Chapter 80: Miracles Only Descend Upon Those Who Believe in Them

Chapter 80: Miracles Only Descend Upon Those Who Believe in Them

Night.

Deep Blue Metropolis, BluEther Group Headquarters.

“Father, you wanted to see me?”

Isabelle walked into the office and looked at her father, who was standing with his back to her behind the desk.

“Isabel, the matter you asked me about already has a result. But before that, I need to confirm something with you once more. Are you truly prepared to become a Starbearer?”

As the office chair slowly turned around, the Star Origin Cube Dorian was holding immediately came into view.

The moment she saw the cube, Isabelle’s body couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

However, that surge of excitement didn’t last long.

After taking several deep breaths, Isabelle spoke with resolute eyes, “Yes.”

Seeing her expression, Dorian understood that there were some things he no longer needed to say.

Thus, he placed the Star Origin Cube on the desk and began to seriously explain several important matters to Isabelle.

“Alright. Since you’ve already thought it through, I respect your choice.”

“You should be able to tell that what’s inside this is the Natural Type Star Origin I specifically bought for you, its name is [Absolute Zero].”

“However, even though the Star Origin is ready, I don’t intend to let you absorb it immediately.”

“Only after you pass Cromwell’s training and earn his approval will I hand this Star Origin over to you.”

“At the same time, after that, I’ll send you to the best Starbearer Academy in Steam City, giving you a chance to use it as a stepping stone to fully enter the core Starbearer circle of the Seven Floating Cities.”

“But you must understand this clearly—once you become a Starbearer, all the protections and privileges within the Federation that were originally designed for ordinary people will no longer apply to you.”

“And as I gradually expand the group’s business outward, the group itself—and you within it—will face dangers beyond imagination.”

“Even so, do you still want to become a Starbearer?”

If this had been not long ago, Isabelle would have refused without a second thought.

Because she knew all too well what becoming a Starbearer meant, and she understood clearly what one had to shoulder after becoming one.

But after experiencing that incident, she already had a firm answer in her heart.

“Don’t worry, Father. I won’t let you down.”

“Besides, even if I don’t become a Starbearer, won’t the things that are meant to come still come anyway?”

“So rather than praying for the enemy’s mercy, I’d rather seize the opportunity with my own hands.”

“Is that so… It seems that after going through so much, you really have grown up.”

“Father, no one stays a child forever, right?”

“…That’s true.”

As he spoke, Dorian placed the Star Origin Cube that was on the desk back into a specially prepared safe.

After taking one last deep look at the Star Origin Cube, Isabelle turned and left the office without looking back.

Because she knew very well that only by passing the trial of Cromwell as soon as possible could she truly obtain the Absolute Zero Star Origin.

And only then could she gain the power to protect herself in this dangerous world.

After all, she never wanted to experience again that horrible feeling of leaving her life and death in someone else’s hands.

At the same time, Embers Base, inside the cafeteria.

“Wow! Let me see, let me see! I know you all definitely brought me gifts!”

Just as Chen Kong, Chen Xing, and Caroline stepped into the base cafeteria—a soft, excited cheer suddenly rang out.

The very next second, Jing Liuli rode atop her star-patterned pillow and, like a purple “missile,” launched straight out from a corner of the cafeteria. Flying at an almost ground-skimming and dangerously low altitude, she shot toward the three who had just entered.

Seeing this, the trio instinctively stepped half a pace back, narrowly avoiding being struck head-on and taken out on the spot by the purple projectile.

Fortunately, after a month’s time, Jing Liuli’s control over her Star Gear had clearly improved by another level.

She first performed a gorgeous upward pull, sweeping over their heads, then circled them once. After her little eyes rolled around, she dove down and came to a sudden stop in front of Caroline’s suitcase.

Without even asking whether Caroline agreed or not, she blinked her big eyes and quietly reached her small hand toward the latch on Caroline’s luggage—looking positively mischievous.

Unfortunately for her, the sneaky move didn’t succeed.

Because just as her “criminal little hand” reached out, someone lightly—but decisively—slapped it away.

Smack!

“Ow!”

Jing Liuli puffed out her cheeks and looked at Caroline with a face full of grievance, her eyes brimming with complaint.

