Even after regaining their memories, understanding at last, their fate in the next moment was already set—after finding their home, there was no way to return.
Like a starship with a broken system, after receiving the last transmission from home, it could never come back.
The unique psionic embodiments forged by the psychic coronets, surviving in the Dragon Realm, were destined to dissolve once they left.
And the Crown Clan’s fierce and dominant psychic power could not be contained by anything but their own bodies.
Yet, this generation of Crown Clan showed not a hint of worry or distress—even now, they were smiling.
It didn’t matter that they couldn’t go back.
Before fading away and leaving this world in complete forgetfulness, to be able to recall everything, to find the thing they’d searched for over thousands of years, to see Chu Zao—this was enough, more than enough, almost like a dream.
“That thing, is it really the culprit behind all this?”
Desmond spoke softly, looking at little Chu Zao, as if to comfort.
When Chu Zao understood why Desmond and the others were here, and what had happened, he also realized—once they left the Dragon Realm, Desmond and these wandering psychic bodies would gradually fade in the stars.
Snapping back, Chu Zao nodded, then shook his head. As a child, he was more prone to acting spoiled; now grown, he was more level-headed. Still clutching Desmond’s clothes, he didn’t speak so directly as he had as a child.
“It should be.”
Should be?
“Because we’ve never truly caught him before.”
Last time in the Angel Realm, the other side just opened its eyes and looked at them; so much time had passed since.
In Chu Zao’s other hand was the Cupid’s Bow.
About to come of age, the little Crown Clan watched Desmond, watched the others behind him attacking the monsters spawned from the dragon’s blood and flesh. His hand trembled slightly—from exerting too much force.
Last time—the Angel Realm was destroyed, completely buried by the chaos of space-time.
This time, ‘God’ appeared. What about the Dragon Realm?
No need to even think about it—the chaos here was worse than the Angel Realm.
“Is that so?” Desmond turned, gazing at the eye and the surrounding monsters. This elder, whom Chu Zao had only just met, smiled lazily, unhurried, “So is there a way to deal with him, a way to solve it?”
One couldn’t tell if Desmond was trying to comfort the cub, or simply grew calmer the more dangerous things turned.
“Relax—”
Desmond reached out, smiling.
“Future little majesty, you needn’t worry. We are always moving forward, just as you came here and found us.”
If this time they failed to finish the monster, there would be another time, and another after that.
Generation after generation of Crown Clan built barrier after barrier; they are the foundation pushing the clan ever forward.
Chu Zao at last studied ‘God’ closely.
Countless eyeballs in the sky—impossible to say which was its true body, or even what space it hid in.
“He’s panicking—” Chu Zao gripped the Cupid’s Bow, eyes glowing, the coronet above his head growing brighter, those eyes able to see every flicker of emotion at last caught the other’s frenzied fear, “He’s scared—he’s afraid…of my Cupid’s Bow?”
Chu Zao realized his power had grown after entering the fallen star cluster; he could suppress and dispel corruption. But there hadn’t been time to understand it before being targeted and thrown here.
Did the enemy risk exposure because someone now truly threatened him? If Chu Zao could counter corruption, he could surely counter him.
Chu Zao tightened his tiny bow.
So your psychic weapon is called Cupid’s Bow?
Desmond was briefly distracted—Cupid’s Bow, love and peace, how fitting.
As Chu Zao finished, the monsters seemed to grow even angrier.
‘God’ became aware—Chu Zao had realized it, and the Crown Clan’s resistance had peaked. Even the energy already absorbed was resisting. He couldn’t extract more from them.
On the interstellar front, the Aberrant Beasts were routed; the monsters that fed on them were being targeted by outside Crown Clan.
Amos had swung his last sword and now, chasing the panicked avatar, approached the Crown Clan burial planet.
‘God’s’ core was shaking—even pulling the now-pollution-slaying cub here was useless.
He still didn’t understand—just a short while ago, everything was under his control. Whether humans, long-lived kinds, or especially the ever-troublesome Crown Clan—he once saw them as ants, low-dimensional beings to use and devour at will.
They should have been resources for him. But since Chu Zao appeared, it had been so little time—a blink to long-lived races, and just as quick for him—yet everything had reversed.
He tried to intervene, but couldn’t stamp out this cub.
‘God’ muttered in rage. The monsters, scattered by the Crown Clan again and again, reformed into something even larger, surging toward Chu Zao, while another mass crept silently behind Chao Huangmu, the force making the already suffering him let out a low groan.
Chu Zao didn’t have time to check Chao Huangmu’s situation; a blast of wind at his back made him dodge on instinct.
