Chapter 73: I will watch you until the end

'What are these...?'

　　As Aponia looked at everything in front of her, this question couldn't help but arise in her mind.

　　Those were veins made of light, like silk threads, drawing completely different marks on everyone's head... or they crossed and entangled somewhere, and then dispersed somewhere else, stretching to their own ends, or they came to an abrupt end somewhere.

　　But without exception, these [threads] have only one ending... that is, they dissipate and break.

　　'What are these...?'

　　There was confusion in her pupils, and with an indescribable feeling of restraint, she reached out to the [threads] surrounding her - however, she could not touch anything.

　　She could only look at these [threads] but could do nothing.

　　Suddenly, someone seemed to give her a gentle hint, and then everything became clear to her at once, allowing her to see everything that fate had left for all living beings.

　　Whether it is regrettable or perfect; whether it is lucky or unfortunate; whether it is cruel or beautiful... everything is reflected in her pupils.

　I see.

　Her eyes were slightly lowered, revealing a pious expression.

　She already knew that this was the gift 'She' had given her, which proved that she also had a responsibility 'She' had given her.

　However, [She] did not continue to give her guidance, as if 'She' simply showed her the fate of everyone in the world... as if 'She' came here just for this purpose.

　She was somewhat confused, but no matter how she prayed, [She] no longer responded.

　'Let's go find him, the favored priest' - Aponia thought.

　As people favored by Him, Nozomi was undoubtedly more favored, but Aponia was not jealous, because she knew what Nozomi had done, and what he had paid to change the "chaotic place" of Twilight Street... Therefore, she could only admire and pity him.

　However, she would not mention it deliberately, let alone express sympathy to him... That would be a blasphemy to his enlightenment and a rejection of everything he had given.

　She only regretted that she could not do anything for him, and she only sighed that she could not do anything to help him.

　But at this moment... maybe... I can also go with him - looking at everything unfolding before her eyes, Aponia thought subconsciously.

　The fate of everyone unfolds before her, and the future that should have been unknown becomes so clear... Hmm?

　Aponia suddenly stopped in her tracks because she "saw" a future in which she would stand in front of Nozomi without saying a word.

　Why?

　Aponia looked puzzled.

　As companions on the road, as people who were equally favored by 'Her', they could talk to each other about almost anything, not to mention that the matter was about 'Her'.

　She felt puzzled, so she quickened her pace a little.

　Along the way, she also met many people, saw the [silk threads] on them, and also "saw" their future.

　She saw them sad because of fighting, happy because of winning, worried and troubled by daily trivial matters, and happy and delighted by some trivial things.

　She sees all kinds of life.

　She feels joy for everyone's future and sends blessings and concern for others' experiences.

　But soon, her heart would change from joy to surprise, then to tension and anxiety, and finally to... panic.

　Because they will all die, mostly because of the disaster called Honkai, but many are also due to... man-made disasters.

　But more importantly, they all died without exception. No one had a future called [old age], and few even had [middle age]. They all passed away in their best [youth].

　Their final outcome was laid out starkly before Aponia, allowing her to witness the scene of everyone's death.

　God...why are you like this?

　Aponia was puzzled. She looked at everyone with panic in her eyes and subconsciously quickened her pace, trying to "see" a better future from the people passing by, even just one.

　It doesn't matter who it is, as long as she can see him, someone who can live in peace, someone who will not be harmed by Honkai, someone who will not be killed by humans themselves...

　But in the end, nothing happened. Instead, she saw more and worse things.

　She can "see" that people in the future will tell lies to each other and sweep all the original kindness into dust; she can "see" that people will doubt each other and all the trust they once had will be lost.

　Oh God...why is this happening?

　Aponia doesn't understand why people's endings are so miserable. Under 'Her' guidance, people should have a happy ending because 'She' is a lover and 'She' is kind, but... why is it like this?

　As she quickened her pace, more and more people passed by and she met more and more people, but their final fate did not change at all, which made Aponia more and more panicked, and even a little desperate.

　She did not doubt what she "saw" because it was a gift from 'Her'...but precisely because of this, she became more and more terrified and desperate.

　"Sister Nia?!"

　Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded, and Aponia came back to her senses, and found that Pardofelis, who now had animal ears and a tail, was looking at her in surprise, and then showed an expression of being saved, and quickly hid behind her.

