even the observation cauldrons in the iron whale temple and center church cracked. The mercury within evaporated and became useless.
It seemed like eternity before the aftershocks faded.
The city was already destroyed and covered in cracks. Still, it hung in the air illogically. It was like how a light spot reflected on the wall from a mirror would still remain, even if the wall no longer existed.
It was not a true object and did not even exist. It was just a projection from the faraway aether world—an altar supplied for sacrifice and rituals.
Now, the altar had fulfilled its mission and no longer needed to exist. The projection slowly caved in and dissipated into aether.
Surrounded by the shattered statues, hoarse laughter traveled from the broken walls.
“I’m still alive! I’m still alive!” The horribly damaged figure stood atop the ruins. His body was destroyed and the music theory that made up his body was almost completely out of control. But even burnt like that, he was still overjoyed. As if he had heard the funniest joke in the world, he was bent over with laughter. Looking at the cracked sky, Paganini yelled, “You can’t kill me! Ursicinus! Do you see this? Me, a sinner who had fallen into the abyss—I’m still alive! And your so-called Heaven is just an empty lie! You can’t fool anyone!”
Then something sharp sounded. A blade burning red-hot pierced through his chest. His voice cut off. Behind him, Heaven on Earth had been hidden by moonlight. Now, it slowly shattered, revealing the half-burnt Ye Qingxuan and the unconscious girl in his arms. In his chest, the sub-originator had completely extinguished. There was no more moonlight.
Using the last of his strength, he gripped the Sword in the Stone. Stably and without hesitation, he stabbed the shocked Paganini.
“What a coincidence.” Ye Qingxuan looked at his eyes with a tragic smile. “I’m still alive too.”
395 Wake from the Dream
The moment Heaven’s Door opened, Paganini no longer had time to care about anyone else. He used all his power against the Sword of Judgement, including the Garment of Original Sin. As a carrier of the dark side of his personality, the Garment was a part of Paganini. It carried his evil thoughts and greed and was no different from an internal organ or a backup body.
The ‘infinite movement’ ritual instantly began. The Witches’ Dance strengthened thousand-fold, pushing it to an unprecedented peak.
The Witches’ Dance and the Sword of Judgement clashed. It was an explosion of destruction.
At the same time, Ye Qingxuan charged toward the Sword in the Stone. Right before the flood swallowed him, he touched the hilt. It was enough. The sub-originator, riddled with holes, was activated once again. Like a rabid horse frothing at its mouth while pulling a broken carriage, the sub-originator operated with self-destructive strength. It connected with the Sword and reactivated the twelve Chapters of Golden Victory.
The territory of Heaven on Earth was rebuilt. It did not have time to become as radiant as before. The narrow territory was more like a crude shelter. Then the world began shaking and light swallowed everything.
Ye Qingxuan closed his eyes and retracted all perceptions. He grasped the Sword and hugged Elsa, using all his might to maintain Heaven on Earth. In an instant, cracks appeared on the sub-originator that used his veins and heart. Boiling blood mixed with the moon’s glow, spewing from his pores, dyeing the shelter red.
A jagged crack appeared on Heaven on Earth but it managed to recover.
For the first time, Ye Qingxuan forgot everything. He put everything into the Abstinence music theory, maintaining this small territory without caring about anything else. This was a thousand times harder than at Naica. Only a second was enough to practically destroy him.
In a daze, he had lost all consciousness but his body kept urging the Sword on, mending Heaven on Earth again and again.
After who knew how long, the destructive aftershocks finally faded. He woke from his daze but everything was black. He heard vague laughter. It dragged him from his deep sleep. Power from somewhere caused him to grasp the sword hilt and stab toward the laughter.
Squelch! Pierced through. All he saw was Paganini’s shocked face.
Ye Qingxuan laughed even if he was on his last breath.
“You—how can you…” Paganini muttered in shock, “…still alive?” A sharp cracking sound was heard from his body. Like a burnt piece of porcelain, cracks snaked from where the blade was. The beastly theory within the twelve Chapters of Golden Victory acted like poison. Like the straw that broke the camel’s back, it pushed Paganini’s well-thought-out ‘body prototype’ toward destruction.
He had abandoned his human body and suffered in the abyss, gathered music theories, and worked for centuries to create this ‘perfect shell.’ Even as a prototype, it had withstood the attack of Heaven’s Door. But now it was destroyed so easily by a sword?
Again? He was destroyed by the same person again?!
