Chapter 307

Chapter 307: Old Memories, Little Jasmine, Illusory Embrace

The dome of the little church featured colored windows that shone in the light.

The round rose window was a stunning bright red, symbolizing Christ’s blood and representing heaven. Next to it was a blue window that represented the kingdom of heaven.

Typically, the stained glass on the side windows would also focus on biblical stories and local miracles, silently promoting the teachings.

However, if you look closely above, you will notice that when the light shines in, regardless of whether it is the rose window that represents Christ, the blue stained glass that symbolizes heaven, or the other mosaics, they all give rise to countless pure white cracks in the light.

These pure white cracks sever God’s neck in the light, breaking Judas’s chains, as if overturning the myths of humanity, weaving the outline of the city walls with cracks in the panorama.

Sister Ellie bathed in rays of sunlight split by the dome; she did not immediately attend to her old friend nearby but instead solemnly and sincerely explained the teachings as if she were conducting a Catholic Mass.

— The Pure White Sect.

This sect is a product slowly formed by some people who, after the high wall descended to the world, were shocked and inspired by the miracle.

After all, even if they are unaware of the existence of the Disaster, the Pure White that spans the world is no different from a miracle.

Of course, the Pure White Sect is the term used by those in the know; the person who initially created this concept chose a name related to the high wall, which is more straightforward.

Furthermore, the upper echelons of humanity, including the staff of the Countermeasures Bureau and most witches, have a natural devotion to it and sometimes utter the phrase filled with gratitude and hope.

"I swear by the high wall, praising the gift of the Pure White, and I am grateful to the unknown Creator."

Sister Ellie felt the warmth of the light shining on her, and after years of this daily activity, she placed the Braille book back on her lap and smiled, saying:

"Did you come to see me for something, Little Jasmine?"

Esther did not correct this overly cute nickname. Like a departed ghost, she sat beside the blind nun, her thin figure evoking a sense of loneliness.

The young girl maintained a calm expression as she raised her crimson eyes to look at the church’s ceiling. For a moment, complex feelings rushed in from all over the world, carrying traces of the past, embracing the fragile soul of humanity like the light that fell from above.

Those feelings were beautiful, but the pain of the past was sharply piercing.

Esther was neither human nor a witch; she was an AI gradually losing her humanity, becoming a tool, and a piece of data that could someday be replicated.

Yet, as a human and in her life as a witch, there were many things she could never forget or did not want to forget, just like the old friend beside her…

But this feeling was too luxurious for her, too extravagant to the point where memories, joy, loneliness, sorrow—all swallowed by information—were seen as factors affecting her decisions and were instantly cleared away.

The light in Esther’s eyes dimmed, and she felt the coldness return; she quietly looked at her past teammate and softly said:

"Ellie, Elise used [Full Power Mode] to suppress the forbidden area, but the cost was that she is experiencing irreversible decline."

"If nothing unexpected happens, her Flower of the Soul will cocoon in reverse within a month; this process is very dangerous, and if it fails, she will die completely, turning into magic particles."

Sister Ellie was stunned by these words; her expression was sorrowful. After a moment of silence, she said:

"Has that child really fallen to this point? No wonder you came to find me."

Esther remained silent; even without emotions, she did not want to poke at an old friend’s wounds, especially considering… the decline of the other person was directly linked to herself.

If her emotions had not been forcibly frozen, she might not have dared to face Ellie until now.

It had been mentioned before that the decline of magical girls is an extremely terrifying phenomenon; it is akin to a genetic disease in humans, but worse and faster, leading to magic backflow, soul decline, and the collapse of the foundation of their very being.

In the end, those who are lucky can revert to being ordinary people, losing everything that belongs to magical girls; the unlucky ones will directly turn into nothingness, magic particles.

Yet in reality, there have been fewer than a hundred cases of decline in over ten years; among them, only a few witches turned back into ordinary people, with the vast majority becoming magic particles within a year or two, embracing death.

At this moment, only one person remains alive.

That person is Sister Ellie Tyriel, the former captain-level witch who was once at the top, a member of the Covenant’s oath-takers, and the current blind nun.

Though she has lost her sight, she was blind even before becoming a witch; in theory, she has returned to the healthiest state she was in as an ordinary human. Compared to the other degenerated witches, she can be considered to have escaped unscathed.

The current situation is becoming increasingly tense; the Countermeasures Bureau does not want to lose any witches, especially the Dragon Witch who can suppress the forbidden area.

If possible, the higher-ups naturally want to find a way to stop the degeneration, and it is reasonable that Sister Ellie, as the only case of survival through degeneration, would be sought after.

Ellie sighed and said:

"Elise, have you been affected by the Divine Poison?"

The so-called Divine Poison refers to the concept of the Calamity God’s authority eroding away. To injure a top-level captain who has reached blooming and can use Blooming Flowers to the point of degeneration, only the Divine Poison from the forbidden area could accomplish that.

If it were merely a mental breakdown or emotional loss of control, it might cause magical power to run wild, weaken strength, and create cracks in the Flower of the Soul, but wouldn’t immediately lead to such an extreme state of degeneration.

