Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"This..." Noah had to admit that Viviana was right, but if she wanted to get close to Arturo who was still performing, those affected audiences would definitely stop her, and Noah didn't want to hurt anyone.

What should I do now...

Noah closed her eyes and thought about countermeasures, but at this moment, she suddenly realized something.

——In the concert hall, there was someone who was completely unaffected besides himself.

His emotions shone brightly among the manipulated crowd, like a flash of light in the darkness. Noah suddenly thought of a good idea, but she couldn't implement it alone.

"-Looks like we're going to need some outside help."

-

The only one who could protect himself from Arturo's Originium skills was naturally Franz, or rather, it was the echo of the world in his brain. The disgusting melody had a strong sense of territory, which directly forced back the Originium skills that invaded his brain. After all, this thing was somewhat related to the Witch King. No matter what, Arturo could not possibly offend that Herhunzoren, so he just had a headache, and then he woke up. He slapped the Leithanian college student who called himself [Song of Stopping] next to him to wake him up, and Franz also began to think of countermeasures.

With the concert hall's increased power, stopping Arturo was difficult. However, if he were to finish his performance... the pillars of the entire Leitanian aristocracy gathered here. If they all went crazy, Leitania would be plunged into a crisis. The wealth, status, and power these people wielded might be insignificant individually, but together, they could change the landscape of Leitania.

Even that ruthless authority wouldn't dare to launch a purge like this...

"Mad!" The more Franz thought about it, the more serious the situation seemed. What were the Golden Law Guards doing at this moment? Where was the Queen's Voice? Such a serious matter had happened, and no one was reacting?!

Leitania, as he expected—

However, Franz was too busy complaining at this moment. He took out a spell unit from his sleeve. It was a few metal dice floating in the air. These dice could amplify Franz's Originium skills. The special materials and resonance allowed him to release powerful attacks that were enough to shake the protective shield released by the tower warlock. All he wanted now was to end the performance, so these dice floated in the air, emitting a faint light.

He only had one chance. If he revealed that he wasn't being manipulated, the Echoes of the Earthly World wouldn't help him escape. So he had to destroy the other party's performance once and for all... which meant...

I'm going to destroy that cello!

Franz's judgment was very accurate. As the dice flew in the air, Franz's Originium skills had already taken shape. He waved the magic wand in his hand, and the metal dice instantly turned into several cold lights and flew towards Arturo. Arturo did not raise her head, nor did she even stop Franz's attack, because she knew that someone would protect her.

"Successful!"

Franz thought he had succeeded, but the next moment, a tall figure flashed out from the darkness, drew his sword and cut down all the dice one by one.

It was Loris who made the move. Arturo's performance did not affect him, or perhaps Arturo did this on purpose in order to complete his performance. Loris obviously would not let anyone ruin the performance. After all, the people here were the objects of his revenge, and these Letania parasites would pay the price here.

His enemies are these guys!

These bloated fellows only cared about their own interests, never considering the future of Lethania. They amassed wealth, engaged in violence, and coveted beauty. They had distorted this country with their desires. Now that Herhunzoren had fallen, they no longer had the terrifying pressure from the Witch King, and they began to let themselves go. Even though the Queen was indeed clearing out these beasts one by one, it was too slow! Too slow!

Eradicate all evil! Even a second late will cause more people to be hurt.

Arturo had assured him that only the hopeless would be driven crazy by the performance, because they would be forced to face their sins, while the innocent would not be harmed. This was a trial, and he had to ensure that it went smoothly!

"You bastard!" Franz's roar reached his ears, but he just held down the blade in his hand and pointed it in Franz's direction.

"Don't disturb her!" His warning was cold, so cold that Franz could feel the cruelty contained in it. Franz began to have a headache again. This kind of headache happened frequently recently. The echoes of the world in his mind seemed to be activated, or in other words, "He" was waking up, as if sensing his master. Franz didn't think this was a good thing, but what he had to do now was to stop what these two guys did!

"Mr. Franz, I'll deal with this guy. You go and ruin the show." At this time, Zhisong, who was carrying a long sword, placed his hand on the cloth-wrapped blade behind his back. "I don't know how long I can hold out. He's very strong."

"...I understand. Now the only ones who can save this situation...maybe we are the only ones."