Desmond sneered, already behind Chu Zao, baleful; the red-eyed monster was instantly hacked to pieces and began to twist.
“Great-grandfather!”
Desmond paused, then laughed: “Suddenly my seniority climbed again—I’m not quite used to it, Zao Zao. Don’t worry; it’s alright now.”
Desmond stared at the monsters before him, standing within the rain, the Crown Clan at his back stepping up.
“Now that we remember, it’s more certain than ever—we will never yield. Zao Zao—whether fighting him or escaping, seize your chance.”
And before these creatures, Desmond and the rest were full of rage.
Those relatives who died not knowing where they came from, all that bitterness at being scorned and oppressed—was finally unleashed on the monsters.
Meanwhile, pollution surged. Chu Zao pulled back, already nocking his bow, cheeks streaked with blood. As the gold-black flamed arrow flew, the spreading corruption was dispersed, the target’s angry roar rising.
For now, Xi could do nothing, leaning at the door, eyes fixed on the eye-filled sky.
The twisted, artificially-made Soul Clan psionic energy behind him was still hunting any chance to consume him if his mood faltered.
It was clear—the Crown Clan had the upper hand here, but if the Dragon Realm broke? If the pursuing enemy used it to escape again?
Chu Zao would grow, but so might the enemy—Xi didn’t know, this was his first time encountering such a ‘God’.
Finally, affected by the force, Chao Huangmu groaned again.
Though still without memory, he’d confessed, and understood the situation—he knew the thing above was the enemy.
But his head ached badly; the Soul Clan was nearly extinct. Their weaknesses were known by the Hymn Organization—and by this creature who’d absorbed almost all Soul Clan power, including how to drive Soul Clan mad, push them to lose reason, and attack blindly.
He’d failed last time; this time, with a better medium, he just needed a moment, to affect Huangmu for even a moment.
Huangmu knew—with this, he’d go out of control.
Damn it—who was in his head shouting to hurt Zao Zao?
He wanted a mate! Not to lash out! He was a good dragon who didn’t do domestic violence!
Huangmu leaned closer, the little black dragon looking a bit wilted, his red tongue carefully licking the wound on Chu Zao’s face—sweet-scented.
“Don’t cry.”
The next moment, the little black dragon changed to human form, hovering slightly, bending down to cup Chu Zao’s face, eyes locked on his. One trembling hand gently brushed away the tears at Chu Zao’s lashes—tears that had welled up as he learned the truth about great-grandfather Desmond.
Then, Huangmu turned abruptly, yanking at something. In that instant, time and space, and the out-of-control force in him, twisted—countless wounds split open across his body, blood spilling out.
“Got you—”
What had he caught?
Chu Zao realized too late; Soul Clan powers were different, and with the lineage nearly extinct and legacy lost, he couldn’t at first understand—but instinctively looked over, only to see the psychic link from Huangmu that he had hooked to his coronet snap and shatter.
“Brother Mu?!”
The ‘God’, trying to intensify Chao Huangmu’s anger at Chu Zao, was startled as Chu Zao’s gaze shot over. Driven by the repulsion of suppressing force and a losing battle, Desmond and the others and even this realm became unimportant to him.
‘God’ began to tear the Dragon Realm apart. This time, no Stone of Divine Grace was needed—Chu Zao saw countless dangerous gates to other spaces.
‘God’ wanted to hide his location—as long as he could. Just as they’d feared, he kept growing stronger as he plundered.
But then, struggling not to let go, Chao Huangmu was ripped from Chu Zao’s side, vanishing in the chaos.
Chu Zao instantly knew Chao Huangmu was likely dragged into ‘God’s’ own domain.
As he vanished, countless blood-red eyes in the sky closed and disappeared, Chu Zao’s arrow arriving just a moment too late.
The Dragon Realm began to shatter, Desmond and the others’ bodies now became unstable as the jump to another space about to activate. A swirl of dangerous portals—total chaos—but Chu Zao could just make out the path to the stars—a way out, marked by a trail of white bones.
Which way?
Chu Zao spread his wings, clutching Cupid’s Bow, scanning not just Huangmu’s direction, but also ‘God’s’.
He had the tail now; he couldn’t let the enemy escape. This was the closest Chu Zao had ever come to destroying the ‘God’ who had ruined his race and all he loved.
At that moment, Xi finally froze—then lifted an arm, half eaten away by his own psionic force, and bloodily covered his face.
He still remembered the lab, everything he’d been through—the Soul Clan being the first race studied and destroyed.
Since then, he’d been shackled; as an experiment, he couldn’t even truly hate the Hymn Organization, so he displaced his hatred onto the Soul Clan for carrying such unstable genes.
