Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

"...So what do we do now?" Now that Noah had gained this power, what was he supposed to do next? Should he just charge in?

"Enter the desolate land and face the real me," Helhunzollon replied. "Then, kill him and seize control of this desolate land."

“…” Noah did not respond. Or rather, there was no need to respond, because the tower had completely fallen into reality and even opened its doors to her.

——Herhunzoron is inviting the current King of Leithnia.

Noah subconsciously turned his head and looked at the twin queens on the twin towers. It seemed that... in the eyes of this tower, he, who had been recognized by the Golden Rule, was more like the king of Leithania... maybe?

The three chapters and ten melodies woven together were not so much a musical motive or theme as a supreme technique infused by masters of Originium thousands of years ago. It was the magnificent creation, reflection, and protection bestowed upon Leitania by countless sages since its founding. It was Leitania's Supreme Will, a movement infinitely close to eternity, and now it rejoiced within him.

"Letania" allows all the people on this land to share honor and disgrace, and "Letania" engraves elegance, harmony, morality and beauty in every breath we take.

They had made the best vision and plan for this country thousands of years ago, and they made "Lethania" the truth of this land.

But, that was their Leitania.

And now...

What Herhunzoron defined was his own Leitania.

In other words, he gave Noah everything he could give, and his wish was... to kill himself who was still in the subspace?

On behalf of Leithania... on behalf of...

Leitania today?

But it was too late. When the tower fell into reality, it was too late.

There is no movement that cannot be rewritten, no spell that cannot be surpassed, no will that cannot be defeated, and no unknown that cannot be conquered...

Immortality lies in "renewal".

Even the former Witch King, the former Herkunzollon, had long since become corrupt in his own eyes...

“If the questions are endless, then the answers are endless.”

“I never stop. This is what distinguishes me from the great men of the past.”

"This is my immortality, Frémont."

The arrogant boy's boastful words were still echoing in Fremont's ears. When he raised his head and looked at the tall tower, he finally cursed loudly.

"idiot!"

The next moment, Noah was pushed by a pair of hands and stepped into the tower. When she turned around, she found that it was Fremont who pushed her.

After the two entered the tower, the gate of the tower was completely closed, leaving only the musicians in the square who were still shocked by the current scene and didn't know what to do, and the confused twins in the twin towers.

"Grandmaster?!"

"What are you hesitating about? If you don't confront your teacher, how can you surpass him? In terms of enlightenment alone, you're far behind him." Flemont scolded him angrily, "You still have a lot to do before those two fools come barging in!"

-

"...We have to destroy the [Horn of Origin] as soon as possible!" After Noah and Fremont disappeared, the Twin Towers were the buildings closest to the Witch King's Tower, and Helinmart and Liselotte were the closest people to entering the tower.

"...I thought your goal was to bring the Horn of Origin down. Have you given up?"

"...Controllable power will become Leitania's sharpest sword." Helinmart didn't shy away from the question. "However, Frémont and I have tried so many methods and have failed to successfully enter that space. How interesting, the one who finally opened the passage...was actually an outsider."

"Ha... an outsider... now this outsider... looks more like the king of Leitania than any of us do."

"Whatever her motives, she has given us a chance." Helinmart extended her hand to Liselotte. "I will not allow this unknown threat to continue to hang over Leitania. I certainly hope it can come more safely and secretly. But at least we can deal with it now. Liselotte, can you help me again?"

"……as always."

Chapter 53: Choice

Wasteland... Is this the wasteland?

Noah couldn't help but sigh that in the almost disordered place of the subspace, building such a huge complex by himself was simply a god-level operation. In his later years, Herhunzollon almost devoted everything he had to deal with the evil demons that might invade reality at any time. Every building here was built up bit by bit with the crazy stacking of knowledge and magic under day and night worries.

"...Teacher...how long has he been here alone?" Noya muttered unconsciously. Being imprisoned in the Beacon Tower had already been quite difficult for her, but what about Herhunzollon? This legendary warlock had managed to survive in the Warp for so long. Judging by the current state of the Wasteland, he had not only endured the loneliness, but even maintained his sanity.

This feat is magnificent from any perspective.