　"It just so happens, Sister Nia, help me..."

　"Pardo, don't be so shy. In exchange, I can let you touch my ears~?"

　A cute and slightly naughty voice sounded, making people feel happy.

　The fairy-like pink-haired girl came to Aponia lightly, first looked at Aponia, then showed a bright smile and greeted her.

　"Hi~ You must be the Sister Aponia that Pardo and Nozomi mentioned~ My name is Elysia. As you can see, I am a girl as lovely as a flying flower~"

　"...Hello, Elysia."

　Aponia's gaze lingered on her for a moment, with a puzzled look on her face, but a hint of joy soon appeared in her eyes, and she immediately shook the hand that Elysia extended as a sign of politeness and friendship.

　Because Aponia finally saw something different from everyone else before... or rather, she simply did not "see" Elysia's future, and the [thread] made of light... did not appear on Elysia.

　This is undoubtedly good news, at least for Aponia.

　But...

　"Ah~ Miss Sister, are you fascinated by me?"

　Elysia's eyes curved like crescent moons, her tone rose slightly, and she spoke with a hint of happiness.

　"Oh, as expected, I am still too charming, so... Pardo, how about we exchange?"

　Elysia's topic kept jumping around as usual. She tilted her head slightly, looked at Pardofelis who was hiding behind Aponia, and said with a smile.

　"How about we touch each other's ears, Pardo?"

　"No, Sister Ellie... my ears are very sensitive..."

　"The tail is also OK~"

　"Don't want!"

　Pardofelis protested.

　"Come on, let me touch it!"

　"Don't want!"

　The two of them started chasing each other in circles, one in front and one behind, just like a cat playing with a mouse... and Aponia could only stand between them helplessly, watching them circling around her.

　"Aponia?"

　Nozomi's voice came immediately, but before Aponia could react, Pardofelis ran to his side at a rapid pace, grabbed his sleeve, and hid behind Nozomi.

　"Boss, save me!"

　Pardofelis was trembling, and her tail also dropped down and wrapped around Nozomi's legs several times, as if she was trying to stick to him.

　"Don't be afraid, Pardo, it won't hurt to touch it..."

　"Don't want!!!"

　Pardofelis firmly refused... That was too sensitive, no! And Elysia's method would make her look weird! So it was even more impossible!

　"Elysia, if the other person doesn't want to, don't force it."

　Nozomi spoke out to stop her, and at the same time raised his hand to block Elysia's figure.

　"Oh, what a pity! Pardo's ears and tail are so cute, and they feel fluffy and comfortable to touch~"

　"Umm... Sister Ellie, please don't bully me... I'm not used to it after the surgery... I'm very sensitive. I was really scared when you touched me just now, Sister Ellie."

　Pardofelis puffed her cheeks unhappily and protested weakly to Elysia.

　"Oh? That means... you can touch me after you get used to it, Pardo?"

　"Of course you can. Just touching the ears and tail is not a big deal... Um... No, no, even if you want to touch them in the future, you have to give me something in exchange!"

　"Well... okay~ I'll just swap myself and Pardo for them then~?"

　"…Huh?"

　Pardofelis was stunned for a moment and then became a little flustered.

　"Ehhhh?!"

"Elysia means that she can let you, Pardofelis, touch her ears in exchange."

　"Oh, oh... Is that so... I'm scared to death..."

　"Well... although I'm happy that Nozomi understands what I mean, it's a pity that I won't be able to see Pardofelis's panic. What a pity~"

　Elysia tilted her head, sighed, said with some regret, and then laughed again.

　"However, this kind of telepathic feeling is also good. There are very few people who can directly understand what I mean. Nozomi, you are one of them. Will this make you a little happier?"

　" I'm very happy, Elysia."

　"It's a bit perfunctory... I'm a little unhappy~"

　Elysia also puffed up her face a little, pretending to be angry, but the smile in her pupils did not fade away but became even stronger.

　"I'm not happy~ so I need some special help~"

　As Elysia spoke, she reached out and grabbed Nozomi's hand, held it up, placed it next to her face, and tilted her head slightly so that Nozomi could touch her elf-like ears.

　"Hmph~ Hmph~ As expected, Nozomi's hands are very warm~"

　"Elysia..."

