Azur Lane: Traveling through time and becoming a Siren!

Chapter 991 Dreams and the Past

......

Playing games all the time during the holidays can get tiring.

Fortunately, Xiaomeng has almost finished negotiating with Ironblood and the Sardinian Empire.

This gives Jiang Mengyue something to look forward to.

The compensation from the robbery is coming; Xiaomeng helped with the robbery after all.

Just as Jiang Mengyue was hoping that the Ironblood and Sardinian Empire would compensate her with something, or a certain number of Mind Cubes...

Amagi has made some progress in cooperating with Nagato in the investigation of the dream in Sakura Empire.

First, there's news about Shinano. Shinano is expected to wake up in the next two days, at which time she can be asked to check on Nagato's condition.

Secondly, there is the study of Amagi.

The dream recorder that can record dreams was tested on Akagi.

In Sakura Empire, there are relatively few ship girls who have studied dreams.

Amagi is now aiding Nagato by combining the power of Siren technology and Sakura Empire magic.

Of course, even now, Tiancheng only has a superficial understanding of the technology inside Jiang Mengyue's mainframe.

It's far from being like Jiang Mengyue, who can casually build server towers and use code more fluently than her native language.

Because advanced technology can't help the world today.

When Nagato falls asleep at night, the experiment begins.

......

night.

Outside Nagato's residence, various types of cables connect the instruments outside to Nagato's room.

And in front of the recorder.

It wasn't just Tiancheng.

There's also Mutsu, who's really worried about his sister; Mikasa, the senior; Akagi, who misses his sister; and Musashi, who came under the pretext of caring about Nagato but whose purpose is unknown.

A group of witches were standing outside the door.

Although Musashi and Amagi have a somewhat hostile relationship because of Jiang Mengyue.

But in front of so many people, neither of them started a fight.

The more important things are right in front of us.

Nagato's dream.

When the green light illuminates at one end of the instrument.

Amagi suddenly exerted his power, and foxfire enveloped his body.

Then, targeting a collection point, he began to remotely interfere with Nagato's dream using magic.

And I tried to record it.

Soon after, incomprehensible lines of code and various strange symbols appeared on the screen.

Although everyone present was puzzled as to what those things were, they simply watched silently so as not to disturb Tiancheng.

And cheer for Tiancheng.

......

In Nagato's dream.

It's different from before.

The scenes in my dream are already beginning to appear.

Nagato walked along a forest path where cherry blossoms were in full bloom.

Moving in one direction.

Nagato knew this was a dream, and she also knew it was an abnormal dream.

After all... it's too real.

Nagato didn't know where to go, so he just kept walking along the main road.

Nagato wondered what message this dream would try to give her this time.

But she felt that the place seemed somewhat familiar.

Let's take a walk and have a look.

Just keep going like this...

As Nagato traveled further and further away, his surroundings gradually began to change.

The melodious sound of wind chimes rang out from the woods.

That wasn't a sign; it seemed to be a welcome to Nagato's arrival.

This road... is rather long...

At this moment, Nagato noticed that there seemed to be some repetitive paths at the forks in the road.

Nagato continued walking forward, after the third "cycle".

Nagato has confirmed that the surrounding scenery has never changed and has been repeating itself.

{Am I being led astray?}

With doubt in mind, Nagato chose a fork in the road and proceeded forward.

However, after Nagato walked for a while, the fork in the road widened until it reverted to the main road...

{Did you choose the wrong one?}

Nagato stood at the starting point and headed towards another fork in the road.

Shortly after.

Nagato stood at the starting point once again, continuing to choose her way through the side paths.

After a while, Nagato walked through all the forks in the road twice.

Just as Nagato was wondering if he needed to find a new solution.

Everything around me turned into blankness.

Sunlight streamed into this dreamlike place.

Then...

She woke up.

......

Sun rise.

Several of the ship girls standing in front of the instrument have disappeared.

Musashi left midway, and Akagi was sent to sleep by Amagi.

Mutsu was also taken away by the shrine maiden at the door, after all, Nagato had instructed her not to let Mutsu stay up all night.

Only Mikasa stayed by Amagi's side the whole time.

As Nagato woke up, the recorder flashed a red light.

Amagi quickly interrupted the ceremony and began operating the recorder.

Mikasa asked, "Is this... the end?"

Mikasa didn't understand what these electronic devices were for; she could only judge them by Amagi's behavior.

Let alone showing this to Mikasa, even Jiang Mengyue wouldn't understand it.