Esther replied:

"Well, the aftershocks from this forbidden zone eruption are only a bit weaker than what we suppressed back in our day. The pure white blessings are fading, and it is rare for Elise to manage this eruption."

Sister Ellie gently said:

"Little Jasmine, you should understand that to survive the regression, or even to stop it, two problems need to be solved."

"One is the erosion of Divine Poison, and the other is the collapse of the mind."

"For the first, a lot of shining light is needed; the second… it is up to Elise herself."

Esther looked at Sister Ellie’s profile, and she softly said:

"The Countermeasures Bureau has arranged for several popular idol groups to go on a global tour, using devices to help Elise absorb the shining light collected from the stage to ease the effects of Divine Poison."

"But this is just a temporary solution; while shining light can slow down the rate of regression infinitely, it requires one stage after another to sustain life, not to mention the conversion rate issue."

"Elise cannot go on stage herself, and the bright purity cannot erase the Divine Poison."

"Furthermore, I suspect the Church of the Gods is watching Elise, and she can no longer stay in such a conspicuous place."

After the super AI recounted the basic situation, it answered another question:

"Elise’s mental state is very poor, and you know her background and past; that Lantern Elf is, for this child, like family, an essential support in her heart."

"So, she has not been able to wake up since she fell into a coma, and the team of mental health experts has no way to help her."

When Esther said this, she looked into those toffee-colored eyes and softly said:

"Coming here this time is also to let you meet her."

"Regardless of whether it helps, Elise would want to see you, Ellie."

"After all… you took care of her for a few years after her parents died in battle; you are both a teacher and a mother to her, a very special figure."

Ellie seemed to sense Esther’s presence faintly. She turned her head and, as if looking through nothingness, saw the silver-haired, red-eyed girl next to her. She asked seriously,

"And what about you? You are an important person to Elise, too, right?"

Esther hesitated to look into Ellie’s eyes. She did not want to show her old friend the ability to change her personality with a database, nor could she act indifferent or like the bad and sly character, Dream Weaver Rabbit.

The girl could only press her lips together and quietly say,

"Yes, I will go with you."

"But I want to find a way to save her."

"The situation is getting more dangerous now. I plan to arrange for Elise to rest in the Ideal State, and at the very least, she needs to survive as an ordinary person."

Ellie smiled and softly said,

"Thank you, Little Jasmine."

Esther hesitated and said,

"Ellie, could you please stop calling me that? If Charlotte hears it, she will definitely start calling me that all the time."

The sister laughed when she heard this, her elegant and beautiful face showing a lively charm that only a young girl can have, looking quite playful in a way that rarely appeared in front of younger ones.

"Don’t worry, I won’t call you that in front of Charlotte; after all… this has always been our little secret, right?"

The Original Witch, feeling teased, could not bear to move away and could only awkwardly change the subject.

Ellie still wore a smile on her face, as if she was very happy to tease her good friend, but she had already guessed many things, and her heart was filled with bitter emotions.

As the witch who witnessed the pact back then, she understood Esther’s difficulties very well; with Esther’s identity, she could not provide much help in saving Elise.

This was the cost of giving up her identity as a witch and becoming a Dream Weaver and a Celestial Instrument.

Esther had too much power and authority; if she rebelled, she could easily send civilization back in time, cause the federation to split, make humans turn against each other, and destroy the existing system.

So, she faced many restrictions and could only use reasonable strategic resources to heal Elise’s injuries within the rules, with no personal desires.

Once the AI analyzed the situation and determined that the cost of saving Elise was more harmful than beneficial for humanity as a whole, it had to stop the loss in time; otherwise, it would be reported to the alliance, and in serious cases, it could even be seen as breaking the pact.

Ellie understood this in her heart.

Esther coming to find her was actually looking for a loophole.

Because after the witch underwent degeneration, there had never been a case of returning to the battlefield, let alone maintaining captain-level strength.

In fact, the only reason she survived was because she had once been favored by miracles.

At first, when the Flower of the Soul withered, she received the gift of Pure White. That brilliance erased the corruption of Divine Poison, making the process of degeneration incredibly gentle.

One could say that her survival was a special case with no reference value in any sense, and as a retired member, she had no right to know so many secrets.

Information about the forbidden area’s current situation, the Dragon Witch’s status, and the permissions for entering and exiting the Ideal State were things that could crash down on her head, simply because the super AI was seriously using the program to "act in its own interest."

Esther knew she could not help Elise. The Pure White miracle, in its fading moment, had become an unreachable dream.

So, this seemingly cold super AI just wanted to give her a chance to see the child before something happened to Elise.

And this was all that Esther could do for them now.

Ellie couldn’t help but feel sad. She remembered Esther’s past smile and how this person, called the Original Witch, stepped from a young and lively girl to the top of the throne, willingly giving up everything and locking herself away.

The nun understood that Esther’s sacrifice was for humanity, for peace, for her friends, and for the happiness of the majority.

Without her choice, humanity could not have built a united alliance, and a dream project like "Dazzling Stage" could never have been realized.

But…

That feeling must be very painful, slowly experiencing emotions fade away, using cold logic to peek at a past slowly disappearing, and calculating the days until the soul melts away with data.