　"Alright, alright~ I won't be a girl who is too annoying~"

　Elysia jumped away lightly, let go of Nozomi's hand, and said with a smile.

　"This nun should have something else to say to you, right? I'll give you the rest of the space~ Um... It just so happens that I have to go find Mobius for something~ So... Let's talk later~?"

　After saying that, Elysia left. Before leaving, she secretly gave Pardofelis a lovely look, which made Pardofelis quickly hug the ears on her head.

　"... Nun?"

　Nozomi ignored the tail that was wrapped tighter around his legs and turned to look at Aponia and asked.

　"Father, that is... your friend, right?"

　"Well, she rested in the church for a few days before I met you."

　"I see."

　"...?"

　Listening to Aponia's absent-minded response, Nozomi was a little confused, especially when she looked at him with a little relief and understanding, and... expectation.

　Aponia was indeed a little absent-minded because her eyes stayed on Nozomi, and after seeing the [silk thread] on Nozomi's body, she could not move her eyes away.

　She "saw" that the [silk thread] on Nozomi's body was much longer than that on others, and she also "saw" the path he was going to take and everything he was going to experience.

　That was the path he had to take, the path he had to choose... it was long and difficult.

　He will be hurt and suspected time and time again, but he still moves forward firmly, choosing to save and persist time and time again.

　Time and again, he will receive the love and affection of others, take it deep in his heart, treasure it in his heart, and it will become his strength and belief to move forward.

　Finally, he leads everyone to the glorious [End], the [Promised Land] that everyone loves.

　Aponia "saw" that there were several strands of [silk threads] wrapped around Nozomi's body, which were different from those of others. The [silk threads] were illusory and erratic, as if they had moved from the "past" to the "present". They seemed fragile as a whole, but they really existed... She looked carefully and unexpectedly discovered that at the other end of the [silk threads] were two cherry blossom-colored girls, one big and one small, who seemed to be sisters.

　They were sisters named Sakura and Rin. Aponia suddenly understood and knew their names.

　Soon, she "saw" a slightly more condensed [silk thread]. Looking closely, she discovered that it was a blue-haired girl who loved painting. This girl was even related to herself.

　Her name is Griseo, Aponia thought.

　Then, she also "saw" an extremely faint [silk thread] extending from herself and Pardofelis.

　It is really faint, like a mirage in the fog, as if it would disappear if you move your sight away, but it still exists, as a [silk thread] different from the others.

　And these illusory [threads] extending from their bodies were all entangled with him and followed him to the [end].

　Aponia understood... it was they who gave him the consciousness to move forward, and it was they who surrounded him and made him walk towards the light with determination.

　Aponia suddenly realized why the nun had said that they were destined to be [partners] and [companions] on the road... not only because they were both watched by [Her], but also because of the gift [She] gave her.

　And she also understood the [responsibility] that [She] had given her... to accompany him, to watch over him, to help him, to make him experience every [ending] that he should experience, to accompany him through every suffering that he should experience, and to see him accept every love that he should accept.

　In the end, he will lead everyone to the warm and happy [Ending].

　The happy, shining, glorious [end] had already appeared before her eyes, and the suffering he was about to go through had also appeared before her eyes.

　But she couldn't say it, and she couldn't say it out loud... because it was too selfish, too selfish for others, for those people whose "end" was already determined.

　They will be freed from their destined misery and brought by him to the happy [end].

　But that would be too cruel for him, for the priest... His path is much longer and more difficult than others... Too many thorns, too much hurt, and countless... suspicions, enough to crush anyone.

But he is much stronger and more determined than others.

　　"Father..."

　　Aponia lowered her eyes slightly, reached out, held her hand in his palm, and spoke softly.

　　Perhaps others would be crushed, but... he would persist, hold on, and walk firmly... toward the glory. It is because of this that he can lead everyone to the [end], and it is because of this that he is so admirable.

　　"Please... don't worry."

　　Aponia spoke softly, feeling his warmth in her palm.

　　Warm and reassuring.

　　But she couldn't give him anything in return... even the warmth of her palms was far inferior to his.

　　She could only keep her eyes on him, watching him moving forward, and could only follow him and stay beside him.

　　"I will stay by your side."

　　"I'll be watching you."

　　"Until... the end comes."

　　Thus, the illusory and fleeting [thread] that was intertwined between her and him, at this moment... became solid.