Great, we're doomed now!

Suddenly, a hand appeared abruptly in front of her, blocking part of the campfire's light.

"you……"

Carmilla looked up and saw Ye Shou stand up, leaning down slightly to look at her with gentle eyes, clearly inviting her to dance.

She paused for a moment, her fingertips curled slightly, and a hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes before she regained her composure and arrogance.

She gracefully reached out and tentatively placed her hand on it—

call!

Before she could react, Ye Shou suddenly pulled her up from her seat.

Carmilla was momentarily dazed and stumbled a couple of steps. When she came to her senses, she was already standing in the center of the field.

Ye Shou's hands were warm and strong, and his steps were light and unhurried. He made her "spin" slowly, like a floating feather, making her gorgeous long dress look like a blooming lily.

"..."

She was standing on solid ground, yet it felt as if she were floating on clouds, as if gravity had disappeared, and her whole body felt light and airy.

At first, Carmilla seemed a little stiff, passively moving along with Ye Shou's rhythm, the white ribbon on her wrist swaying casually.

But as the melody became more cheerful, she gradually loosened her restraints, her movements became more proactive, and her steps became more agile, transforming from initially following to tacit cooperation.

Her movements became increasingly graceful. Sometimes she separated from Ye Shou, sometimes they switched places, sometimes their fingers intertwined and they pulled each other, her skirt fluttering as she twirled, the ribbons on her wrists dancing like butterflies, or like a fairy's veil billowing in the wind.

The warm firelight shone on her face, adding a touch of vibrancy. Her usual aloofness slowly melted away, leaving only bright, clear autumn water... She seemed completely immersed in this novel experience she had never had before.

As the melody of the duet ended, Ye Shou took two steps back and bowed slightly to Carmilla, his movements natural and composed.

Cheers and applause erupted around them as people cheered for the graceful dance of the two figures. Many even started to clamor, trying to embarrass the "couple"—they didn't know who Carmilla was, otherwise they would never have dared to do so.

Carmilla finally snapped out of her daze, the blush still lingering on her cheeks. The usually haughty Carmilla was momentarily at a loss, clearly unaccustomed to being viewed this way. Her fingertips unconsciously gripped the hem of her skirt, her eyes darting away, completely devoid of her usual coldness and domineering presence.

Ye Shou noticed her unease and didn't say much. He simply turned to the side and made a "please" gesture, leading her away from the noisy square to a quiet corner.

The night was exceptionally clear, with stars scattered like shattered diamonds across the dark sky. The bonfire in the distant square was still flickering, its already dim warm yellow light casting long shadows on the two of them, casting long, slanted shadows on the wall.

Carmilla leaned against the cold wall, the blush on her face lingering. She stole a glance at Ye Shou—

The shadow behind her seemed to come alive, tilting its head slightly and nestling against Ye Shou's shadow.

The Dark Giantess noticed this and became furious. Just as she was about to subdue him, Ye Shou suddenly turned his head.

"!"

Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked away, pretending to look up at the distant starry sky, but her ears were secretly burning.

Ye Shou seemed oblivious to her subtle movements, smiling as he looked at her calmly and said, "Now I can answer your question—about 'what can be left behind'."

Carmilla was taken aback; she hadn't expected him to bring this up.

"But before that, you need to answer me first."

Ye Shou countered, "In your long life—whether it's thousands or tens of thousands of years—have you ever had an experience like what you just had?"

"……No."

Carmilla involuntarily recalled the scene of their dance:

Those short ten minutes or so were so vivid in her memory that they seemed etched into her very soul, and every second of them left a lasting impression.

"This brief moment may be insignificant on a cosmic scale," Ye Shou said in a gentle yet powerful voice, "but it has already secured a place in your long life forever. No matter how much time has passed, you cannot deny that it existed and that you had a moment of joy."

He repeated the question softly: "Five thousand years from now, humanity may disappear. If we stretch it to five hundred million years, a billion years, this planet will also change... You can live that long and witness everything."

But after such 'eternity,' what will you still have?

Ye Shou looked intently into Carmilla's eyes—

Under the starry sky, Carmilla's body swayed slightly.

She had never thought about such a question. Eternity was taken for granted by her, but she had never considered... what meaning would eternity have if it weren't for these brief and vivid moments?

"I love humanity, even though I am destined to witness generation after generation pass away and familiar things are gradually replaced... but I am greedy, so I cherish every moment like this."

Carmilla, I'm not worried about what will be left, because then I will be the same as I am now, protecting, enjoying, and craving... and right now, I am already happy enough.

“…That’s wonderful.” Carmilla slowly lowered her gaze, a half-smile playing on her lips, a hint of self-mockery in her expression.

"I probably will never feel this way again... In the very end, I'm afraid I'll have nothing but eternity."

"That sounds so lonely."

"Ah……"

"It's okay, I'll probably still be alive by then."

Ye Shou grinned in the darkness and said nonchalantly, "I'll share some of the happiness I have with you."

"—!"

Carmilla looked up abruptly, staring at the man in disbelief.

She tried to glean something from Ye Shou's eyes, but ultimately gave up:

It's not a lie.

Perhaps it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, or perhaps he was genuinely too kind-hearted to this extent, but there was not a trace of hypocrisy in his thoughts.

