PFC Chapter 541 The Beginning of the End III
Chapter 541 The Beginning of the End III
Pendor, the pearl of the South, has lost its normal urban functions and can no longer serve as a place to settle down.
So after all the twists and turns, Aarons finally returned to his throne—the Dawn White Bird.
"Ahem... Although a lot has happened and it can't be explained in a short time, let's just say... I'm back."
After sitting back in his familiar captain's seat, Aarons suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia.
That's what fate is all about... Even if you stray from the right path for a while, you'll eventually find your way back to the predetermined path.
The price to pay for defying fate is often much higher than imagined.
"I think you have all received the new information and reports by now, so I will not repeat myself—we will soon be facing fragments of an extraterrestrial god who intends to devour this planet and exterminate all life."
Even if someone wanted to explain in detail, Aarons had nothing to say about it.
He himself did not know what the fragment was, or how it would erode the world... because Huang Yayin and Night Owl had not yet told him more details.
"As a hero summoned by the planet, my purpose in coming to this world is to destroy the fragments that threaten the planet and humanity, and to put everything back on track."
But Aarons didn't really care what would become of the humans on this planet.
As the devil once said, the crimes committed by humanity in order to expand their living space have yet to be repented for or atone for.
Their fawning over the strong and their contempt for the weak make them utterly unlikable.
"But for various reasons, I have not only wasted a lot of time, but I am still unable to exert my full strength... Therefore, I cannot guarantee that we will win this battle, nor can I guarantee that each of you will live to face the future."
On the screens displaying the images of everyone inside the ship, there was only a silent silence.
These ordinary people did not offer any opinions or express any thoughts.
They simply listened silently to Aarons' speech, seemingly indifferent to their impending fate.
"If you have any objections or are afraid, then get off the ship as soon as possible. Leaving now might give you a better chance of survival."
Even so, no one responded.
Upon witnessing this scene, Aarons sighed deeply.
"Finally, the battle plan will soon be distributed to everyone... Those who have no objections, please proceed with the preparations according to the plan. That's all I have to say. Over."
After cutting off the ship's communications, which he had long been accustomed to, Aarons shook his head wearily, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes.
So much has happened lately... He needs a short rest to recover his overexerted energy.
……
"Little girl, are you satisfied with this now?"
In an inconspicuous little room inside the White Bird Clan, a white-haired girl with ram's horns was bent over a table, writing something intently.
On the other side of the table, a tall, blonde nun was staring at her with blood-red eyes, like a lioness ready to attack at any moment.
"I know how many mistakes I made in the past, and I am well aware that the harm I have caused to others cannot be erased with just a few words."
"Oh? Didn't you already reincarnate? Those things from before have nothing to do with you now, right?"
“Since I have chosen to inherit this name, I should naturally inherit the sins of the previous generation as well—so my answer is that I am fine as I am now.”
Alone in a corner where no one cares, doing tedious and boring work, not even qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with others... this is the way a newborn girl voluntarily chooses to atone for her sins.
She neither asks for forgiveness nor longs for freedom—she will probably remain in this state until the sins she committed in the past are finally settled.
"Heh, that makes sense, after all, you're no longer a demon."
"If there's nothing else, please hurry up and prepare for the operations meeting. We still don't know what kind of enemy we're dealing with, and we can't even formulate an operations plan."
"Alright, let's head over there then."
So the golden-haired lioness turned around and walked without hesitation toward the entrance to the room.
However, she suddenly stopped before opening the door.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't save you then, or I can't now."
"Please don't blame yourself, it's not your fault... Mother."
Whether it was a past connection or a present interaction, it all seemed to have vanished at this moment.
Because they have been given a new life, they are no longer the same people they used to be.
……
Shortly after, in Shiratori's operations conference room.
"Before we begin discussing the battle plan, I must give you a report—the memories of the previous generation contain some important information about the Covenant Church, and their existence could have serious consequences for us."
Before the formal discussion could begin, the Aries girl brought up a topic.
What kind of scheme is this mysterious organization, which has always kept its distance from Aarons' side but has been involved in all the events from beginning to end, continuing from the past to the present?
"First of all, the Holy Covenant Church actually learned of the existence of the 'Fragment' from the hero a thousand years ago, and even mastered its exact nature and how to deal with it."
"What...they already knew?"
"Yes, and that's why they later used the planet's authority to repatriate the hero—they wanted to control the power of that 'fragment' and use it as a power source to leave the planet."
Compared to its vile and insidious methods, the Covenant Church's purpose appears quite simple.
Perhaps they did have lofty ideals at some point in the past, but now, those ideals are just an excuse for their scheming and plotting.
"But the problem is, they didn't get a way to control or destroy the 'shards' from the hero. After banishing the hero, they found that they couldn't even make the most basic contact with him."
“Our master once said that all he could do at the time was to peel the ‘fragments’ off the planet.”
"After all attempts failed, the Covenant Church finally changed its goals... They planned to escape to other parts of the universe before the 'Fragment' truly awakened and devoured the entire planet."
The Covenant Church paid a heavy price for rejecting the best solution out of greed.
Human civilization had barely established itself on this planet when it was forced to prepare for its escape... Even if they weren't the noblest and kindest people, it would be hard for them to accept such an outcome.
"So, they later devised a new plan—first, they continuously captured the guardians created by the planet over a long period of time, and then filled them into the restrictions that the hero set for the 'fragment', delaying the time for the 'fragment' to break through the seal and awaken as much as possible."
After a brief pause, the Aries girl finally revealed the truth that was directly related to everyone.
"Secondly, they also devised a plan to capture the next hero summoned by the planet... They need to use the hero's powers to create a space travel device that can lead all of humanity away from the planet."
"...All of humanity?"
“That’s right—in the design of the Covenant Church, once that device is activated, it will absorb all life on this planet as fuel, carrying ‘all of humanity chosen by God’ away from this planet that is about to be devoured.”
—If this information is indeed correct, then Aarons and his team will likely face more than just that 'fragment' as an enemy.
"However, regrettably, during my last contact with the Covenant Church, I learned that... due to the restrictions being nearing their limit and beginning to loosen, they had already begun trial runs of that device."
This conclusion implies that those who fled to the Covenant Alliance due to natural disasters in various places... are probably no longer alive.
"...What would happen if that thing were fully activated?"
"Because the power of the hero on this planet is almost godlike, if it were to be fully activated, all life in the world could be confiscated within just a few days."
Therefore, even if Aarons, as the hero, can truly eliminate the threat of the 'Fragments', the end of this world may already be unavoidable.
So, what is the right thing to do now?