The two young men looked at each other and then nodded. Perhaps Arturo noticed the determination of the two young men, but he raised the corner of his mouth and pulled the bow. The dancing crowd suddenly quieted down and consciously made way for a path leading to the stage. Franz and Zhisong were right at the starting point of the path, as if inviting the two to attack him. Although Loris didn't know Arturo's intention, he didn't think he would lose to these two juniors.

After all, he was once called a hero.

Loris watched the metal dice return to Franz's palm. He shook the blade in his hand. He didn't understand Originium skills very well, but swordsmanship - that was another matter.

Zhisong had already taken off the cloth-wrapped broadsword that was held on his back. He looked at Loris who was blocking them. His intuition told him that he had no chance of winning, but the current situation also told him that he had to help Franz resolve this farce.

The two men exchanged sharp words with each other, while Arturo was like a bystander, playing his passionate music on his own.

Noah noticed that the two of them had attracted Arturo's attention. Although their actions were beyond her expectations, it was okay. Noah and Viviana were able to leave the box silently. Now that the performance was still going on, Noah's ability could hardly be effective. After all, Arturo's ability was amplified by the entire concert hall. Comparing Originium skills with Arturo who had a buff - although he might not lose, it was definitely not a safe bet.

This is the array created by Herhunzollon. No matter how confident Noah is, he can't challenge his teacher.

The appearance of Franz and Zhisong actually gave her more time. Although Loris was very strong, he was definitely no match for Jian. He asked Jian to pay attention to the situation of the two teenagers, while Noah quietly came to the backstage. Her purpose was not to attack Arturo, because once the performance began, once it began to infect the audience, it would be meaningless to simply stop Arturo's performance. In fact, what she wanted to do... should be to fight with Arturo.

But of course, I can’t do it on my own—

So, she has to rely on the power of musical instruments.

"Got it—" Noah arrived backstage, and on the platform, he saw Czerny, immersed in the music, with the piano beside him. Noah reached out and stroked the keys. After confirming that there was no problem, he said to Viviana beside him. "Please carry Mr. Czerny away first. I'll activate the mechanism and let me and the piano go up together."

"What are you planning to do?" Viviana was puzzled. "Are you planning to perform on stage?"

"The stage is the amplification point of the array. It can amplify Arturo's Originium skills, and naturally it can also amplify mine. As long as I go on the stage and connect with the array through musical instruments, my Originium skills will be amplified. I will defeat Arturo's performance head-on." Noah explained, but this is also a big risk. However, this is the only way to solve this problem without leaving any sequelae.

Noah is well aware that Originium skills must be used to counter Originium skills.

In order to protect everyone in the concert hall, Noah can only try to challenge Arturo to a duel. This is similar to a stage duel. The musical instruments are the swords in the hands of the musicians. They test and attack each other. Only the winner can get the cheers of the audience.

Although she knew that this was very dangerous, Viviana also understood Noah's idea. After helping Noah carry Mr. Czerny away, Noah sat on the piano seat, closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then made a gesture to Viviana.

"Good luck," Viviana said sincerely. "I'm looking forward to your performance."

"It's okay. I've figured out how to compose Leitania's music these days." Noah placed her hands on the piano keys, feeling the connection between the Originium skills. Then, the mechanism was triggered by Viviana, and the lift slowly rose. Arturo obviously felt the movement of the stage, but she soon realized something and smiled in ecstasy.

The music starts.

It was a piano performance, slightly lacking in technique compared to Czerny's, but the rich emotions in it were no less than Arturo's performance.

It was a song no one had ever heard before, a piece with a low key. The deep piano notes made the realm Arturo had constructed tremble. But at this moment, Noya, already on the stage, had closed her eyes. She intended to defeat Arturo head-on. She would choose a piece that would completely shatter Arturo's repertoire. The array had begun to take effect, and the dancing crowd seemed to see a beam of light in the center of the stage.

In the light, there was a girl playing the piano.

She's playing...the piano?

No, she was playing—

Golden Rhythm

This is undoubtedly a piece of music that makes people's eyes shine - it does not follow the general music theory, but it is extremely harmonious, and people unconsciously recall the most beautiful things in their hearts.

Including Arturo, she remembered the time she spent with her parents as a child.