"Why...why can you say such things so calmly?"

Carmilla stubbornly raised her head: "I am your enemy, and... I will definitely obtain the [Eternal Core] and become the most powerful life form in this universe. On what grounds do you pity me?"

"acquaintance?"

Ye Shouzhen thought about it seriously: "If that day really comes, I will be very grateful to have an 'enemy' I have known for tens of thousands of years."

"Hey, even if things go worst, at least we'll still have each other left, right?"

"..."

Carmilla was speechless for a long while before she finally chuckled and scolded, "You... idiot!"

Chapter 431: We're good people? You should have said so earlier! (Two chapters combined)

A gust of wind blew by, and Carmilla appeared in the sky above Hitram's territory, her silver hair fluttering slightly in the wind.

The streets were devoid of their usual hustle and bustle, with only a few pedestrians hurrying by, their expressions showing weariness and unease. She had intended to find her two noisy companions directly to see if their pointless fight was over, but her gaze swept across the alleyways, and she slowly stopped in her tracks.

Many houses had their doors and windows half-closed, and one could vaguely see people inside with their hands clasped together, heads bowed, silently muttering something.

In the past, Carmilla would have simply turned away with a sneer. The actions of these insignificant humans never caught her eye. This culture called "faith" was nothing more than placing one's anxieties about the future on others, and it was utterly meaningless.

But this time, an inexplicable feeling stirred within her made her stay.

It wasn't that she had changed her view of humanity, but rather that, thinking of Ye Shou's words, she was curious about what special charm these fragile lives, so common in the universe, possessed that could make that person cherish them so much...

There must be some reason, right?

As the light shifted, she transformed into human form, wearing a simple black dress and her short silver hair still shining brightly. She blended in unnoticed into an open space on a street corner, where a group of believers gathered in a circle, whispering prayers to some unknown entity. The air was filled with an atmosphere of both oppression and anticipation.

Carmilla circled around, her beautiful figure attracting the attention of many, but her aloof demeanor deterred anyone from approaching her to speak. The female warrior herself also lacked the enthusiasm to actively engage with humans, and although she had doubts, she simply couldn't muster the interest.

Suddenly, she felt a jolt behind her.

"Ok?"

"Sister, are you just walking around alone? Just like me?"

A childish voice rang out. Carmilla looked down and saw a little girl with pigtails pulling on her skirt, her round eyes full of curiosity.

"It's okay, I actually forgot my lines too... Hehe, let's hide in a corner together, no one will notice us."

Carmilla frowned—

Is this the human cub that Ye Shou was talking about, capable of defeating the Great Evil God?

So fragile... It feels like you could poke it with a finger, or it could be blown away by a slight gust of wind. When you're around such a creature, you can't even speak too loudly.

Where exactly is that power hidden? Or is Ye Shou simply using a metaphor?

I don't understand!

Her tone was somewhat distant: "Where are your parents? And what are you all doing here?"

"Mom is sick... but the doctor said she'll be fine."

The little girl tilted her head, her voice soft, and her eyes sparkling as she looked at Carmilla: "Sister, you're so beautiful, just like a goddess~"

Ok?

Carmilla was indifferent to this; she never cared about other people's opinions. However, the child's innocent appearance was indeed endearing, which softened her tone by a bit.

"You haven't answered my question yet, so why is the whole city praying? Don't you all have work to do?"

"It seems like things are going to get out of control. Everyone is too scared to go out, and there's nothing we can do... Sister, don't you know what's been happening these past few days?"

If we pray sincerely, the goddess will hear our voices and make the giants stop fighting. Then everyone won't have to hide at home or fear their houses being damaged.

Are you referring to Dagon and Hitram?

A faint golden light suddenly shone in Carmilla's eyes, and the little girl was instinctively drawn to them. The two locked eyes—

The next second, countless images flooded into Carmilla's mind like a tidal wave:

The fighting between Dagon and Hitram has continued unabated for the past few days.

The Red Giant always charged forward with an indomitable spirit, but repeatedly suffered losses due to Hitram's cunning and unorthodox tactics. The Blue Giant, on the other hand, enjoyed the battle, always making thorough preparations and even setting traps, thus turning the struggle into an endless cycle.

Dagon refused to admit defeat and was determined to get his revenge. He was also enraged by Hitram's "teasing".

Hitram felt it was purely for entertainment... The two didn't actually kill each other, it was just for the sake of saving face.

This has caused innocent humanity to suffer collateral damage!

The people in the city have been suffering terribly lately. The aftermath of the battle with the giants has destroyed many houses, damaged roads and public facilities, brought the city's entire supply system to a standstill, and put increasing pressure on the medical system.

But they could neither stop the powerful giants nor were they grateful for the protection they received from the dark giants. They dared not complain in the slightest and could only gather and pray before each battle, hoping that the giants would understand their difficulties.

—The same goes for the little girl and her mother.

As the golden light faded, Carmilla snapped out of her reverie, and the little girl shook her head, as if she had just come back to her senses.

"What's wrong with me... Oh right, I answered my sister's question, so I should ask her too."

The girl tilted her head back and asked, "Um... which guardian deity do you like, sister?"