After all, these are just temporary cobbled-together gadgets that are only meant to be useful, and they look like some kind of green-skinned technology.

Various strange and different models of displays, tangled cables, odd machinery...

Since the goal is simply to make it functional, there's no need to waste time on its appearance.

Just like the machine that collected Jiang Mengyue's scattered energy back then...

Amagi nodded slightly. "Yes, senior. The next stage is translation, which will take another two hours."

"In the meantime, you can go and take care of Lady Divine Child; she has already woken up."

"In that case... I'll head over now. Thank you for your trouble, Amagi."

Mikasa turned around, opened the door, and left.

......

Wait until two hours later.

Amagi connected the data cable to a display screen.

Scenes from a dream play.

From Nagato's perspective, what she sees is what Amagi is seeing now.

While Nagato was still wondering if the place looked familiar...

Amagi immediately recognized where he was.

More than a decade ago, the cherry blossom grove in front of Amagi's mansion, which Amagi had personally tended...

Tiancheng would never be mistaken; he would remember every blade of grass and every tree there, every single detail...

Realizing this, Amagi hurriedly set off to find Nagato.

We must seek verification.

But she quickly calmed down.

There's no need to rush. Let Nagato eat and drink his fill first before we go.

Then, Amagi teleported directly to the pavilion where Jiang Mengyue was having class, and quietly waited for Nagato's arrival.

......

Less than twenty minutes later, Nagato and Mikasa arrived at the pavilion in front of the sacred tree.

Upon seeing Amagi waiting there, Nagato guessed that Amagi must have made some discovery.

After everyone was seated, Tiancheng got straight to the point.

"Lord Nagato, I hope you can check whether the soul of Amagi beneath the sacred tree is safe and sound."

As soon as Amagi finished speaking, Nagato instantly thought of all sorts of possibilities.

They also seemed somewhat shocked.

"I'll check it right away!"

Nagato hurriedly got up before he could even warm up the cushion and approached the sacred tree from another path.

Mikasa asked, "Amagi...you're guessing that it's the Amagi under the tree who's been appearing in Nagato's dreams?"

Amagi nodded slightly; this was the only possibility.

She hasn't done anything wrong lately, so it can't be that she's about to have bad luck.

This testing ground is perfectly safe.

The two turned to look at Nagato.

Nagato had already jogged to the base of the sacred tree and placed his hand on the trunk.

After a burst of golden light and pink special effects.

Nagato's consciousness seemed to have been extracted.

......

? ? ? ——? ? ?

When Nagato opened her eyes again.

The surroundings were already desolate.

Only white.

"What am I doing...?"

Before Nagato could figure out what was going on around him...

A figure that Nagato hadn't seen for a long time appeared before her.

"A great sage?!"

Nagato immediately realized that there might be a new problem with the Great Divine Tree.

However, the figure of the Great Sage looks...

It's much better than before?

......

When Nagato came to his senses.

She already knows quite a lot.

The sudden energy supply came from the Divine Tree and, through the Divine Tree Network, entered the Sacred Realm.

It not only provided assistance to the great sage, but also provided a certain amount of energy to the great sacred tree.

The enemies hiding in the shadows were caught off guard by the sudden light.

The Sanctuary has been affected...

It's a positive influence.

And during the period when the impact occurred...

Nagato was somewhat surprised.

This was precisely the time when Jiang Mengyue erupted at the shrine.

It was that burst of light...

Nagato initially thought he had ascended to godhood, but in reality, it was thanks to the energy unleashed by Jiang Mengyue.

"I see..."

Nagato recalled the past: the Sage's Ritual, the Divine Tree Crisis, the Great Sage's words, and the seal on the Sanctuary...

If Jiang Mengyue can help them...

It's time to let Tiancheng know why she, the divine child, stepped down from the position of flagship.

......

Sakura Islands, the Great Sanctuary, many years ago...

At the foot of the ancient tree, the lake surface is as smooth as a mirror.

The Great Sage of the Cherry Blossom Empire placed his hand on the branch of the Great Sacred Tree, feeling a warm current slowly spreading throughout his body.

Beside her, Nagato and Musashi also touched the sacred tree.

Musashi closed his eyes and felt it, saying, "When I reach out and touch the sacred tree, the same warm feeling comes from my palm."

Nagato said, "But this warmth was quickly interrupted by a strange stinging pain."

The two of them withdrew their hands simultaneously, and the lingering pain in their palms vanished like bubbles in a dream.

Musashi asked, "Great Sage, what was that feeling just now...?"

