When Roland rushed into the hangar, the scene was already in chaos.
Due to the timely notification, the non-combatants had already evacuated the hangar, leaving the Guards and Marines to engage in battle with the enemy. Using the maintenance racks and passages as cover, the two sides exchanged bullets fiercely.
The gunfire was extremely fierce, but the battle was one-sided.
The prisoners are not familiar with the newly acquired weapons, and they cannot play with submachine guns, automatic rifles and other fancy toys. The bullets they shoot out to hit people are just a lottery win. In contrast, the Guards are among the best elites.
The team is an expert in in-ship combat. Not only are they familiar with the weapons in their hands, but they are also familiar with how to deal with this situation. It can be said that they are fighting the prisoners with only three-thirds of their strength, and most of their members have already put on aerial work suits.
That's clear evidence.
If it weren't for the special operations experts who are proficient in firearms such as Spider, Bagworm, and Flower Mantis, as well as Diana's use of magic to contain the attack, the battle might have been over long ago.
Roland looked around the hangar from the door, and his eyes were fixed on the fixed frame on the left front. The white unicorn mds stood quietly in the battlefield, looking back at him without saying a word.
Diana on the other side also noticed him at this time. She was about to say hello but was stopped by Roland's gesture. As Roland glanced forward, the nun nodded obediently and raised her hand upward.
Thunder and lightning tore the air, and the power of the long lightning gun was weakened by the ship's internal discharge system. The three soldiers who withstood the direct hit were knocked to the ground directly, and more soldiers were temporarily deprived of their eyesight by the sudden flash of bright light.
At some point, the gunfire stopped.
Taking advantage of the brief gap, Roland rushed out of the passage in one breath.
Bullets whizzed past the surroundings, and the heated eyes had no time to see where the shooter was lurking. Seize control before the gate opens, gain time for everyone to transfer to the Endeavor, and at the same time rescue the kidnapped Minerva - the head.
With only this thought left in his mind, Roland jumped
Leap to the "Unicorn". The white body gradually enlarges, the fixed frame is not completely locked, and the control key is inserted on the operating panel. Just one step away from touching the key, turn to "unlock"
, a low rhythm sounded, and dazzling bright light and radiant heat hit from behind.
"The farce ends here."
The heat wave mixed with the cold voice penetrated the fabric and penetrated into the skin. Roland turned his stiff neck and looked behind him. The purple horse raised its hooked arm and pointed it at himself. The muzzles of the three particle cannons in the middle were surging with dangerous light.
Nidhogg was staring at him closely under the metal mask.
Looking past the grinning black dragon, Roland met a quiet gaze. The man was wearing military uniform and standing in the high-rise maintenance channel, holding on to the railing and looking down.
There was no time to think about when Li Lin appeared. As long as he wanted to, there must be a way to do it. And the appearance of Nidhogg, who was originally monitoring Favna, what it means is simply self-evident. And standing there
The man who was equivalent to a height of 6 stories looked at each other, and Roland remained motionless. This was not a sign of despair that the situation was over, nor was it a childish stubbornness that refused to admit the results. For Roland, it was just that he did not want to look away or make other similar surrender actions.
.
That's all. I don't want to do it anyway.
"If I take action, the matter will be over in less than a minute."
There was no arrogance or threat. The tone of purely factual statements made the fierce exchange of fire seem to pause.
Ignoring the changes around him, Li Lin asked condescendingly:
"what you up to?"
"..."
"After denying us, what are your next plans? Are you going to place your hopes on Charlemagne and the human camp and become our enemy?"
The question that had been reserved was spread out between the two of them, and through the air distorted by the heat of the particle cannon's muzzle, Li Lin's figure shook in Roland's eyes.
"Human beings do not expect change. The future they expect and the future you expect are not the same thing. Even if they get your help, in the end all they want to do and can do is to continue the distorted world.
Go down, is this what you expected?"
What mankind has learned from history is that it has learned nothing.
Repeating the same mistakes over and over again, repeatedly vowing not to let tragedies happen again, and saying "one day", in the end, they just hand over the extended debt to the next generation as a legacy, adding an ironic footnote to the next reincarnation.
Such creatures need no guidance, they have no value.
"We are the only ones who can change the world and end the twisted cycle. This fact will not change because of temporary passion, nor will it be shaken because you believe that human beings can change. A few possibilities are far from enough to subvert the upcoming future.
"
The voice that was indistinguishable and as cold as "reality" itself asked next:
"Even so, do you still have to choose which side? Why? For whom? What can you do?"