The concert hall, like a giant magician, began to absorb and reflect their performance. They were confronting each other, fighting with their hearts, like two fencers, sizing each other up for flaws. Their duet, though not the same piece, was indistinguishable from the other. It was a terrifying performance, but also one of exceptional quality.

Noa poured his heart into it, if Arturo were playing the heart of someone else.

So, what Noah plays is his own heart.

A borrowed heart is not your own after all.

Arturo, I will crush you.

This chapter has not been reviewed

This chapter has not been reviewed

Chapter 30: Deprivation

Noah really wondered if he had some debuff that would cause trouble wherever he went. He clearly didn't want to care about anything this time, and even entered the country quietly, but just like every time he went to other countries, he always encountered various major events. Just when he was watching a concert, he met terrorists who planned to use the concert's amplification device to force "mutual understanding" on the entire Leithania.

Noah has figured out Arturo's current behavior. Arturo actually has no intention of killing anyone, and her music is not lethal. Her music is essentially a connection. She intends to use herself as a hub to completely remove the shackles on the souls of everyone in the concert hall. In this case, people's true selves will be released, and they will do things without scruples that they normally dare not do, or that are blocked by their own reason.

But after Noya intervened, Arturo didn't stop. Instead, she used Noya's power to transmit the music even further. The price of forcibly increasing the range was Arturo's own soul. If it weren't for Noya's help, she would have died in the next second. However, it was precisely because of Noya's intervention that most of Arturo's pressure fell on Noya.

It wasn't a coincidence. Noya was a product of Plan Zero, and when Plan Zero was implemented, it incorporated the most essential elements of previous civilizations' salvation plans. This included the source of the Sakota empathy. In other words, Noya could completely replace the role of the Heaven's Fulcrum. Through Noya, this advanced server, Arturo was able to expand his influence throughout Trilin Terme.

At this time, almost everyone in this area, except for the special cases of the Gemini Queens and Black Key, gained similar empathy with Sakota.

The emotions between people collide with each other, the souls communicate without barriers, and the walls of the heart collapse in an instant. This is what Arturo wants to do.

She hopes that people will [become aware].

【The enlightened are always happy.】

Arturo is not a bad person. Yes, unlike what many people think, she has never had any malice towards anyone, and has never really wanted to do anything bad. On the contrary, under the education of her parents, she has actually grown into a child with empathy and who is happy for the happiness of others.

However, it is such a person who has the most distorted values, or in other words, she is too eager for human beings to obtain happiness. This happiness should not belong to an individual, nor should it be unique to Lateran, but should be a happiness that everyone should have equally.

So her purpose is not to kill anyone or cause anyone misfortune. Her purpose is to create a true heaven on earth. She longs for mankind to enter a completely new stage, a paradise without any classes, without any inequality, and where people can understand each other.

It can even be said that although Arturo has become extreme due to her own abilities and has even lost her true self, her intentions have been good from beginning to end. However, throughout her life, except for her mother giving her a pair of gloves, no one, or no one, has tried to help her get on the right path.

It wasn't until Noa and Arturo truly understood each other through empathy that Noa realized what the other's purpose was.

but……

"Although your intentions were good, your actions were deeply wrong."

Noah closed her eyes helplessly. The emotional waves of the entire Trilinterme had been temporarily slowed down under her control, and she was able to free herself to face the culprit in front of her. However, the Arturo she saw at this time was still a child, a little girl who was not even as long as her legs. The real Arturo's mind was actually like that of a child. This child was wearing mourning clothes, sitting next to a tombstone, playing the cello in his hand alone.

The sound of the piano was melodious. Noah stopped to listen and did not rush forward to stop it.

The matter is done, the external situation has been controlled by her, and the next step is to catch Arturo, and then everything will be fine.

In theory, this is the case...

However, Noah still has some inadequate grasp of her own abilities. After all, it has only been a short time since she realized what her true abilities are, and the administrator hasn't given her an instruction manual for using them. The fact that Noah has been able to figure things out on her own to this point is already considered a natural talent.

After the song ended, Arturo looked at Noa, slowly lifted her skirt and bowed.

"I have been looking forward to seeing you again, Miss Noa Kyrielight."

"—I didn't think we'd meet so soon, Miss Arturo."

The two men greeted each other politely, looking less like two rivals facing each other and more like friends who happened to meet on the street and chatting.

