Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 307 - 278 A Thousand-Year Promise

Chapter 307: Chapter 278 A Thousand-Year Promise

The damaged network module received the signal sent by Xu Yang, established a communication channel, and now he could input the encoded text and use its built-in voice system to play it out.

"We need to talk," he said.

The sound travelled through the floorboards, drawing Xylophia’s attention. Her weary eyes shifted downward.

"What do you want to do?" Xylophia’s voice sounded like the plucking of a harp, quite melodious, but her breath was weak and couldn’t sustain her volume.

He was on full alert.

Xu Yang had never felt so nervous. He was unclear about how to communicate with Xylophia.

The Chaos Witch was a dangerous group of witches, with Farosa being a representative figure. This made Xu Yang suspect that everyone in the organization was a version of Farosa, or at least shared similar ideologies. Just the faction’s name was enough to partly reveal the truth that they must be the most unstable witches.

Now, Xylophia stood on the top half of the Colosseum office building, her stance steady, her expression calm, still not to be underestimated. Her terrifying magic power that could make anything disappear still protected her. Since the attack began, she hadn’t suffered the slightest injury. It was magic power applied to its extreme.

Maintain the utmost calm and patience, and do not let things slide to the most frightening stage. Xu Yang solemnly warned himself. People had trust in him, so he couldn’t let them down.

"There’s no need to talk to her," Farosa said. "Continue the attack."

Especially with Farosa by his side, still destructive. Xu Yang thought. Farosa had a strong sense of agency; she was unyielding, contemptuous of all rules and regulations.

Setting aside their impression as lovers, Xu Yang admitted that Farosa was extremely dangerous. Dealing with her was like dancing on knife edges, requiring skill and patience.

Fortunately, up to this day, the most dangerous part was over. If he reached out to her now, he wouldn’t be bitten to pieces.

"Be good," Xu Yang said, wrapping his arm around Farosa’s shoulder.

Farosa’s body trembled briefly before she quickly lowered her head.

She was surprised that in such a tense and extreme environment she had not lost control. If anyone else had touched her at a time like this, she would have responded with a violent attitude. However, at this moment, there was no sense of urgency or danger in her heart, just an extremely subtle awkwardness and a slight irritation.

"You’d better resolve everything," Farosa emphasized, but her tone lacked her usual authority.

Meanwhile, Xylophia’s gaze moved downward, silently waiting for Xu Yang’s next words.

If negotiations broke down, the entire Colosseum Arena would vanish, and half the city would be destroyed by magic power. Farosa and Xylophia had once been friends, yet they might still come to blows.

Xu Yang chose his words carefully, organizing his thoughts.

"Farosa is here at the scene. She’s right here," Xu Yang transmitted. "She needs the Godslayer Weapon you have in your possession. This is where everything started."

He and Farosa were standing inside an abandoned mall at this moment, some distance from the Colosseum Arena, with a good view. They could look out over the status of the Colosseum Arena through a piece of cyan-gold glass.

"I want to see her," Xylophia said briefly.

"The condition is that you can ensure her safety," Xu Yang explained. "She is afraid of you."

"... Mortal, witches like us simply cannot guarantee each other’s safety," Xylophia said coldly. "... The moment we meet, we are capable of instantly killing one another, there is no mercy. I hope you understand, between the most powerful witches..."

"Why must you meet in person?"

"Because I have something important to say to her, and it’s none of your business."

"Do you have a mobile phone?"

A mobile phone.

"Uh," Xylophia hesitated, "... Yes... I think so."

"You can contact Farosa through this number. The signal around the Colosseum should be strong enough for the relay." Xu Yang set up a one-time middleman number that could forward the contact to Farosa’s actual number.

Millenniums of changes left Xylophia feeling disoriented. She fumbled inside her vanishing space, retrieving the simple cell phone provided by her organization. She noticed a lot of pus at the bottom, oblivious to how many Black Fire Assault Troops A40 had killed along the way.

She began dialing on her mobile phone, the icons on the display large and the labeling clear. They painstakingly designed it with highly readable annotations for the Ancient Witch, allowing her to somewhat understand how to use it.

At that moment, beside Xu Yang, Farosa was constantly guessing about the negotiation and scheming between him and Xylophia when suddenly, the phone in her embrace started vibrating.

"Take it," Xu Yang said.

"Some unknown call," Farosa took out her phone.

Once connected, she heard Xylophia’s voice.

"Daytime?" Xylophia muttered.

Farosa’s body shivered.

"I have a full name, Xylophia," Farosa said, pressing her hand against the glass, seeing the distant Xylophia, who then left their view, entering the ruins of the building.