An extremely simple question, but the weight is extremely heavy. Even the body temperature seems to be squeezed out of the body by the weight of reality, leaving an empty body facing the question.
No, that's not right.
Flesh and blood are never empty, possibility, hope—are never dispensable.
Suppressed by the barrage launched by the Guards, the crew of the Endeavor still did not give up fighting back and saving their comrades who were shot. Spider and Bagworm were trying to approach the power distribution box of the gate, as well as Gloria and Venia. Of course,
There were also Favna and Minerva. Everyone saw Li Lin coming here, and they all realized how insignificant an individual was in front of that force, but they still did not give up resistance.
What are they resisting?
Loyalty to the country and the monarch, the survival instinct of wanting to live, the reflex action of following the crowd - every explanation may be suitable, and they may all be correct. However, it is not just that.
In the face of the "absolute" that can change nature and the world, which is equivalent to a natural disaster, loyalty and the like cannot be supported at all. People will not have anger or doubts about tsunamis or earthquakes, they can only regard them as unavoidable things in the world.
Avoid the fate and silently accept the pain caused by the disaster. Li Lin, who is even more powerful than this, should become a symbol of "force majeure", and no one should resist him.
At this moment, humans, as small as sand and dust, are fighting against the will of the "agent of divine will".
Why?
for what?
(...If you have to say why, it must be something you have to fight.)
Strong heat surged in the young man's chest, and he raised his head again to look at the pair of red eyes that looked at everything.
People are not ants, let alone parts. Everyone has their own approach when facing reality and the unknown future. Regardless of the purpose and means, everyone believes that there is room for improvement in the world, and everyone embraces the idea of "becoming what is now".
"Better" small kindness takes its own steps. Although the results derived from good intentions may not necessarily create perfect results in the end, and the collision of different ideas leads to various confrontations, but if even that layer of goodwill is denied
.There is nothing left in the world.
There are differences and oppositions in the world, and these are indeed needed.
But the world does not only need opposition. The world conceived by Li Lin only has differences and oppositions, and even the resentment generated by them must be managed, and the deadlock in the name of "stability" denies the possibility of believing in goodwill and coordination in dialogue.
Sex, packaging abandonment and despair into truth for everyone - this is unreasonable and too cruel. No one can accept this kind of thing with peace of mind. Everyone is driven to resist by the instinct of being human and intelligent beings.
.
Maybe this is naivety, childishness. It is a misunderstanding of my immature self, which will eventually be betrayed, but——
(I...want to believe)
Ideals, coexistence, freedom, peace, equality, goodwill, fraternity, possibility - these beautiful words are still just beautiful words now, and I am afraid they will still be just beautiful words in the distant future. You alone can't change anything.
, but denying all this will not change anything.
Accumulation step by step, progress step by step, continuous efforts and inheritance. Weak and incomplete human beings can only advance in this way, and the first step to change the world must also start from "belief" and move towards the distant to the near-eternal.
"One day" moves forward. If you don't believe it, nothing will start.
"...For everyone."
Pushed by the heat surging in his chest, the young boy, whose youth had faded away, looked up at his adoptive father who had no expression on his face.
"There is no distinction between race, friend or foe, nor country or camp. I want to explore a path beyond confrontation."
The cold words came over me, freezing what I wanted to say next.
"This sounds like something a brave man would say, but...what do you mean by 'everyone'?"
The sharp retort hurt Roland's heart. Even if he knew he would be asked this question, he also knew what he wanted to express. The feeling of being hit in the right spot would not change.
“The church wants a unified country that combines politics and religion, big countries want a territory that suits their own interests, small countries want to travel among big countries for profit and survival, and as for ordinary people... they have many ideas, but they just focus on the life in front of them.
I have tried my best, but in the end I can do nothing but accept it. Which side are you talking about? Which side do you want to choose?"
Choices can hurt people, not to mention the choices that determine the fate of thousands of people. There is no magic in this world that can make everyone happy. Some people will be angry because of this, and some will be sad because of it. The choice of the superior is originally based on trampling
over other people's ideas.
"Maybe we can join hands for a while, but as long as there are differences, the opposition will definitely continue, and the result will still be back to the original point. If you want to be the spokesperson of all wills, and tolerate even differences, you can only become a container - just like in the past
The brave man, like the agent of divine will, vacates himself and transcends madness to accommodate everyone's will."
Hong Tong looked down and spoke calmly, Roland forced himself not to look away.
Roland couldn't help but swallow his saliva when he realized that the "container" Li Lin meant was "god". He, who was acting on behalf of the god, said these words himself, which had a particularly strong sense of reality.