And the artificially imposed Soul Clan power on him—had certain influence and guidance over ‘kin’ with whom he’d once had real connection.
Coincidentally, years ago, Xi had used that psionic influence to wake someone—that someone was exactly Chao Huangmu.
Xi completely released his control, letting his power gnaw at him, but laughed, his laughter growing. He succumbed to the mad power, tumbling into the entrance to a space, but looked to Chu Zao—
“He’s here—”
He plunged into the hazardous gate, and, before he was totally engulfed by pitch-black psyche, Xi met Chu Zao’s gaze, as if looking at his last hope.
“Destroy him—”
This thing that brought nightmares to the stars.
Chu Zao instantly flashed to the last spot where Xi vanished—but fretfully glanced back to Desmond and the others. Affected by the shattering Dragon Realm, their forms began to fade—psionic incarnations, exposed to space once the realm broke, their bodies rootless, drifting away, like ashes, like the coronets.
“Great-grandfather!”
Chu Zao frantically sought a way out.
There was still a fading path to ‘God’s’ lair.
Dad…where are you?
What should I do now?
Zao Zao didn’t know—
Like this, great-grandfather and the others will vanish.
Chu Zao was unwilling.
They still hadn’t seen the present Holy Cas, not even once.
Desmond and the others only felt themselves sinking, bodies growing lighter. The pain lingered, but more so, a sense of relief.
Their era had ended… everything belonging to them was finally dissolving, in a galaxy that had long carried no sign of them.
“It’s alright—”
Dan spoke, as if massaging his brow, but smiled at Chu Zao.
They had always expected this day.
“Even if I never see home or family again, they’re in my memory, and we’ve met here in memory too—no regrets. Thank you, Zao Zao.”
“So cute—”
Annailin turned his head, slightly uneasy.
“Didn’t dare look at you at first—”
“Zao Zao,” Louisa smiled gently, “we’ll watch you. If things get tough, don’t force it; remember to eat, to rest—it’ll be alright. Everything will end.”
Their bodies now uncontrollable, the fading Crown Clan gazed on the cub with eyes full of comfort and encouragement, with carefree words—
How hateful—they’d mentioned wanting to steal this cub for themselves.
So helpless—to have let the young one face such danger.
They were useless, truly useless—
But—
It was alright. Their children had raised their own children so well—so outstanding, so capable.
“Great-grandfather, hold on, I’ll find a way—”
Chu Zao shouted, tears falling again.
“I really will, just hang on!”
If he could just deal with this damn ‘God’, maybe there’d still be a way?
The dissolving Crown Clan kept resisting, but could not move; they were about to revert to coronets—and disappear at last.
At last, one of the elders smiled, and bowed his head.
What a pity—such a short time together. Not just in the past, but even with the little one before them, it had only been a few days; a real reunion, not even a full day.
Desmond, always silent until now, sent a gentle psychic wave to the cub.
Chu Zao heard him say: “Don’t be afraid, go do what you believe is right.”
At the same moment, Chu Zao heard another voice.
“Don’t be afraid—don’t worry.”
Light, familiar, gentle.
It was the voice of the Angel Spring Stone.
Since helping Teacher Hel, the Angel Spring Stone had been quietly gathering in the palace, silent, just amassing power.
Dazed, Chu Zao seemed to glimpse the archangel he’d seen before, those of the angel races lost to ‘God’s’ machinations—all guiding their last leader onward.
Chu Zao gritted his teeth, tightened his Cupid’s Bow, spread his six wings, and shot forward.
As Chu Zao charged after ‘God’—who thought himself hidden and was totally unprepared—
Back in space, a surge of spatial force shook the burial grounds of Emperor Desmond.
The monster that devoured Aberrant Beasts was felled by Amos’s sword; at the same time, his power ripped a tiny spatial fracture.
Without a word to Frey and the rest, Amos plunged through the rift.
Trailing him, a mini starship—spotted and identified long ago, known to pose no threat, was allowed by anxious-to-find-his-son Amos to follow.
This was Barney—the long-missing son of the Boel Alliance’s late chairman, the last Spirit Eye immortal.
Here, Amos plunged into the collapsing Dragon Realm, seeing the fading Desmond and clan.
Though he had little memory, Amos knew the stories and, when the moment came, recognized Desmond at a glance.
“Grandfather Desmond…?”
Desmond paused, met Amos’s gaze—the Dwight crest on his coronet glowing, silver-black psychic sword blazing, blood and scars everywhere, yet stronger than in youth.
So that meant—
“You’re…Amos?”
“Zao Zao went after the enemy—I’m sorry I can’t help more.”