"I miss you so much," Xylophia said, "Farosa de Aquilia."

"What do you want to do?"

"I want to fulfill my promise; I want to return to you what you entrusted to me."

Xylophia had thought through many intricate chains of suspicion, how to get Farosa to let down her guard, how to keep herself restrained. Wearing down Farosa’s sensitive, irritable, and selfish heart would take a long time, and she had prepared to start from scratch in this era to engage with Farosa. But now everything was shattered; all they had to do was hear each other’s voices, and everything returned to that tumultuous year.

"I don’t miss you at all. Go die quickly and leave the Godslayer Weapon to me," Farosa raised her voice.

"—I miss you so much—" Xylophia’s voice was loud and laced with a cry. Xu Yang could hear it from a distance, "I miss you so much! Farosa! I miss you!"

"This woman has gone mad!" Farosa held the phone away, her expression changing from being moved to mockery, then to relief and contentment.

"Be honest with yourself," Xu Yang nodded lightly.

Farosa’s heart thumped rapidly.

"You woman," Farosa paced back and forth in the cramped room, "don’t think that just because you have combed my hair, you can speak to me so intimately."

"Daytime... my daytime..." Xylophia murmured softly.

"The poetry you wrote is nonsense," Farosa squatted on the ground, "...how have you been?"

"Not good, as you would expect. Many people don’t want me to return it to you. But I came, I decided to come here."

During their conversation, Xu Yang had to ensure everything around was safe. He informed the other witches to lower their guard, withdraw half the troops, strengthen surveillance in other areas of the ground, and send people to cover the evacuation of the citizens.

At that moment, many people were still trapped in the high-rise buildings in downtown Anjiu City. Asa Katsuragi and Kong Tai each led a team to rescue them, removing the wreckage caused by the building damage, guiding them down to the ground, or to an appropriate shelter.

Later, Xu Yang turned his gaze back to Farosa. What he saw before him was like a miracle. From Farosa’s expression, one could see how profoundly Xylophia affected her—Farosa was smiling! The face bore a naive smile suitable for her age, babbling as if she had endless things to say. In fact, this might be the happiest moment for Farosa since she had been unearthed.

They were friends, two who traversed a thousand years and were fortunate enough to hear each other’s voices again. Xu Yang leaned forward, resting on the glass. There was no more precious reunion than this.

Then Xylophia seemed to have said something upsetting.

"You fool!" Farosa shouted, "You can’t—you can’t just go and die like that, even if you—fine, I’ll give it to him." Right after that, Farosa handed the phone to Xu Yang, "She said she wants to talk to you."

"Xylophia?" Xu Yang took the phone; it was scorchingly hot.

"Hello," Xylophia’s voice sounded with added vigor, "Ah... I really want to see Farosa’s man with my own eyes; you must have made many sacrifices for her."

"She matters a lot to me, so it’s all natural," Xu Yang said.

"...If the atmosphere wasn’t so inappropriate, I’d like to know more about you... Farosa and I have similar tastes in many ways."

"There will be other opportunities in the future."

"Perhaps... since awakening, I have been burdened with many additional duties. An organization invited me to serve them, and I had to join on the condition that they allowed me to fulfill my mission, which they agreed to, so I have to go back after transferring the weapon..."

"But your life span..."

"Spices can extend my life for a while," Xylophia whispered, "Daytime, daytime has given new meaning to my life. I came to Anjiu City with a will to die, to complete my delivery that spanned a thousand years, but hearing Farosa’s voice made me realize daytime really will come, and I want to live to see the true daytime. This makes your responsibility particularly heavy."

"Me?"

"...In the past, Farosa gave me the Godslayer Weapon to keep because she feared the coveting that the ultimate divine weapon would provoke. The situation is the same now; after she receives the weapon... there will be more enemies trying to take it, and I have my own troubles and can’t protect her personally. Do you have a safe place to hide her, to let her rest assured?"

"I do," Xu Yang said.

Nangong Island was a suitable place, a fine private land and shelter.

"...Take good care of her, I’ve left the Godslayer Weapon inside the Colosseum..." Xylophia ended the communication, "I must go."

The call ended.

Xu Yang returned the phone to Farosa; she embraced him and kissed Xu Yang.

"Why did she write poetry?" Farosa murmured, "I still don’t understand. I am the daytime—what does that mean exactly?"

"It means you will end the night and clear away all the calamities from ancient times to the present," Xu Yang said.

"Xylophia has evacuated," Lila reported.

"We need to hurry and retrieve the Godslayer Weapon," Xu Yang looked toward the Colosseum.

Wrong, daytime. Farosa closed her eyes to think. Daytime means no stars...

Does that mean no witches at all?