"The hopes and possibilities you believe in now will be betrayed one day. In the end, they will only destroy themselves in despair or become secluded. It's not too late now, come with me. You should also understand, just like Li
Just like Nadu Darhk, you can no longer return to what you call 'everyone' now."
There was a sudden stabbing pain in his chest. It was the pain of the fear in his heart being revealed. Taking away his body temperature from the cold words, Roland looked up at Li Lin.
This is also a fact, and it is a fact that I have vaguely understood since I met him, so it sounds more real at this moment, without the slightest breath of sophistry or lies.
Whether from a theoretical or practical perspective, I am afraid that the future described by Li Lin is the unique answer to making the world survive forever.
Can--
"Even so."
It is precisely because we understand how cruel reality is that we hope for change. The "better future" should be better than the present, rather than maintaining it by suppressing human nature, manipulating opposition and adjusting positions.
Just saying "one day". "One day" will indeed not come, but if you hold on to a small hope and work hard towards the front a little bit, step by step. At least in this way, the possibility is not entirely
Zero.
"No matter how hard it is, how difficult it is, I have decided to move forward along the path I have decided until the last moment."
Think for yourself, decide for yourself, and be responsible for yourself.
This is Roland's answer.
Because of this, he couldn't blindly believe in Li Lin's theory - it was not an ideal obtained through his own experience and reflection, after all, it was something borrowed. After seeing with his own eyes the dark side and inhumanity of that theory
, he cannot admit that the world should be like that, let alone accept it calmly like a fanatic believer.
Therefore, he wanted to explore and verify on his own, even if he was against Li Lin or even the whole world.
"You are so young and energetic, then——"
With a snap of his fingers, several members of the Guards held two girls and walked out of the passage. It was the captured Favna and Minerva. Li Lin took out his pistol and pointed the muzzle at the girl with emerald eyes.
girl.
"When the most important thing is being trampled on before your eyes, can you still say that you are doing it for everyone?"
"stop!"
Roland shouted, and the crew of the Endeavor also shouted and wanted to rush out. As Nidhogg stepped heavily on the deck, the heavy impact made the hangar suddenly quiet. Only the young man stood up straight and roared:
"Let her go! Even if you don't use such despicable methods, you can subdue everyone here in a dignified manner! Where have Siegfried Otto Lilin's reserve as a consul and his reputation as an agent of divine will gone?
!”
"Reserved? Reputation?"
The calm tone seemed to be sneering. Li Lin counterattacked with an uncompromising attitude.
"If reserve and reputation can turn tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or millions of soldiers into bones, then it's okay not to have such reputation and reserve."
"...!"
"I do not deny that I have been a dictator at times, and I am not sure whether I will become a tyrant in the eyes of others at some point in the future, but I have never regarded the country as my own private property, and I have never regarded the National Defense Force as a private army.
For the sake of personal reputation and dignity, thousands of families have lost their
Go to husband, father, son. Which law is this based on? In this case, how is it different from tyrants in history? Or do you think that with ideals and beliefs, it doesn’t matter even if you start a war, it is a lofty ideal
Is killing more noble than so-called honor killing?"
"..."
It wasn't just Roland. The brave crew of the Endeavor were also silent.
Before, Li Lin talked about the necessity of establishing a new order without hesitation, promoted his own ideas, and demonstrated the rationality of launching a war for this purpose. But now he used the violent righteousness of "Is it noble to kill people with ideas?"
No matter which standard is used to justify the behavior of the hostages, this is a very despicable method. But from the perspective of argumentation, Li Lin's statement is extremely correct.
Between the lives of two weak women and the lives of millions, which side is more valuable to sacrifice in exchange for peace?
When asked this question, I am afraid that everyone will hesitate, but the guy who presented the puzzle has extremely clear values. He who only pursues "correctness" will not be stumbling over this question. And no matter what Roland's side is,
The answers will all lead to the dilemma of agreeing with Li Lin.
There is no harm in waging war for lofty ideals and beliefs. This is no different from what Li Lin, the church, and kings did; if a few are sacrificed for the many, then Li Lin's current approach is correct.
Did he predict his reaction and prepare the ground for the previous conversation? Or was it because his reaction was fast enough? Regardless of the answer, Roland felt a deep chill and listened silently to Li Lin's speech.
"When you sing about your ideals and attract an audience, you should think in advance that someone will die for your ideals. In addition to hard work, the flower of your ideals also needs watering of blood to bloom. You have to work hard for your romantic dream.
