Chapter 70: The Eternal Now
The winter sun glowed pale over the Spirit Pattern Plaza, dusting the Starlight Flower with a layer of frost. Lin Ye and Xiao Tao stood beneath it, their hands laced, as the flower's petals swirled with a soft, golden light. The air hummed with a familiar energy—the hum of the World Spirit Arena's broadcast, now louder than ever.
"Listen," Xiao Tao said, tilting her head.
The broadcast blared through the plaza: "Breaking news—temporal anomalies detected across the globe. Reports of 'echoes' from the past, mirroring the pollution we thought we'd eradicated. The Guild requests all certified spirit users to report to Tokyo Tower for emergency briefing."
Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core flared. "Temporal anomalies. That's the Lighthouse's doing."
Xiao Tao nodded. "The light we shut down there… it's spreading. Like a virus through time."
A figure emerged from the crowd—Sakura, her tablet glowing with live footage. "They're saying the anomalies are tied to you two," she said, her voice urgent. "The Guild thinks your bond with Yuehuan's light is the key… and the target."
Tokyo Tower: The War Room
The war room buzzed with activity. Maps of the world lit up with red dots—each marking an anomaly. At the head of the table sat Grandma Chizuru, her hands clasped tightly. "The first anomaly appeared in Kyoto," she said. "A temple from the Heian era, sealed for a thousand years, just… reappeared. And inside? A statue of Yuehuan."
Xiao Tao's breath hitched. "A statue?"
"It's not just any statue," Sakura interjected, pulling up a hologram. The image showed a figure in armor, identical to Yuehuan's final battle gear, its eyes glowing with the same silver light as the Starlight Flower. "The locals call it 'Yuehuan's Vow.' They say it's been watching over them, protecting the city from… something."
Lin Ye leaned forward. "Something like the pollution?"
Grandma Chizuru nodded. "Worse. The anomalies aren't just physical—they're temporal. People are reporting visions of the past: the Eclipse Beast, the Lighthouse, even Yuehuan's final battle. And some… are living those memories."
The Vision
That night, Xiao Tao lay awake, her mind racing. She'd dreamt of the Lighthouse of Echoes—the shadow-Xiao Tao, the fractured seal, the voice whispering, "She's watching." Now, the dream felt less like a memory and more like a warning.
She sat up, her Shadow Crow Bells jingling softly. Lin Ye stirred beside her, his Reverse Scale Core pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat. "Can't sleep?" he asked.
Xiao Tao shook her head. "I keep thinking about the statue in Kyoto. If Yuehuan's spirit is watching… what is she seeing?"
Lin Ye reached out, his hand brushing her cheek. "Maybe she's seeing us."
Before she could respond, a sharp jolt ran through the room. The Starlight Flower above their bed flared, its petals spinning like a whirlwind. A figure stepped out of the light—Yuehuan, her armor whole, her eyes sharp with urgency.
"Listen carefully," she said, her voice echoing like a bell. "The anomalies are not my doing. They're a reaction. The pollution I sealed away wasn't just darkness—it was fear. And fear, when left to fester, breeds copies. Copies of me, copies of the Eclipse Beast, copies of every soul that ever lost to the dark."
Xiao Tao's pulse raced. "Copies… of us?"
Yuehuan nodded. "They're called 'Echoes.' They feed on doubt, on the memories of what we've lost. And they'll stop at nothing to make you remember—to make you break."
Lin Ye gripped Xiao Tao's hand. "How do we stop them?"
Yuehuan's gaze softened. "With the one thing Echoes can't replicate: now. The love you share, the light you forge together—they're unbreakable. But you must believe in them. Even when the past tries to drag you under."
The Battle of Kyoto
The next morning, the group boarded a spirit chariot bound for Kyoto. Onboard were Grandma Chizuru, Sakura, Zhao Yan, and even Aji, the elderly blacksmith who'd forged Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core.
As they descended into Kyoto, the city looked frozen in time. Cherry blossoms hung mid-fall, streets were empty of modern cars, and the air smelled of incense instead of exhaust.
"That's not right," Xiao Tao murmured. "It's like… the city's stuck in 1000 AD."
Sakura pointed to the horizon. There, towering over the city, stood the statue of Yuehuan—its silver eyes glowing with the same light as the Starlight Flower.
But as they drew closer, the statue moved.
Its hand lifted, and the ground trembled. From the earth erupted shadowy figures—warriors in tattered armor, their faces twisted with rage. Each bore a mark: a half-moon, identical to the one on Lin Ye's Reverse Scale Core.
"Echoes," Lin Ye said, his voice steady. "And they're here for us."
The Fight for Now
The battle was chaos. The Echo Warriors attacked in waves, their weapons glowing with stolen light. Aji's hammer shattered one, but another rose from its ashes. Zhao Yan's Spirit Cannon overheated, and Sakura's Shadow Crows were overwhelmed.
"Focus on the statue!" Xiao Tao yelled. "It's controlling them!"
Lin Ye charged, his Reverse Scale Core erupting in a golden aura. He leapt onto the statue's base, his fists glowing with light. "Yuehuan!" he shouted. "This isn't what you wanted!"
The statue's eyes flickered. For a moment, Yuehuan's face appeared in its stone features—soft, sad, and so familiar. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to trap you. I just… I wanted to protect you."
Xiao Tao joined Lin Ye, her Shadow Crow Bells singing. Their twin patterns merged, a star-and-moon motif that cut through the shadows. "We don't need protection," Xiao Tao said, her voice firm. "We need you to trust us. To let us fight now."
The statue shuddered. The shadow warriors faltered, their forms dissolving into stardust. With a final, deafening roar, the statue crumbled, revealing a hidden chamber beneath.
Inside lay a single object: a mirror. Its surface rippled like water, showing not reflections, but futures—bright, hopeful futures where Lin Ye and Xiao Tao stood together, the Starlight Flower blooming at their feet.
The Eternal Vow
Back in Tokyo, the anomalies vanished as quickly as they'd appeared. The World Spirit Arena declared the crisis over, but Lin Ye and Xiao Tao knew better. The Echoes were gone, but the fear that birthed them lingered.
That night, beneath the Spirit Pattern Tree, they sat with the mirror between them. Its surface showed their future: a small house with a garden, a child with silver hair and bright eyes, and the Starlight Flower growing wild at their doorstep.
"Is that… our future?" Xiao Tao asked, her voice soft.
Lin Ye nodded. "It is. And it's ours to build."
He took the mirror, pressing it into her hands. "No more echoes. No more fear. Just… us."
Xiao Tao smiled, tears glinting in her eyes. She placed the mirror back on the tree, where its light merged with the Starlight Flower's glow.
"Now," she said, leaning into him. "Let's make it real."
Epilogue: The Song of Now
The next morning, the Spirit Pattern Arena broadcast played a new song—a melody woven from the light of the Starlight Flower, the hum of the Reverse Scale Core, and the chime of Shadow Crow Bells. The lyrics were simple:
"Now is the light, now is the song,
Now is the love that outshines the dawn.
We fight, we fall, we rise again—
But now is where our story begins."
In the plaza, Lin Ye and Xiao Tao danced, their hands laced, as the Starlight Flower swirled around them. Somewhere, in a place beyond time, Yuehuan smiled.
Now, she thought, is the sweetest part of all.
(Wind carried the scent of osmanthus. In the distance, the Spirit Pattern Arena's broadcast played: "Tonight's featured story? A love that outshines even the stars.")