Don't confiscate my identity as a human race

The brilliance from the dissipation of the Shadow World, at its most intense moment, was suddenly replaced by a deep darkness.

In the blink of an eye, Lanci found himself within a transparent hut enveloped by the eternal starry sky.

Only a few sparse stars twinkled, narrating tales of a million years, glittering brilliantly.

Talia was standing there too, holding a cat, the stars providing just enough light for them to see their surroundings clearly.

"Lanci, you've arrived."

Talia had returned to her usual attire, having shed the veil of Fallen Heaven, no longer the pure white visage of Calila.

"Mhm, we're back."

Lanci replied with a smile.

Every time he completed a journey, he was grateful to see the face that welcomed him home.

Having experienced the Shadow World, he felt a certain appreciation for Talia's goodness.

Without her, even just enduring within the Mirror of Tiberius would have been very hard.

"Don't think about things like that in your heart."

Talia, hearing Lanci's too direct thoughts about her, became somewhat disconcerted, could only hold the cat tighter, and turned her body slightly away from him, to prevent Lanci from seeing her face.

She said in a faint voice.

Cat Boss observed the two back and forth.

The wind started to circle around the square in Fringe Space, sweeping over every inch of the ground, and in the night sky, the stars began to move slowly, rearranging into new patterns.

Music began to play from nowhere.

That sound, melodious and majestic, seemed to compose a grand movement to mark the end of this era of Blood Moon.

The long and melancholic sound of the wind turned into a sigh, echoing in the silent air.

This was a remarkable space, where the real world and the Shadow World intertwined, forming the edge of a boundary.

Cracks spread silently on the transparent barrier nearby, with a few strands of tranquil purple light seeping through.

Soon, by passing through the Mini Void Door, the two of them would be able to return to their familiar city life in Bulida City, the Imperial Capital of the Cerryti Empire.

"Judging by the time we've spent in the Shadow World, we've been through a full twenty-one days; returning to Bulida should put us back in the morning."

Lanci recalled and said to Talia.

The settlement for the Shadow World hadn't appeared yet.

Every Shadow World takes a while to settle, and this time, the Eighth-order Shadow World might take even longer to wait.

"You've worked hard. Let's order more ingredients when we get home, and I'll make you some good food – it will be just about time for lunch."

Talia responded expressionlessly yet with particular domestic grace.

"Thank you, Tata."

Lanci said, smiling.

He hadn't expected Talia's first thought after hearing the time was that lunch was fast approaching.

But ultimately, Talia thinking about cooking for him was something to be happy about.

Now their online friend and ally in the Poseen Kingdom, General Nigel, had already arranged for Tata, a fake identity for Lanci as a professor, as her betrothed.

Talia's occasional appearances in the Imperial Capital Bulida wouldn't be much of an issue.

She could even cook with ease in his home at the Saint Kray Temple.

The two chatted in the Fringe Space.

"Meow, is this the settlement space that only appears after the fall of the Blood Moon Bad World?"

Cat Boss occasionally flicked its ears, asking them.

It remembered that this Fringe Space was grander than the last time it visited, and often there were meteors crossing the sky.

Gradually, a lonely tune joined in, the melody at times quivering, at times drawn out, as if desperately suppressing the agony within, deep and enduring, outlining an inescapable melancholic baseline.

Occasional sharp staccato notes, like the twinkling moonlight in the night, both bright and icy cold.

The entire melody moved slowly and heavily, as if forcing a smile, stumbling on a cold cliff.

Deep in the music lay a profound loneliness and an almost imperceptible touch of madness.

"I think it is, the series of Shadow Worlds from the Blood Moon Bad World has finally come to a close, symbolizing the end of a chapter and an era."

Lanci, listening to the melodies of the Fringe Space, answered the Little Black Cat in Talia's arms.

"It's quite nice, meow."

Cat Boss's head bobbed agilely.

The rhythm of the music slightly quickened, piano chords became discordant, as if cracks were emerging in the calm surface of the heart.

The sound grew sharp, nearly a silent scream, startling Cat Boss enough to make it leap to the ground.

All the notes converged, and the music reached its climax. The vortex of emotions was both sorrowful and fervent; the long-suppressed feelings finally erupted.

Then, everything gradually calmed down, returning to the lonely piano sounds from the beginning, only this time, there seemed to be a sense of relief in the piano notes.

The movement slowly approached its finale, leaving behind an emotional resonance that was hard to pacify, like an unsolvable riddle or an ever-unhealable wound.

The final modulation lingered in the air, resonating and lingering for a long time.

"Cat Boss, you might soon become a Divine Beast, how come you are still so timid?"

Lanci remembered that Cat Boss used to get scared by mice even at Seventh-order.

Of course, that time it was actually the Great Love Poet making a fuss, mistaking the Moonshadow Fox for a giant black rat.

"How could a cat not be afraid of mice! Those things are way too scary, okay?!"

Cat Boss argued its case with Lanci.

"This..."

Lanci was choked up.

He couldn't tell if it was his common sense that was faulty or if Cat Boss was just different from other cats.

But he wasn't a cat, so he didn't have the right to argue this issue with Cat Boss, who was a cat.

After a long silence on the side, Talia cleared her throat.