"Whose tombstone is that?" Noya's gaze fell on Arturo's side. This little Arturo was clearly a manifestation from memory, just like the things that had appeared in the administrator's memory before, which was the most important thing to the holder of the memory. In other words, this tombstone was the most important thing in Arturo's eyes.

"That's my mother." Arturo said with a smile. When talking about her mother's death, she did not feel sad, but felt a sense of pride. This was obviously abnormal. Noah frowned, but her perception would not be wrong. Arturo was indeed happy about her mother's death, or rather - joyful.

"I composed a song for my mother, and she cried after listening to it," Arturo said, talking about his mother. "She was actually always troubled and felt guilty. She believed she was the happiest person in the world, with a loving husband and a lovely daughter. She was born in Laterano, a land without war, where she could fully display her gifts and talents, never even worrying about food and clothing. She was the happiest woman in the world, the one who should have no worries."

When Arturo spoke of his mother, a vision of her own mother surfaced beside her. She looked very much like her, or rather, very much like her when she grew up. But unlike her own, whose smile was always fleeting, Arturo's mother's smile came from the heart, bright and lively, like the sun, without a single shadow. How could such a beautiful woman end up... as a tombstone?

Noah's curiosity was aroused and he asked.

"What happened after that?"

"...Afterward, my mother listened to the song I composed for her. At that moment, I felt that she was happy," Arturo said with a smile. "Because she had awakened. She knew what she wanted to do. She was not bound by anyone or anything. Her soul was free and noble. She did what she wanted to do. She was awakened and became the happiest person in the world. She no longer worried about her happiness because she was determined to devote herself to the career she wanted and become the person she wanted to be."

"...Indeed, she is happy." Noah felt the words and emotions that Arturo conveyed to her. She got herself involved just to tell her these.

However, even she herself may know that it is impossible for her to succeed, so... she hopes to convey her thoughts to herself, and wants Noah to [awaken] and understand her ideas. In her opinion, Noah is the person who is more suitable to fulfill her dream, even more suitable than the Witch King.

That's why she took the initiative to invite Noah to this concert, just to let herself fall off the cliff, just to give her soul and dreams to Noah before falling.

…Noya is always expected, Noya is always looked after, Noya is always favored by these people, and they all take it upon themselves to entrust their responsibilities to her—

Just like now, she was expected to be a betrayer, she was expected to be a saint, she was expected to save Hill County, she was expected to end the war in Victoria.

From beginning to end, no one seemed to care what Noah really wanted.

The reason is simple, because Noah is a person who cares too much about others. She doesn't seem to have the emotion of "selfishness". She always moves forward firmly and always gives up what belongs to her until now.

Even Arturo, who didn't know much about her, had high hopes for her during a heavy rain.

That's how she was, attracting so many souls who wanted her but couldn't get her. Arturo was just another fool attracted by her.

But she is not that kind of person.

Noah knew that she was actually very selfish and had never done what she should have done.

She was born to save the previous civilization, but was born after the destruction of the civilization. She spent thousands of years almost unconsciously before replacing Noah's identity and becoming Noah Kyrielight.

She is the product of Project Zero and a real ark, but this ark cannot shelter anyone after the apocalypse.

But now, what can she do? Or what should she do?

Noah has actually been thinking all the time. After she found out her true identity, she has never stopped thinking.

What kind of mission does she have in this era, or what can she achieve, and what kind of person should she become.

From this perspective, the goal given by Arturo is actually not difficult for Noah. Her ability is completely sufficient to start from Letania and take the souls of all the people on Terra into her own heart one by one. This is Noah's true power. She is a living preservation bank. She can absorb the souls of all people, preserve the souls of all people, and even repair damaged souls as long as she is willing.

She was originally such a container.

"But that's not right."

"...?"

"Arturo, I'm not a god, nor am I a saint. I can't make absolutely correct decisions." Noah said, "So, I can't do it."

“…” Arturo looked into Noah’s eyes, as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn’t utter a word.

"I know you might be disappointed, but this is my answer. I can't make decisions for anyone. Perhaps in your eyes, those who are enlightened will naturally find happiness, just like your mother." Noah reached out and stroked her head. "You are indeed happy that your mother is true to herself, but are you really the one who feels happy?"

"...You? What are you talking about?"

"I'm not talking to Arturo, the man who talked to me about enlightenment. I'm talking to the girl who lost her mother."