“Caroline, you’re being so mean.”

In response, Caroline replied without the slightest mercy, “The one who goes around touching other people’s stuff behind their back is even meaner, don’t you think?”

Hearing this, Jing Liuli straightened up her chest defiantly, causing the little bear printed on her pajamas to wobble along with the motion.

“What do you mean? I’m doing it right in front of you, openly and honestly! How is that ‘behind their back’?”

Caroline rubbed her forehead and sighed in exasperation.

Thankfully, she had plenty of experience dealing with childish troublemakers.

Instead of arguing with Jing Liuli over whether this counted as “touching other people’s stuff behind their back,” Caroline simply squatted down, took the initiative to open her suitcase, and pulled out a cute blue owl-shaped sleep mask.

“Here.”

“Waaah! It’s even the Deep Blue Metropolis limited edition!”

Jing Liuli grabbed the owl sleep mask, hugged her pillow, and began flying excitedly all around the cafeteria.

A moment later, she slipped the mask over her head, stopped in front of Caroline and the others, and spun around in place a few times.

“Look, look! Don’t you think I look like a night-patrolling owl knight now?”

As she spoke, Jing Liuli even put on a serious act and threw a few punches at the air—ha, ha, ha!

Of course, with how soft and fluffy her punches were, they didn’t look dangerous in the slightest.

Still, her antics weren’t entirely without effect.

Because even Caroline, who was usually so stone-faced, couldn’t help but be amused by her cuteness.

To be honest, even though they had all grown up together at the base, no matter how much time passed, Jing Liuli always managed to preserve that original joy—like a child who would never grow up.

However, before Jing Liuli could say anything else, Caroline’s peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of the long tables that used to be filled with trainees, now left with only a few scattered plates.

She spoke almost unconsciously, “Come to think of it, the cafeteria feels a lot quieter now.”

At those words, Jing Liuli’s cute punching motions abruptly stopped.

She hugged her beloved pillow tightly and said in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, “Yeah… because the Doctor said that kids who didn’t pass the final assessment aren’t allowed to stay at the base anymore.”

“So, aside from the twelve people who passed the assessment back then, everyone else was gradually sent away by the Doctor not long after you left.”

“Is that so…”

Hearing the words final assessment, Caroline suddenly felt as if a lifetime had passed.

Because during that month in Deep Blue Metropolis, she had almost forgotten that she was a Machina—and that she was a member of the Embers organization.

Seeing Jing Liuli’s mood sink, Chen Xing—who usually liked to “bully” her—suddenly walked over with a gift in hand.

“Here.”

“Wow!”

The moment Jing Liuli saw the Deep Blue Metropolis specialty snack gift pack in Chen Xing’s hands, her eyes instantly turned into shining stars.

Faced with that look, Chen Xing immediately turned her head away and said in a deliberately cool tone, “Hmph. Don’t get the wrong idea—this is just something I picked up while passing by a snack shop.”

Even so, after her eyes rolled once, Jing Liuli suddenly leaned in and, catching Chen Xing completely off guard, planted a loud smack of a kiss on her cheek.

The sudden “ambush” immediately made Chen Xing jump as if she’d been electrocuted.

But before Chen Xing could erupt, Jing Liuli’s adorable, baby-cheeked face lit up with delight as she spoke first:

“Thank you, Xing! Liuli likes you the most!”

“……”

Li-likes?!

Staring at Jing Liuli’s eyes, sparkling and shining, Chen Xing opened her mouth—then, in the end, let out a tsundere snort and turned her head away.

And if one looked closely, they would notice that Chen Xing’s usually pale ears had visibly reddened, clearly a sign that she was a little embarrassed by the praise.

At this, Jing Liuli’s seemingly innocent big eyes suddenly flashed with a hint of cunning.

Hehe—Tendou’s little trick for dealing with Xing really works!

He said that Chen Xing was cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

If you go against her, she’ll absolutely dig in her heels and fight you to the bitter end.

But if you go along with her, you can easily coax her without much effort.

Jing Liuli hadn’t believed him before.

But now… Tendou was totally right!

Thinking of Tendou, Jing Liuli suddenly realized that Tendou—who was usually inseparable from Caroline—was strangely nowhere to be seen today.

