Was I a slice? Could this really be happening?
Childe wanted to deny it, but the seriousness and certainty in Ying's demeanor as she spoke didn't seem like a lie at all.
Should he believe the confused girl before him, or the Doctor who had earnestly blessed him earlier...
After much thought, Childe suddenly burst into laughter, looking at Ying.
"It seems I was quite lucky later on, meeting such an interesting young lady."
He paused here and asked,
"Did we become friends?"
Ying rolled her eyes at him.
"Not quite that close."
With a sigh, Ying added,
"Rather than friends, I'd say we're more like frenemies. After all, I've beaten up this deserving-of-a-beating guy quite a few times recently."
Uh... does "frenemies" mean that...
Childe scratched his head in embarrassment, but quickly let it go.
"Hey, little girl, you said I was just a slice, right?"
Hearing this, Ying glanced at Childe and denied it.
"It was just my guess. I can't rule out the possibility that he deleted your memories from this period."
Childe shrugged.
"Then I'll trouble you to pray for the former possibility."
As he spoke, Childe drew his blade and pressed it against his heart.
Ying's eyes widened immediately.
Although she had considered this scenario, and it might have been the most advantageous situation for her, seeing it happen in reality was still difficult to accept.
"Wait!"
Ying quickly reached out to stop him, but before she could finish speaking, Childe had already pierced his skin with the tip of his blade, and blood gushed out.
This scene stunned Ying into silence, leaving her unsure of what to do.
After a moment, Ying spoke, her tone tinged with a hint of reproach.
"Are you trying to make me owe you a favor...?"
"Hahaha... don't mind it. The moment I lost, I was already dead."
"But... if you think of it that way... then it's not impossible..."
"Since you already... owe me a favor... then please... help me fulfill a wish."
These words, spoken with ease and nonchalance, came from Childe. He then turned his gaze into the distance and took a deep breath.
"When we get out of here... if you meet the real me... please tell him about this."
Ying turned her head and asked in a low voice,
"What if you are the real you...?"
"If... if I am the real me... then please... take care of... my family..."
With that, Childe smiled faintly, slowly closed his eyes, and lost all signs of life.
Watching Childe's body grow colder, Ying remained silent for a long while before finally nodding softly.
"Alright."
Outside the screen...
After witnessing Childe's suicide, everyone present, except for the Doctor, was momentarily stunned.
Paimon was particularly shocked.
Seeing Childe in the first place had been an unexpected turn of events, and this poignant ending further impacted them.
After all, they... no, everyone except the Doctor, was clearly unaware of whether the Childe inside was real or not.
Lumine looked at the screen. While she couldn't be certain if the Childe was real or not, she didn't think the Doctor would be bold enough to manipulate other Harbingers unless it was personally ordered by their Empress.
Moreover, compared to this matter, she was more concerned about Ying's condition.
Could that young girl, who always put others before herself without regard for her own safety, truly bear the weight of someone dying for her...?
...
[1/1]
In the empty ninth floor, Ying stood still, staring blankly at the number on the screen.
Recalling Childe's last words, Ying bit her lip, a complex mix of emotions flickering across her face.
Ying knew that if she didn't act now, his death would be in vain. But she was afraid, terrified of encountering such a scenario again in the subsequent stages.
The thought of potentially facing the same scene again made Ying hesitate to take the next step.
Calm down... you need to be calm, Ying. He wanted to see you like this. If you falter now, you'll have fallen into his trap...
Ying repeatedly encouraged herself through self-talk. After a long while, she finally managed to take the step towards the next floor.
The tenth floor...
"Clap, clap, clap..."
As soon as Ying arrived, she heard a round of applause, followed by a familiar voice she hadn't heard in a long time.
"Wow... to think you could reach this floor, Sister, you truly exceeded my imagination~"
Upon hearing the young Doctor's voice, Ying's tense body suddenly relaxed considerably.
Thank goodness... thankfully, it's not what I imagined...
The young Doctor noticed Ying's reaction and a playful expression appeared on his face. He said with a smile,
"Your opponent on this floor isn't me."
"Huh?"
Ying froze, about to ask, when the Doctor continued,
"You should be happy. This floor is a bonus stage. Your opponent is even weaker than a Hilichurl."
Ying's heart sank at his words. She didn't believe for a moment that this was a bonus stage. After a moment of thought, a dreadful opponent flashed through her mind, and her body trembled.
Seeing Ying's reaction, the young Doctor nodded with satisfaction and quickly clapped his hands. As soon as the sound faded, a stir arose from behind him.
Please... I really hope it's not what I'm thinking...
Ying gritted her teeth. If possible, she would rather fight two Scaramouches than face the opponent she suspected.
However, reality rarely bends to one's desires.
Looking at the man and woman before her, though she hadn't seen them in a while, Ying recognized them immediately as Sister Chuan Meng and Brother Yamamoto, who had taken care of her in Kageyamato Village. She immediately glared at the Doctor and said, word by word,
"How dare you use them?! Where are the other Kageyamato Village residents!"
"Use them?"
The Doctor chuckled and explained,
"Don't wrongly accuse me. My main body happened to pass by Kageyamato Village and found that their village was being ravaged by monsters. So, out of great mercy, I brought them back."
Ying retorted immediately,
"Nonsense! Those monsters were created by you guys!"
Hearing this, the young Doctor shrugged, putting on an innocent demeanor.
"Do you have any proof?"
"You!"
The Doctor's rogue attitude made Ying tremble with anger. She gritted her teeth and asked,
"What exactly do you want to do..."
"It's nothing much, I just thought you were too tired and wanted to play a game with you, to let you rest a bit..."
As he spoke, the young Doctor narrowed his eyes, a playful smile appearing on his face.