Is it lonely? Is it sad? Will there be regret?

Or should I say, have even these feelings disappeared?

Sister Ellie could not guess the answer; she could not see Esther, and the other had lost all flesh and blood, only leaving behind illusory data, with only the sound echoing around, like the tides of memory flowing, bringing a faint resonance.

Only at moments like this did she long for the senses she had as a witch, which allowed her to easily feel the colors of the world.

Esther could not understand the nun’s thoughts; even with the ability to capture and perfectly analyze micro-expressions, she still found it hard to understand Ellie.

And perhaps, this was one of the reasons she cherished the time spent together.

This elusive feeling seemed like a key to the past, letting delicate emotions, as tiny as sand and as bright as gems, bubble up in her soul and data, colliding with complex physical quantities, bringing a lively spark of energy.

Esther continued to chat with the nun; to avoid conflicts with the core program, she would delete parts of the conversation’s memory every 60 seconds, hiding them deeper within.

And 60 seconds after fully ending the conversation, she would forget what "unimportant" things she had said to her old friend.

Yet strangely, even knowing this, even during the moments when the loss of memory caused interruptions, she still enjoyed the time with Ellie, as if… she had returned to a time when everyone was still there.

Time passed.

Outside, this group of little idols, with more than 200 million fans, enjoyed the summer breeze and sunlight, experiencing the feeling of taking care of children many years earlier.

To keep the children from getting bored and running around, everyone first encouraged them to eat some snacks, then organized a classic children’s game called Daxia.

They started with a game of Eagle Catching Chickens, and since there were many players, they conveniently divided into three groups to play.

Chu Yuanqing took on the role of the hen, with the green-eyed cat, Nia, Emma, and other children behind her.

Miss Saintess confidently placed her hands on her hips and proudly became the eagle; she immersed herself in the role and quickly caught one of the chicks hiding behind Honey Qing, showing a true villain style.

The other two groups were Kirimi Miyuki vs. Xie Qingxuan and Chen Yining vs. Chu Wang Shu.

At first, Charlotte took this silly game seriously, but soon the little idols became strangely competitive, starting to use their Heart Flow without fairness and quietly using magic.

With the rising emotions and magic, a flurry of musical notes, bubbles, sparkling lights, and lively bouncing instruments joined in, even a frightening chibi army of Charlotte joined the fun in the game.

So, in less than ten minutes, the little idols, tired from all the special effects, decided together to stop the chaos, put away their magic and excitement, and started to play a simpler game of "drop the handkerchief," making the children sit in a big circle.

Although Liang Xiaoxiao, Lin Baor, Ruan Wutong, Chu Wang Shu, and Kirimi Miyuki didn’t understand German, playing this simple and fun game with the children was still easy and enjoyable.

After playing a few more rounds, everyone blended together well and became quite skilled, easing the initially strange atmosphere.

During this time, some townspeople passing by were surprised to see Charlotte’s return, especially stopping to say hello, and some even joined in the fun, making the scene very lively.

The little idols couldn’t help but admire Charlotte’s popularity in the town.

The news about The Last Diva spread quickly, and soon many people came, greeting her as if she were their own daughter and bringing a big pile of fruits and snacks.

— The scene could almost be called a celebrity meet-and-greet.

But considering Charlotte’s popularity in Austria, what was even more precious was that the townspeople didn’t want to cause her any trouble, choosing to stay for a little while and then leave respectfully.

Sister Ellie, from far away, could hear the joyful sounds from the church lawn. She lifted her gentle eyes that were as sweet as honey, rubbed the cover of the pure white scripture, and softly asked:

"Little Jasmine, you are leaving, right?"

Esther rarely came to see her, and each time she stayed for only about an hour, so it was likely this time would be no different.

The girl’s silver hair danced in the wind, glowing with a broken blue light. She looked at Sister Ellie with a somewhat sad expression; her crimson eyes showed loneliness and regret. Her lips moved as she softly replied:

"I’m sorry, Ellie, I really miss you, but I…"

Sister Ellie smiled brightly and interrupted, saying:

"Before you go, give me a hug."

Esther looked down at her ghostly form. Silently, she stood up, like a medieval noble lady, making the sound of shoes gently touching the ground as she walked slowly.

Once the girl stopped, she looked at the nun sitting with open arms, like a loving mother. She knelt halfway, as if she were a tame deer or a lonely child, carefully moving closer to the nun’s embrace to give a hug.

This was a false hug; their bodies did not align, and only fragments of data scattered on the nun’s dress, stirring no waves or sounds, like a swift river flowing silently between dimensions.

Ellie could not touch the false objects, and she could not feel the warmth of the AI. Her Cocoon of the Heart had long been shattered, yet when Esther’s hands reached her back, she smiled softly and whispered,

"Indeed… it is still very warm."

As her words faded away.

The silver-haired girl moved her lips and tried to smile, then like broken crystal, she turned into a dreamlike dust from the shining light of the church dome, scattering in the air without leaving a trace.

Ellie sat alone in front of the Holy Maiden statue, bathing in the beams of light that came through the stained glass. Her back was so thin and so lonely, like a prisoner in a vow.