“Caroline, where’s Tendou? Shouldn’t he have come back with you?”

Chen Kong, who had just finished putting away his luggage, took over the explanation and said to Jing Liuli,

“Tendou said he has something to discuss with the Doctor. He told us to come to the cafeteria first and help him get some food. He’ll be over in a bit.”

“Oh, I see!”

. . .

Deep within the Embers base, inside the Doctor’s private laboratory.

“Doctor, are you really determined to do this?”

“You should know that if you fail, then everything you’ve done… will only end up benefiting someone else.”

The Doctor, who was in the middle of reviewing data, heard this and silently set down the tablet in his hand. With a blank expression, he asked,

“When did you notice?”

Tendou was half-lying on the sofa, both hands resting on the back of it, staring up at the ceiling.

“About the time you sent everyone else away and kept only the twelve of us.”

“After all, if you had sent the twelve of us away too, those old foxes outside would’ve suspected you had some kind of hidden scheme. They wouldn’t truly go all-in on cultivating the Children of the Stars because they’re afraid of raising a tiger that might turn on them.”

“But if you first send some of them away under the pretext of exchanging interests, and then finally put on a show of perishing together with the base…”

“Then even those old foxes would never think there was anything wrong with it.”

“After all… once Embers and you are both gone, what would they still have to worry about?”

The Doctor fell silent for a moment, then looked up at Tendou sitting on the sofa.

“Say it. What are you planning to do? I don’t believe you came all this way just to show off how clever you are.”

Hearing this, Tendou stopped pretending altogether.

He placed his hands on his knees and stood up forcefully.

Then he looked straight at the Doctor behind the desk. In his azure-blue eyes was a level of seriousness and resolve never seen before.

“Give me the task you were originally going to entrust to Yume. Let me help you finish this final matter.”

“No.”

Without the slightest hesitation, the Doctor—who was usually almost unfailingly indulgent toward Tendou—flatly rejected the proposal.

Because he understood perfectly well the role Tachibana occupied in his plan, and he understood just as clearly what her eventual outcome would be.

So he would absolutely not allow Tendou to take her place.

But just as the Doctor had his own persistence and stubbornness, so did Tendou.

“Doctor, I think you’ve misunderstood one thing.”

“Right now, I’m not asking for your permission. I’m simply notifying you.”

“……”

Looking at Tendou—smiling, yet with an utterly domineering gaze—the Doctor was silent for a long time before speaking.

“Tendou, do you know what what you just said means?”

“Of course I do.”

Tendou casually pulled a pair of sunglasses from his jacket as he spoke.

“Doesn’t it just mean that once I do this, there’s a good chance I won’t see tomorrow’s sun? But, what’s the big deal about that?”

“Besides… who’s to say who won’t see tomorrow in the end?”

With that, Tendou put on his sunglasses, turned around, and walked toward the exit.

“It’s settled then. Yume-nee’s matter… leave it to me.”

“Wait.”

Just as Tendou was about to step out the door, the Doctor called out to him.

“Tendou, you still have two months to think this over. I hope you’ll make your decision after you’ve truly thought it through.”

In response, Tendou simply waved his hand.

“Doctor, when did you ever think this was a sudden decision for me?”

“And besides, in my dictionary, there has never been the word ‘failure.’”

With that said, Tendou left the Doctor’s laboratory without looking back.

Watching his retreating figure, the Doctor let out a rare sigh.

“Future Sight, huh? Tendou… you really chose yourself an exceptionally terrible future.”

“However…”

The Doctor lifted his head. Beneath that face of an Machina Type Starbearer—one that should have been defined by pure rationality—there appeared a rare, emotionally charged madness.

“if it’s you, then for no clear reason at all, I feel like you can actually do it.”

“This has nothing to do with logic, but rather with what you once said—something that belongs solely to humans: intuition.”

“Though it is indeed absurd, at this very moment… it feels as if I’ve truly grasped the fleeting tail flame of a miracle.”

“So, Tendou—since you want to do it, then go and do it.”

“After all, miracles never descend upon cold, unfeeling Machina.”

“They only descend upon emotional humans who believe in miracles.”

“And in that regard, I am far inferior to you.”

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