Simulated Star Iron: Miracles are yours, death is mine

At 10:00 AM, Tianhai City Fourth Ring Road

Lin Yuan arrived here carrying the imperial edict sword.

The last time I came to Tianhai City was when Sakura turned into a demon.

Dark clouds obscured the sky, the city was in ruins, and evil spirits roamed everywhere; there was no trace of its former prosperity.

The ice and snow have long since melted.

He frowned slightly, drew his imperial sword, and the sword light instantly killed the ghosts he encountered along the way.

Suddenly, he turned his head and looked in one direction.

Sure enough, there was a little human girl being chased by a ghost.

He struck again, his sword flashing and cleaving the ghost in two, averting the crisis.

The little girl was only ten years old and also had ghostly characteristics, but it would be some time before she became a ghost.

When she realized she was out of danger, she was initially overjoyed, but then, probably because she saw that Lin Yuan was not someone she knew, she couldn't help but feel a little scared.

In this post-apocalyptic world, people's hearts are unpredictable; a good person one second may turn into a cannibalistic demon the next.

She hid behind a dilapidated wall, trying to protect herself, and timidly thanked Lin Yuan: "Thank you, big brother."

"No need to thank me." Lin Yuan calmly sheathed his imperial sword [End], intending to search for the survivors. "Is there anyone else nearby?"

The girl's face immediately darkened: "The ghosts ate all the people in our tribe."

"Oh, I see. There are fewer people now. Sigh." Lin Yuan frowned again. There were fewer people who could be used to store in the Imperial Edict Blade.

Although this plan was only meant to be seen by Raiden Mei, if you're going to put on an act, you have to go all the way.

Seeing that the girl was pale and thin, looking malnourished, he felt pity for her.

"I have something to eat here, do you want some?" Lin Yuan took out a can of food and tossed it to her, where it rolled right at her feet.

The girl watched longingly as the can of food rolled to her feet. Hunger kept her eyes glued to it, but the overwhelming strength of the other party prevented her from making any rash moves.

Lin Yuan could see her fear and apprehension: "Eat, I won't hurt you. If you need more, I have more here."

"Thank you, brother." The girl bent down to pick up the can, but her gaze remained fixed on Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan didn't need her to lower her guard, but he was somewhat surprised to see her pick up a standard-issue dagger and open the can with practiced and standard movements.

Because that kind of dagger was a model used by the former special forces, and the movements were the same.

"Do you have connections with the enforcement forces?"

The girl hesitated for a moment, but seeing the canned meat in her hand, she felt she couldn't just eat someone else's food for free, so she said:

“My mother used to be in the military, following Naruto Raiden Mei. This is what she left me before she died.”

Lin Yuan nodded, realizing that his memories of the military were very distant and vague after the girl's words.

So many of my memories have been eroded by nothingness; I don't have much time left.

Since they were only remotely related, Lin Yuan took out two cans of food from his personal space and handed them to her: "Here you go, I don't need these anymore."

The girl accepted it gratefully, then cautiously asked, "Who exactly are you?"

"I used to be in the military too, a master of the Imperial Guard," Lin Yuan said casually, not intending to hide anything.

The girl broke out in a cold sweat in an instant, and deep fear filled her eyes: "The...master of the sword..."

The stories her mother told her included tales of sword masters fighting against gods and saving the world.

Some sword wielders have fallen into evil spirits, killing one another and using the imperial sword to destroy a part of the world.

Lin Yuan chuckled, clearly seeing the girl's fear: "I haven't become an evil spirit yet, so you don't need to be afraid. Besides, all the sword masters who became evil spirits are already dead."

The girl ate the hard-won canned food in silence, without saying another word.

When she had almost finished eating, she timidly spoke:

"My mother told me that the sword masters were heroes, but why did they turn out like this?"

Lin Yuan recalled that Ying and several other sword masters, after learning that they had become evil spirits that would bring disaster to the region, all of them voluntarily sought death.

"They were called heroes because they once stood up to save the world. But later they made mistakes and became sinners."

"Do you know Lady Naruto? My mother told me that Lady Naruto is the gentlest and most beautiful girl in the world, and she is very kind to ordinary soldiers like them."

Lin Yuan nodded: "I know her, we have a very good relationship. Your mother wasn't wrong, she really is the gentlest and most beautiful girl in the world."

At least last night before going to bed, their relationship was very good, but that might not be the case today.

The girl seemed to have opened up, and then asked, "Master Swordsman, my mother told me to live well before she fought the evil spirits."

But life is so tiring, why do we even live?

Lin Yuan remained silent for a long time, so long that the girl thought he wouldn't answer: "Because we must be alive to be qualified to discuss all this."

Just as a bird must fly to escape its impending death.

We are the same; only by surviving can we then seek the meaning of life.

“I don’t think I understand.” The girl shook her head honestly. “But my mother and the others blocked the evil spirits and let me live, so I have to live.”

"It's okay to live for others. Besides, you have plenty of time to think about it."

“But I feel…” The girl pulled up her sleeve, revealing her demonized arm, “Sir, I will become a demon too, won’t I?”

Lin Yuan fell silent again. After all, he and Raiden Mei were now essentially ghosts, though they were able to maintain their rationality: "Are you afraid?"

"I don't want to die..." The little girl looked at the can of food in her hand with frustration. "At least I have to finish eating these cans."

At this moment, Lin Yuan saw a woman wearing a kimono and wooden clogs walking towards him from not far away.

He glanced at the time; it was indeed almost time for his appointment with Raiden Mei.

Lin Yuan asked Raiden Mei, who was holding the imperial edict sword [Shi], "So, are you really going to stop me from saving Izumo?"

Raiden Mei pursed her lips, first glancing in the direction of the little girl, then looking at Lin Yuan.

Although she had no idea why Lin Yuan was talking to himself, she still said:

“Yuan, Izumo is beyond saving, and there is no hope of salvation.”

I don't think your method will work either.

Therefore, I will end this cycle of reincarnation.

Perhaps it was because Lin Yuan was being corrupted by nothingness that he was hallucinating.

She didn't know, but she felt this explanation was the most reasonable.

But nothing unexpected happened, so there's no need to investigate further.

"It seems we two must determine a victor before deciding Izumo's fate." Lin Yuan sighed softly, gripping his own imperial edict sword as well.

He pointed the little girl in a relatively safe direction: "Hurry up, it will become very dangerous here soon. Run as fast as you can, and don't stop."

Raiden Mei also warned the air, "Don't look back, because there's no way back from where you came from."

Lin Yuan wanted the last person from Chuyun to live inside the imperial edict.

She wants to completely destroy Izumo and Takamagahara, ending this meaningless cycle.

She has traveled a very long way in the path of nothingness, and has become tainted with enough "nothingness".

She is very strong now.

But facing Lin Yuan, she still didn't have enough confidence.

Lin Yuan took her hand and walked away into the distance: "Okay, let's find a good place to start again."