After Noah temporarily ascended to the so-called divine realm through Leithania's crown, which was transformed from the golden rhythm, she could clearly feel the veins of everything around her, so she could see clearly what kind of miracle the cohesion of the entire wasteland was. The subspace would undoubtedly try to erode and destroy the wasteland, an ordered space established in the disordered world. This is the nature of the subspace. The subspace will indiscriminately pollute all ordered things and turn them into disordered turbulence.

However, the wasteland can exist stably in the subspace and even open up a pure land.

Every brick and tile here will cause a bloody storm once it appears in the outside world. This is because these bricks and tiles are engraved with the most sophisticated spells of the Witch King. The value of these spells is truly priceless in the eyes of those who know the value of them.

Herhunzollon is worthy of the title of Witch King and the title of the strongest sorcerer. Even after more than 20 years, his attainments are still unparalleled in the world.

Noya continued forward. The moment she stepped into the next palace, her vision blurred, as if she were falling into an abyss. Fortunately, the crown stabilized her body, but in just a moment of trance, she saw someone... She recognized her identity at first glance, even though she looked so young now. But it was enough to shake her. She squatted down and asked cautiously.

"what your name?"

"......?" The little girl seemed to be very confused about Noah's sudden appearance. Even Noah could see the confusion in her eyes. She didn't know when she had come from the dim palace to a garden full of flowers. In the center of the garden, under the grape trellis, was a blonde girl in blue pajamas. She seemed to be chasing butterflies, chasing the elves dancing among the flowers. Until he suddenly appeared, her interest shifted from butterflies to this stranger who suddenly appeared.

"Vivian, my name is Vivian."

"...Vivian..." Noah breathed a sigh of relief. Sure enough, it was her, the girl she knew, Viviana.

"Where is this place?"

"This... this is my home."

"Your home?"

Noah frowned. This was clearly the Witch King's tower. There shouldn't be sunshine here, and there shouldn't be a Viviana who had clearly transformed into a child. Yet, she still saw this child, and she couldn't help but feel curious. "Why are you here?"

"Where else could I be if I'm not home? You're really strange, sister, with that strange crown." Vivian's eyes held a child's innocence. To her, Noya, who had suddenly appeared here, was certainly a strange person. Noya subconsciously touched her crown. The crown had absorbed so much power that it grew like a living thing, making her look more like... she had two horns. "Big sister, what are you doing here?"

"...I...I came to see my teacher." Noah hesitated for a moment before speaking, "My teacher wants me to see him, so I came here."

"Who's your teacher?" Vivian looked at Noya curiously. To her, this beautiful yet strange sister was like a fairy who had suddenly landed in her garden. She was Vivian, but she wasn't Vivian. This girl, as innocent as an elf, seemed to lack Vivian's deep-seated melancholy. She was like a brilliant marigold, without a single shadow.

"He was a very powerful man." Noah found it difficult to evaluate the Witch King. As a teacher, Noah respected the Witch King's knowledge and research, but as Noah herself, she was also quite familiar with the tyranny of Herhunzoren in his later years. He was a genius and a wise monarch in the first half of his life, but in the second half of his life - the Witch King's crimes were not slandered by the Gemini Queens. Many records, including those of the historians during the Witch King's period, truthfully recorded the Witch King's cruelty and ruthlessness.

Noah respected Herhunzoren, but could not approve of the Witch King's behavior... In response to Vivian's question, she could only give this answer.

But... where is the real Viviana... now?

“…Let’s get out of here.”

"...Viviana?"

"Kora, can you promise me... don't say or do anything for now?" Viviana held Kora's hand. After Noya entered the Sorcerer King's Tower, chaos immediately descended below the Twin Towers. People witnessed the Horn of Origin fall into reality, bringing absolute panic to those who couldn't forget the Sorcerer King era. Meanwhile, the Golden Rule Guards began using their magic to try to control everyone in the square. They couldn't allow the contaminated Golden Rule music to spread.

Although Viviana still doesn't believe that it was Noah himself who modified the Golden Rule, the crown on Noah's head just now seems to explain everything.

She didn't know what to do next, but she found Kola in the crowd as soon as possible. She had to take Kola away from this place of trouble.

"There are too many of them. Each of them is very powerful, on par with a champion knight. If it's just Lord Brant, I might give it a try."