His face twitching, he destroyed the last bit of grace and calm. All that remained was psychotic fierceness. The fury from long ago took over once again—even though his body was close to collapsing.
“Ye Qingxuan!”
Slapped by a broken hand, Ye Qingxuan’s body tumbled backward like an empty bag. Paganini gritted his teeth. Without caring that his body was deteriorating, he rushed forward and stomped on Ye Qingxuan’s face. His eyes were cruel.
“You think I’ll die like that? Don’t worry. It’s okay if this body dies. I can spend some time to make another one!”
Spend some time? It sounded simple but everyone knew that Paganini must pay for it. His face grew more menacing.
“Thanks to you, I’m not strong enough to take you into the abyss anymore. Are you relieved? But don’t get too happy.”
As soon as he finished, Ye Qingxuan screamed. The damaged Garment had transformed into a black sword and stabbed Ye Qingxuan’s shoulder. Blood splattered onto Paganini’s white face, making the broken face even uglier.
“I have a way to solve this problem. If I can’t take your entire body back, I can just take your head. Isn’t that right?”
Paganini sneered. Gripping the sword, he aimed at Ye Qingxuan’s neck as if finding the right place to start. Then Ye Qingxuan lifted his heavy eyes and looked at Paganini’s ferocious face.
Paganini stiffened. In the daze, he saw dim moonlight flash past those eyes. In the moonlight, he saw a vague side profile. The silhouette was so familiar and yet transient like a hallucination. “Ye Lanzhou? It’s you…”
The figure in the moonlight turned around and looked at Paganini, eyes filled with pity and sympathy as if looking at a wild dog.
Sympathy? Pity? Paganini raged. Why the sympathy? Why the pity?!
“You’re dead! You’re rotting in a coffin!” he roared at the youth’s darkening eyes. “Why do you pity me? Your tricks can’t fool me!”
No one replied. Perhaps he had seen a hallucination but he refused to believe it.
“Ye Lanzhou, come out!” he yelled to all directions. “I know you’re here! You arranged all of this, right? You always have a hidden card! Get out! Come kill me! Just like how you played me before! Don’t you always dream of proving your innocence? You couldn’t forget your wife even in death! Come out, come out and kill me! Then you can go beg for forgiveness from the Sacred City like a dog!”
Still, no one replied.
Ye Lanzhou was long dead. Or did he not want to take Paganini’s life?
Paganini stared blankly at the still and broken world. In the sky, the iron whal
es were slowly closing in. Black dots parachuted from them and he could hear faint whistles in the distance. The Knights Templar was approaching. He had no time to hesitate.
Lowering his head, he looked at Ye Qingxuan’s eyes again. He finally realized that there was no moonlight in those empty eyes. He only saw his reflection. His face, crazed like a rabid dog, was disgusting.
The insignificant reflection reminded him of his laughable state. He had abandoned his status as a saint for his desire of music theory. Falling into the abyss, he had thought he was high and mighty but without realizing, he had become so laughable.
You’ve already lost, a mocking voice said in his heart. Paganini, why are you still lying to yourself? You have many excuses to explain everything but you’ve completely lost this. You were defeated by a mere musician. You don’t have any dignity left.
Gaping at Ye Qingxuan’s face, Paganini seemed to be seeing him but also someone extremely similar. Finally, he buried his face and howled with laughter, laughing at himself. “In the end, you still won,” he murmured.
Throwing down his sword, the craze faded from his face until all that remained was a terrifying serenity. He lifted Ye Qingxuan’s neck, looking at the pale face. Ye Qingxuan looked back with difficulty.
“You win, Ye Qingxuan,” Paganini stated without any reservation. His voice was dark and cold, devoid of any wildness. “I admit, you toyed with me like a cat playing with a mouse. As a failure that had fallen into the abyss, I’ve never felt such humiliation. This battle was filled with emotions, hard work, and victory.
“Justice won over evil; love and peace defeated greed and fighting. There are no flaws. It can practically be written into history books. What happened today deserves to be written about in your life…” He paused. His eyes grew cruel as if watching a child play with fire in the distance. “But sadly, you’re dreaming.”
Looking down at Elsa lying in the ruins, his voice hardened. “What do you think you’re doing? All your sacrifices since the beginning were meaningless? You’re doing it for yourself, thinking you’re right. Even if you defeated me, even if you did everything to save her…do you think she’ll have a future and be happy? Or, do you think the world will be as you wish?”