The great sage recalled the scriptures and recited, "There was once someone who witnessed the fall of that brilliant star."

"And after the stars fell, darkness descended from the shadows, causing the seas and the land to shed tears of fear and unease."

"A fallen star, lamenting the tears of mortals, burned itself out, casting darkness into eternal exile..."

Nagato was pondering the relationship between them.

Musashi asked, "The great sage was just talking about the myths and legends recorded in the 'Hai Ruo Collection', wasn't he?"

"The *Hai Ruo Ji* is several hundred years old..."

"Could it be that the sudden mention of its contents is related to the strange feeling you experienced when you first came into contact with the Great Divine Tree?"

The Great Sage slowly opened his eyes and looked at Musashi.

"Lord Musashi, you once asked me why I found the two of you."

"The fall of a star is just a harbinger."

"The days of exile are over, and the shadows of antiquity are now sharpening their teeth."

"Within the Great Sacred Tree, that extinguished star has silently protected the Sakura Empire for hundreds of years."

"In order to suppress that unprecedented calamity, the Great Divine Tree also almost exhausted all its power."

"The cage is rotten, and calamity is coming, just as it was hundreds of years ago."

Musashi asked, somewhat puzzled, "But Great Sage, what exactly is this calamity you speak of?"

"Can the Sakura Empire's current power banish it once again?"

Nagato said, "With the great battle with the Sirens just ended, even if the Sakura Empire has the will to fight, I'm afraid they are powerless to do so..."

"Moreover... if calamity were something that could be destroyed by artillery fire, the Great Sage would surely have already easily resolved this crisis."

The great sage smiled and revealed her purpose.

"Indeed... I have only one purpose in summoning you two here."

“Completely sever that world-destroying calamity and send it into eternal annihilation.”

Nagato was still puzzled, "Annihilation... If that's the case, then what will you, Great Sage, do...?"

The great sage responded with a faint smile, and softly chanted, "So it is," as cherry blossom-colored light appeared in the sky.

Lines grow from the light, converging to form a complex curtain of light.

It was a barrier, so vast that it could cover the entire lake.

As the design of the barrier was completed, the cherry blossom-colored light was fully integrated into the barrier.

While Nagato was engrossed in watching.

The Great Sage said, "It seems that Lord Nagato has already discovered the special features of this barrier."

Nagato nodded slightly. "I have seen such a powerful barrier technique in books, but I did not understand its meaning at the time."

"Now, seeing the great sage personally arrange it, I truly appreciate the exquisite ingenuity that even I found perplexing..."

After the presentation, the great sage asked, "Even so, the road ahead is fraught with peril. Have you considered this carefully?"

A katana, imbued with the power of lightning, appeared in Musashi's hand.

She gripped the scabbard tightly, ready to strike.

“Great Sage, we made up our minds long before we set off for the Holy Land.”

The great sage nodded slightly, quite satisfied.

"That's good then..."

"Lord Nagato, the guiding barrier is complete, and the calamity could break through its shackles at any moment."

"At that time, the core of the Great Divine Tree will also be directly exposed."

"The core is the source of all my power, and the force field surrounding it makes it impossible to approach easily."

"But I can't escape my own shadow..."

Musashi understood. "You mean, the core will be afflicted by calamity from the moment it is exposed."

The great sage replied, "Yes, Lord Musashi."

"And Lord Nagato, the name 'Divine Child' is the key, allowing you to resonate deeply with Hai Ruo."

"It will allow you to transcend that force field and directly receive the blessing from Hai Ruo."

"This is something no one else can do."

"In other words, you will temporarily gain all of Hai Ruo's power—although it is now nearly exhausted."

"With Hai Ruo's protection, Lord Nagato can transfer the power of protection to Lord Musashi."

"The safety of the core is now in your hands, Lord Nagato."

"Lord Musashi, please ensure Lord Nagato's safety until I reach the heart of the calamity."

"After I am annihilated by the calamity, the barrier will automatically dissolve if nothing unexpected happens."

"By then, although the energy within Hai Ruo will completely disappear, it will be nothing more than an empty shell."

"It's enough to change the future of Sakura Empire..."

"Please take my place and continue to protect Sakura Empire and this world."

"correct--"

"I almost forgot our promise."

The great sage took out a small box from his sleeve and gently placed it in Musashi's hand.

"The solution to fixing the root cause lies within this."

Nagato and Musashi both had solemn expressions.

A thousand words were exchanged in silent stares.

......

P.S.: Two chapters combined into one!