"..." Korra didn't speak, nor did she answer. But sometimes, no answer is the best answer. Among the musicians, some were not panicking, not even as frightened as the others. Their joy was beyond words. They gathered around Korra, praising the arrival of the Witch King.

"Why are you still silent? The curtain is about to be lifted. Why should we hide?"

"Our long-cherished wish, our longing, the moment we have sacrificed our blood and minds for—is about to arrive!"

"Why is there no trace of joy on your face?"

"……head……"

Before he could finish his words, Viviana's rapier had already landed on his neck. At this moment, Viviana was truly filled with murderous intent. She had too many reasons to be angry with the Witch King Yuyin.

"Don't—say that again."

"..." Korra closed her eyes, "Viviana, there's no need to deceive yourself anymore. You already know my identity, right?"

"..." Viviana's hands were shaking. She wished she had guessed wrong, or that she had misunderstood the person in front of her... because that was her last relative, a relative who had no blood relationship but was better than a blood relative.

Korra actually didn't think she was disguising herself very well. Rather... after that moment of revealing her true feelings, it wasn't surprising that Viviana knew her identity.

"I'm really sorry, Viviana." Cora's words were sincere and without any falsehood. In front of Viviana, she hoped that she was an honest person. Maybe everything was false, but she didn't want her love for Viviana to be false.

"Chief! Damn it! Those Golden Law Guards are surrounding us! We must fight together! If we die now... it would be too worthless..." At this moment, the remnant of the Witch King holding the musical instrument spoke again, but the next moment, before Viviana's rapier could cut her throat, her own magic directly pierced her heart. The one who did it was naturally Korra. Although she couldn't see, she had an extraordinary sensitivity to Originium skills. Just now, the remnant of the Witch King planned to sneak attack Viviana, and this had crossed her bottom line.

She easily reversed the magic of the remnants of the Witch King and pierced it through her own chest. This girl, who once believed in herself, turned into ashes.

Like the rest of the Witch King's remnants—

"—I have a lot to say... I think now might be the best time to explain." Cora looked at Viviana. The ashes of the Witch King's remnants danced around her, looking extremely strange. It was as if from the very beginning, she had cast some kind of time bomb-like spell on all the Witch King's remnants participating in the performance. Now, with a light tap of her finger, those Witch King's remnants turned into flesh and blood fireworks one after another. Soon, in front of Viviana, there was only...

"...Chief." Viviana said what the remnants of the Witch King had not finished saying. "You even deceived them?"

"Yes, becoming the 'chief' of the Witch King's remnants, giving them bait and hope, and leading them into the abyss is the task the Queen has assigned to me." Korra nodded, her smile a little thin, as if she was about to fall down at any time, but Viviana did not dare to relax, because it was this person who betrayed all those who trusted her - and now she said that she was the Queen's person?

So... it was the Queen who brought about the current situation?

"Twenty-three years have passed. Everything about the Witch King—those long nightmares, the deep-seated fears, the pointless ambitions—should have been completely erased from this kingdom." Korra looked toward the massive tower in the sky and spoke, "Look, everything has been accomplished, just as she wished."

"...But...why?" Viviana didn't understand. "What on earth is the Queen thinking? What good would it bring her to pollute the Golden Rule? Even the Witch King himself isn't crazy enough to destroy it...why would she?!"

"...I don't know, Viviana. I just accepted orders... and... I have my own things to do." Cora shook her head. "I've watched you grow up. Maybe you don't know, but on your birthday, I secretly went to Casimir to see you. I know you have Miss Noya and many other people around you. I've watched every one of your games and am proud of your growth... Not just me... Even your father, Walner, pays close attention to you..."

"But you never appeared in front of me the first time...why?"

"Your father...Warner was involved in something terrible that you absolutely cannot be involved in." Cora shook her head, "So he had to distance himself from you."

"Did the Queen force my father to death?" Although Viviana had thought of this possibility a long time ago, she was still unwilling to really think about it, but Korra nodded.

"...I tried to persuade him, and tried for a long time." Cora recalled that day. Walter had never been so depressed. "I wanted him to hand over the copy of the Golden Rule so that I could move to another place. But he was worried that this would alert the remnants of the Witch King and make the bait ineffective. I also asked him if Brent could come ahead and save his life at the scene of the attack... but he still refused me. He said that he was already terminally ill and was waiting for death to take him and Lucinda. It was just a few more days of life, not worth implicating Shi Tongling... with you."

