Cat Princess and Human Knight

Before Ilya Onyxia stood a massive oak tree, its leaves shimmering with golden light—the rays of the setting sun.

The ground beneath her feet was covered with irises, which she stepped on without hesitation. The trampled flowers either froze or ignited, creating a trail of ice and fire.

As she approached the heart of the oak tree, beneath the massive trunk lay a throne, with new shoots of symbiotic vines constantly growing, weaving, and withering, using life and death to arch up nature's throne.

A beautiful lady sat quietly on her throne, watching Ilya trample on her flowerbed, her face showing helplessness.

She is Astraea, the second seat of the Council of Hearts, a twin of life and death. (Eternal Song)

"Ilya Onyxia, I welcome you to my visit, but I would be even happier if you could be a little gentler."

Ilya looked at Astraea on the throne. Yongge, her hair was a deep dark green at the roots, gradually turning into a translucent emerald green at the ends, with each strand curled and lifted.

Her eyes were like ancient amber sealed away, with a crack in the middle of her pupils, constantly sprouting new life.

Her upper body was a strapless dress made of thousands of leaves, the edges of which unfolded and closed with her heartbeat, much like breathing.

Her lower body was made of flowing moss connected by threads of some unknown material, woven into a semi-transparent long skirt that trailed on the ground.

Just as Ilya was observing, Astraea stepped down from her throne, her semi-transparent long dress automatically parting to form a dandelion-like hem that floated and rolled behind her.

Astraea asked.

"What are you looking at?"

Ilya laughed.

"I feel like... you've become even more amazing?"

Astraea sighed.

"You're putting too much energy into those cats; petting cats won't improve your strength."

Astraea gently blew on the trampled iris garden, and the withered irises emitted a healing smoothness. The petals fell to the ground and regenerated, and the garden was once again full of life.

Ilya sighed as she watched everything unfold before her.

"You've really gotten even better."

Astraea smiled slightly.

"I know that it's not just you, but many of your kind are also addicted to the joy of petting cats because you have long lives and your spirits need something to rely on."

Immortality is both a gift and a curse from the two gods.

Back then, the two gods were not confident of defeating the human kings from the other world on the battlefield of the end, so they invited the human race to participate in the war and offered a precious gift: the spring of immortality.

However, the two gods were also afraid that a powerful being like the otherworldly human king would emerge among the human race, so they placed restrictions on the Fountain of Immortality.

From then on, all newborns of the human race were female, and human men almost disappeared. Reproduction lost its meaning, and as time went by, the human race became increasingly rare.

I can understand why my fellow cats channel their maternal love into their affection for the feline race, finding solace in the pleasure of petting cats.

But I must warn you, humanity has only gained longevity, not immortality.

Our race has stagnated for far too long, long enough that it could be destroyed at any moment. As a member of the human race, you...

Ilya waved her hand, interrupting.

"Alright, alright. Every time I come to you, it's all long-winded lectures, full of talk about saving the nation and its people, and worrying about the country and its people."

Do you know why fewer and fewer people come to see you these days? Because they simply can't stand your lecturing; once you start, you just can't stop.

Astraea sighed and asked.

"Fine, I'm too lazy to waste my breath. So, what brings you here today?"

Ilya's expression became hesitant, and a look of anxiety appeared on her usually lawless face, which piqued Astraea's interest.

"Hey, Astraea, can you sense... anything different about me?"

Astraea observed Ilya and said.

"Changes? Still so arrogant, impulsive, rude, and short-sighted... Seems like nothing has changed."

Ilya said irritably.

"Thank you for your objective evaluation!"

Suddenly, Astraea's gaze fixed between Ilya's legs, her expression solemn.

She sensed a faint smell of blood there, a feeling so distant and unfamiliar that it changed Astraea's expression, leaving her incredulous.

"You...you..."

Ilya watched Astraea's expression shift from relaxed to tense to bewildered, and sighed.

No one cared more about the future of humanity than Astraea, and no one understood the true meaning of life better than Astraea.

Seeing the change in her expression, Ilya confirmed the fact she couldn't believe.

"Hey, Astraea, my spring tide... seems to have returned..."

Astraea nodded solemnly, her voice urgent and stern.

"Yes, it really is spring tide. Why is your spring tide back? What exactly did you go through?"

For countless years, the human race, unable to give birth to male infants, has long since lost its male population, and the spring tide of women has long since disappeared into the long history.

Why... Why you...

Ilya snapped her fingers, and Frostfire ignited a beautiful iris, but Astraea could no longer care about her beloved flower; her gaze was fixed on Ilya.

Feeling incredibly satisfied, Ilya stopped keeping her in suspense and said...

"I met a man, a very young boy."

"Impossible! There can't be young boys among the human race! Even if men still exist, they are beings older than history, quietly waiting for decay and extinction in some corner of the world."

"But I did meet him! A boy who was weaker than the weakest half-human, but very interesting."

I initially thought she was a girl who looked like a boy, but after beating her up, I realized she was actually a boy. Hehehe, I don't know why, but every time I think of him, my heart beats really fast, and faster and faster.

And so, my spring tide arrived.