Flatten the Heavenly Kingdom of All-Knowing, burn the Spider Web of Fate?
Ash’s words might have sounded arrogant, but they did not elicit contempt or disdain, nor were they the wild rantings of a madman. On the contrary, everyone heard the determination in his voice.
Diya, looking at Ash within Vine Fortress, had her eyes brimming with tears: "I don’t want to wait for the future... I’ll burn the Spider Web right now and wish to keep you here!"
"Have you forgotten? Once we leave there, you can’t choose anymore." Speaking of this, Ash couldn’t help but snort: "If the summoning Wonder had occurred before the wish ritual, maybe things would’ve been different... But the All-Knowing Weaver’s dictionary doesn’t include the word ’if’. Her plans are seamless, and the Spiders left no opportunity for us."
"But we haven’t lost out, at least you’ve become the true Empress of Gospel." Ash blinked: "When you find me or I find an opportunity to come back, then we’ll together drain the home of the All-Knowing Weaver, and then ascend to the Heavenly Kingdom to take her place, how about that?"
"You’re all lying to me..." Diya couldn’t hold back anymore, biting her lower lip hard, with big tears rolling down her face, her voice breaking into a cry: "Everyone is bullying me!"
"The Empress does, the Gospel does, the Angel does, the Weaver does... and even you do the same!"
"We agreed to be a family, it was you who said that, I didn’t force you, how can you go back on your word? How can you..." she swung her little fists at Vine Fortress: "... not want me..."
"We’re already a family." Ash spoke: "Whenever I go anywhere and know someone is thinking of me, I know there’s a place I can return to where I won’t be a lost dog but will feel the happiness of a house dog."
"No, we can still be together." Diya gritted her teeth: "I can make it realize that I am also the First Gospel; even if it won’t let you go, at least it will take me away, so we can be summoned together!"
"Sure." Ash said calmly: "But just now, inside the Heavenly Kingdom of All-Knowing, why didn’t you choose to burn the Spider Web to make a wish, nor reject the Spider Web’s inheritance, but instead accepted the inheritance of the Spider Web, and held the unfinished Spider Silk, to continue Weaving the future of Gospel?"
Diya was taken aback.
"If you choose to leave with me, that’s no different than burning the Spider Web, as it would mean directly removing the cornerstone of civilization from the Kingdom of Gospel, leading inevitably to the collapse of civilization." Ash said: "Do you think you can live with that consequence?"
"What does that consequence have to do with her?" Harvey suddenly interjected: "People just need to be responsible for themselves. If you decided to save the world out of good intentions and fail in the end, should the world’s disasters be blamed on you?"
"Harvey, that’s the difference between a good child and a bad child," Ash laughed: "There are always some who will rejoice for others’ happiness, grieve for others’ sorrow, exult over others’ fortunes, and rage over others’ misfortune... and I don’t think Liss needs to bear the future of Gospel, I just want to know why she’s willing to take on this responsibility."
"I don’t want to be a good child!" shouted Diya: "What do the others in Gospel have to do with me, I wish they would all just die!"
"Then why did you choose to continue Weaving the future of Gospel?"
"I just thought it would be cooler that way, and it felt like you would praise me!" Diya sniffled heavily: "I don’t care about Gospel at all; I don’t need praise from strangers, I just need... want..."
"Sure." Ash said softly: "Then come with me."
Qinna, Yvalin, and others had their pupils contract sharply, and Diya was stunned too; she wiped her tears and asked: "Would you really want that?"
"What’s there not to want with a family member who possesses divine power by my side?" Ash laughed.
"But that would ruin Gospel." Diya said: "You wouldn’t blame me, would you?"
"I think the term is somewhat inappropriate, but my ’hometown’ should be the Kingdom of Blood Moon." Ash spoke: "If the Kingdom of Gospel encounters disaster, I will sympathize with them, but would never hold any resentment against you. Whatever path you choose, be it the way of the Empress, an ordinary road, or a path of chaos, I’ll be there with you."
"Though I hope you won’t regret it, people are creatures that do regret. Those without regrets are either Saints or devils, sometimes I even regret not having insulted Igula more cleverly after an argument."
Igula snorted coldly.
Ash said: "So, I hope you choose a path where even if you regret it, you can share the burden with me. As long as you won’t drown alone in regret somewhere, I’ll be there to pull you up."
Diya stared dumbly through the crevices of the vines, tears swaying in her eyes, she sniffled: "You’re cheating again..."
"You’re just bullying me," she said with her lip quivering: "You just know I won’t just leave with you, so you say such nice things!"
"Indeed," Ash laughed: "Because Liss is a kind-hearted good child."
"And, the amnesiac Princess has returned home; it’s time for the wandering Knight to let go."