"...You mean...it was father who chose death himself?" Viviana's eyes were shaking. She never thought that the death of her father, whom she cared about the most, was actually her own choice.

"...But if he had held on for a few more hours...even just a moment, he would have waited for you." Korra lowered her eyes. "He left too decisively, gave up too easily, and was too helpless. On the day Werner died, I got a copy of the Golden Rule and watched you return to Shi Tongling and embark on another arranged path, a path similar to Werner's...so..."

Korra sighed quietly.

"How could I possibly let you suffer the same fate as Volner?"

"You used the magic of Herhunzoren to tune the music. You are destroying the music, or rather the magical power that the music exerts on the hearts of all Leitanians." Viviana finally completed the last piece of the puzzle she had guessed. She never imagined that the reason why Korra chose to betray everyone in the end... was actually completely out of [personal love], out of Korra's love for her, but the deeper the love, the more hatred it will bring.

When love outweighs loyalty to the Queen, her natural choice is revenge.

"I won't say I want to do anything great... Viviana, but I love you, and that's absolutely true." Cora held Viviana's hand. "Do you know what the final conclusion of the Witch King's remnants was?"

"……what?"

"Noa Kyrielight." Korra smiled. "She will become the new king of Leitania, destroying the old golden rhythm and truly liberating Leitania."

Although this conclusion contains many errors...but they may really realize it.

Today's Leitania needs change, and needs a king who can bring about change.

Since Herhunzoron chose Noah, the Witch King Yuyin would naturally choose Noah as well.

Chapter 54: Gifting Each Other

"Hurry up! The big sister with the strange crown on her head—come here, come here! I have something to show you!"

At this time, Noah was still being led by Vivian, or the younger version of Vivianna. I don't know if it was because the time in the subspace did not flow normally, but Noah had stayed in the subspace for so long and did not feel the strength in her body weaken at all. According to the structure of the technique itself, she could only hold on for about ten minutes, but the special environment of the subspace seemed to continue the reliability of the technique, making it more stable.

"Vivian - where are you taking me?" Noah was helpless as Vivian held his arm and ran. He didn't dare to use force for fear of hurting Vivian, so he could only ask helplessly.

"Here—right here—look, Mom and Dad!" Vivian led Noah to the depths of the garden and pointed toward the sky. Noah looked in the direction she knew and saw a very young man and woman hugging each other. This must be the "Mom and Dad" Vivian was talking about. Noah had previously learned about Vivian's family situation. According to Vivian herself, her mother died very young, and her father was always depressed.

So... the scene that Vivian showed him now... was probably what she wanted most in her heart.

Noah couldn't help but feel a trace of sadness in her heart. She squatted down, stroked Vivian's head, and whispered, "Vivian, are you happy?"

"...Happiness?" Vivian's small eyes seemed unable to contain such a strange question. She just tilted her head, thought for a long time, and finally said with a smile, "Dad said that happiness is always being with the people you love most. I love my parents the most, so I must be happy!"

"...That's good..." Noah smiled, stretched out her hand, and gently embraced Vivian in her arms, "Just stay here, be good, don't go anywhere, sister has her own things to do, okay?"

"...Sister...you..." Vivian looked at the older sister in front of her. For some reason, she suddenly felt uneasy. She grabbed Noah's hand and asked tentatively. "Sister, can't you stay? Isn't this place nice?"

"This is your paradise, but sister... there are many people waiting for me to return." Noah shook her head. "I'm sorry, Vivian, I have to leave first. Here is the happiness you want most. You just need to stay in this happiest moment."

Noah let go of his embrace and pushed Vivian towards her parents. Vivian ran a few steps and looked back at Noah. It was obviously the first time they met... but Vivian felt as if she and Noah had known each other for a long time.

However, she still couldn't leave her parents, so she eventually walked towards her parents and disappeared in the light.

Noah watched Vivian disappear behind the door. She suddenly turned her head and found that there was a door behind her. A faint light shone in from behind the door, as if attracting her there.

Noah turned around and grasped the door handle.

——She knew where this door led to.

——How could she forget?