Amos could more or less guess what was happening: “Please don’t say that.”
Desmond was still angry, but seeing Amos arrive, relaxed visibly. The others had closed their eyes, bodies near invisible, only a handful left to fade out into space.
“You raised him well…” Desmond closed his eyes. “But why so careless, letting him fall into this?”
Meanwhile, Frey’s Angel Spring Stone shone even brighter, and below them, above countless bones, coronets appeared above a few, which then began to fade once more for lack of bodies.
The entire galaxy was in turmoil—Aberrant Beasts, monsters, pollution running rampant.
Frey was busy on all fronts, no time to process where Amos had gone, when the news came about Desmond’s coronet.
“Emperor Desmond’s coronet has appeared—but the bones are badly damaged and fading fast. Lord Frey, what do we do? Lord Amos disappeared after killing the monster—”
The channel was a confused din—not just reports but the Crown Clan’s desperate fight.
These monsters were even stronger than high-ranking Aberrant Beast Commanders, devouring Beasts and absorbing their strength. Aside from Amos’s quick action, others, though with the upper hand, were still locked in battle—plus mad Aberrant Beasts and the omnipresent pollution.
It was like the last chaotic duel; not only here, but all around Holy Cas, war raged.
Frey had no time to reply; the Angel Spring Stone in his hand floated up, shattering into twinkling fragments that sped out in all directions.
The Angel Spring Stone’s consciousness remained light, tripping across the galaxy, merging into the coronets appearing on the bones.
“Lord Frey—those bones—”
Frey had seen it.
Flesh began to sprout from bones marked by a coronet; the skeletons shrank, taking a human shape, and with a bodily vessel, the speed of coronet decay slowed.
Was this the Angel Spring Stone’s doing?
And all the while, following Xi’s psychic energy, Chu Zao was flying down a dangerous path.
He again heard the light voice of the Angel Spring Stone.
“Little archangel~”
Chu Zao’s eyes widened.
“I’m going now—”
The luminous white radiance seemed to spill from Chu Zao’s own coronet, twirling around him, doing its best to heal his wounds.
It remained ever light, no different from when Chu Zao first took it from the Angel Realm.
“Go? Where?” Chu Zao was startled.
The Angel Spring Stone bounced onto his fingertip: “There’s no Angel Realm now, no angels—this galaxy doesn’t belong to me. So it’s my time to leave—but don’t be sad for me, I’m going to find the archangels—”
Staring at the light, Chu Zao remembered countless times with the Angel Spring Stone—all ending in memories of his youth, tottering into the spring, healed by warmth. Little Chu Zao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn’t know what.
“But I’m still here—Zao Zao is also a little angel.”
Little Chu Zao had never heard of such a thing, suddenly panicked, just a child now.
“Can’t you stay…for me?”
But it was selfish; raised so well, Chu Zao couldn’t finish the thought.
The Spring Stone’s consciousness was smiling.
“This galaxy can’t hold my strength. I’ve been looking for a chance to awaken the Crown Clan’s habitat. Now…I’ve found it. With little archangel here, pollution will never destroy the Crown Clan home again; everything is on track—I used to be sad at being suppressed, forced to bear those disgusting fake angels—”
The voice, always light and joyful, now carried a tinge of sorrow.
“So loathsome, so sickening—true angels born of the spring were special, but they were defiled.”
It had felt lost, hesitant when the Angel Realm disappeared—what was the point of its existence?
But its archangel had once told it, and it had its purpose still.
“It’s all right. My kin and I, we’ll meet again—and I’m reassured. Little archangel, you have family, friends, a mate who love you—they’ll rush to you just as all the angels do. So don’t worry, don’t be afraid—”
The light of the Angel Spring Stone was fading fast.
Meanwhile, on the Crown Clan homeworld, destroyed forever by pollution, the winds stilled; every Crown Clan there suddenly sensed something subtle had changed.
The Angel Spring Stone faded with satisfaction—it had saved several Crown Clan as well…
It remembered, when it was leaving, the archangel smiled and said: Lost? Hesitant? No need. You say there are no more angels? No more Angel Realm?—Then carry forward all that is truly angelic, carry it into the hope of the future.
Chu Zao kept flying; he brushed the heat from his eyes, and as the radiance faded from his palm, only emptiness remained.
The Angel Spring Stone’s voice dispersed—since parting was fated and near, no need for more time together—just let their best memories stay in the spring of the Angel Realm.
“Keep going forward—I’ll always help you—as long as you are, I am, angels are.”
“And thank you, for being born in my spring. It was a beautiful time—my dear little Crown Clan, my…little archangel…”
And then… goodbye.