How many sacrifices have you prepared? People who are ready to implement their ideals must at least have this level of consciousness. Now, answer me, what is your choice?"
In the noisy hangar, only the whimpering of the air flow was left. Everyone's eyes fell on the adoptive father and son. Everyone knew that the verbal exchange between them would determine the fate of many people here, but few people knew this.
What was determined by this dialogue was the direction of the world. Everyone tightened their weapons and devoted themselves to divination of fate. The solemn time passed slowly.
The young man closed his eyelids, and just when everyone else thought he had decided to give up, his purple eyes opened and a bitter smile overflowed.
"So you're so afraid of me?"
"..."
The scene fell into an even more solemn silence.
As the country's supreme leader, the Supreme Consul of Alfheim can be said to be a rare open-minded person. But his essence is still an autocratic monarch, and he is still the one with the legal cloak of "divine right". Regardless of whether it is because of
Dignity and reserve, or to maintain authority, those who dare to challenge this level of "absolute" face to face will most likely face the risk of being hanged in the next second.
Although the scene in front of me cannot be called "unprecedented", at least it is "the only one the audience has seen so far".
Between surprise, astonishment, and joy, the young man continued to laugh fearlessly.
"If you thought I was in the way, you could just use force to solve the problem from the beginning, so why bother to spend time convincing me? The reason why I didn't do this is simply because I couldn't do it, right?"
The muzzle of the gun remained motionless, and there was no response from the lips that had always been in control of the words. Bathed in all sights, the young man mustered up the energy in his Dantian and yelled at close to full strength, as if he was risking his life:
"To protect important people and the world, who stipulates that you can only choose one of the two? The world, Minerva, Valrhona, and all the friends I know are all the same to me.
Irreplaceable! How can it be sorted like calculating numerical values?! Maybe you will say that I am too idealistic. But I decided to always do it to the limit. Never say afterward that it would have been better if I had done this!!
"
"You guy...!"
Nidhogg's eyes widened, and his bloodshot eyes gushed out with genuine murderous intent. The power of the light cannon suddenly increased. No one doubted that the captain of the Guards who had his tail stepped on would make Roland evaporate from the world in the next second.
"stop."
The calm voice stopped Nidhogg, and before anyone else could react, a smile appeared on Li Lin's handsome face that looked like crystal sculpture.
"You shining unfilial son..."
In the words of unclear meaning, the muzzle of the automatic pistol lowered, Li Lin raised his left hand, the Guards also lowered the muzzle to the ground, and Nidhogg closed the circuit of the particle cannon.
"Forget it, since you think my idea is flawed and you have defeated my confidence and awareness, then you can challenge me. It is completely normal for a weak guy to be knocked to the ground."
That was an extremely upright and brilliant smile. That smile itself could be called a work of art, but appreciating this work of art was also quite dangerous. Regardless of humans, elves, or dragons, the audience present lowered their gazes at the same time. Only
The young man looked up at the agent of divine will who was as dazzling as the sun, and a trace of sadness flashed across his resolute face.
Li Lin moved his left hand, and something spun and fell into Roland's hand.
"What follows is a competitive relationship."
The cold voice was conveyed together with the weight of Dylan Dal. He had long known that his choice would lead to this result. When he finally reached this moment and looked at the back of the man turning away, Roland still felt that a corner of his heart collapsed.
Got a piece.
That back view is no different from before, young, tall, distant, dazzling... now there is another layer of hostility.
In the end, they still couldn't resonate with each other. They clearly understood each other's thoughts and recognized the legitimacy of the other's actions, but in the end they still couldn't reach a consensus. Is it because they were too naive and not mature enough? Maybe, but Roland is
I can't stand Li Lin's harshness and sharpness.
"I'm leaving."
Putting away the sword of the brave, the young man said resolutely.
"...just do what you think you should do."
Without looking back, the Archon's back responded.
Ten minutes later, the Endeavor and the Unicron broke away from contact. With this moment as the dividing line, the previous series of small conflicts that could only be regarded as lullabies played the last note, and the war march that swept the entire world began a magnificent and bloody performance.
Two weeks later, Roland and Minerva secretly met with Prime Minister Richelieu. No one knew what they talked about. When later historians sorted out the texts left by the Prime Minister, they found a passage of obscure meaning in the diary of the day of the meeting.
Word.
"A ghost, the ghost of Elvish Zionism, has been wandering over the civilized world for a thousand years. Now this ghost has flesh and blood and is coming towards us with a sickle in hand..." (To be continued...)