The Grotesque Miss’s End Story v3c7

Chapter 7: The Nth Funeral

In the real-world Victoria.

A teal-haired girl in a simple, long dress, a wide-brimmed hat with a light veil adding a touch of youthful air, yet also making her unusual appearance less conspicuous. Beside her, the petite, red-haired girl wore her usual Lolita dress, a cute, flat hat adorned with a crimson butterfly.

Luo Ling, hand-in-hand with Elsa, strolled through the scarred Victoria.

Victoria’s May weather was unpredictable, the recent continuous rain now replaced by a dry heat.

“…….”

Compared to her first visit after Doomsday’s arrival, Victoria seemed unchanged, but Luo Ling could still sense the difference.

According to Fiona’s reports, after the truth about Victoria was revealed, order had completely collapsed.

Without the Company headquarters’ control, no longer fearing Boundary collapses or other disasters, and realizing their lost abilities, many distraught Awakened Ones had lashed out against ordinary people.

Fortunately, most Awakened Ones were still rational, and this riot was quickly suppressed.

What followed was even more disastrous. Awakened Ones discovered they could regain their power by becoming Grotesquery Apostles, and even the previously rational ones couldn’t resist.

Worse, the Grotesquery secret techniques of the Company and the Harbingers were leaked, leading to a surge of Awakened Ones using their Sacred Tools to become Grotesquery Apostles, including several Authority Sacred Tool wielders.

After all, these wielders, once at humanity’s peak, had lost all their power, a devastating blow.

Not everyone was like the Boy, able to calmly accept his powerlessness, even refusing Luo Ling’s offer to restore his severed head.

Most Awakened Ones craved power and status, the pain of losing what they once had far greater than never having it at all.

However, this surge of Grotesquery Apostles brought more problems.

One of the main criticisms against Grotesquery Apostles was that following a Grotesquery’s Path meant gradually becoming more like it, their personalities and everything else influenced, succumbing to the Grotesquery’s instincts.

And most Grotesqueries’ instincts weren’t exactly… humane…

Therefore, this chaos continued unabated.

Simply walking through Victoria, Luo Ling could sense the various Grotesquery Path auras emanating from the suffering city, spreading throughout the entire Origin Point, affecting the whole world.

More importantly, Luo Ling could sense that Doomsday’s shadow still lingered over Victoria, despite her using Savior Witch to reverse the Paths.

Even Transcendence couldn’t withstand the true Doomsday. Relying on Its remaining Authority to resist Doomsday’s erosion was wishful thinking.

Unlike the worried Luo Ling, Elsa seemed quite happy, oblivious to the clashing Grotesquery Paths in Victoria, enjoying her time with Luo Ling.

And…

Although strange to say, compared to the previous Victoria, a massive, three-hundred-year cyclical Kingdom saved by Transcendence, the current Victoria… was more suitable for Elsa.

Elsa was never a normal Awakened One, but a “human” walking the Grotesquery Path. This Victoria, with only Grotesquery Paths remaining, was more comfortable for her.

As Luo Ling and Elsa strolled, a shocked voice called out from behind them,

“…Xu Qian?”

A familiar yet unfamiliar name.

Elsa paused, the name sounding familiar, but she couldn’t place it.

She turned around and saw a girl in light clothing staring at her, her face familiar, but she couldn’t remember, tilting her head and asking,

“Are you…”

Hearing Elsa’s voice, the girl’s excitement turned to suspicion, her brow furrowing slightly.

Luo Ling looked up, and upon seeing the girl, buried memories resurfaced.

“It’s… my junior…”

An Yu, Luo Ling’s junior from Jiangcheng County, had participated in the Baiyan Village mission with Elsa and Luo Ling, witnessing her grandparents’ deaths by white reishi mushrooms, almost suffering a mental breakdown.

It had only been about six months since they last met.

Elsa hadn’t recognized her immediately, partly due to the many events that had occurred in the past six months, and partly because… An Yu always wore her standard school uniform and sportswear, an outfit that could make almost anyone look unremarkable.

Even Luo Ling only remembered after hearing “Xu Qian,” Elsa’s name in Jiangcheng County.

Luo Ling sent a message to Elsa through her Spores, and the little girl suddenly realized, her face lighting up.

“Oh, it’s Sister An Yu!”

“Huh? Are you really Xiao Qian?” An Yu’s suspicion vanished, her voice trembling. “You… can talk now?”

She hadn’t mentioned it, but Luo Ling remembered that Elsa had been mute, using a wheelchair, yet also quite talkative.

“Mmm…”

Elsa glanced at Luo Ling, and seeing her lack of reaction, realized Luo Ling didn’t want to be recognized in her current form, so she didn’t elaborate.

Hearing Elsa’s reply, An Yu’s eyes filled with tears.

She looked Elsa up and down, then wiped her tears, her voice choked with emotion.

“Thank goodness, Sister Xiangyun said you were dead, they even took me to see your and Sister Luo Ling’s cenotaph…”

“Huh?”

Elsa blinked.

She remembered now, she had “died”…

During the battle with Cheng Jianming, Luo Ling had chosen to fake her death, taking Elsa with her, completely disappearing from the scene.

However, this had caused much grief for the other members of the Twintails team. Cen Xiangyun and Eve still believed Luo Ling and Elsa were dead.

After all… although most high-ranking officials knew Luo Ling was the White Witch, it hadn’t been publicly revealed.

The deceased Philosopher and the Old Man, of course, couldn’t speak, and the Boy, the only one who knew the truth, had no intention of telling the Twintails team. It would only cause unnecessary pain, not fitting his usual personality.

However…

“My… cenotaph?” Elsa pointed at herself, her face confused. “But… I’m not dead…”

Elsa, encountering this for the first time, was bewildered.

Having a grave while still alive… who wouldn’t be confused?

Luo Ling, however, remained calm. She had experienced similar things many times and was used to it.

Hearing this, Luo Ling felt no emotional fluctuations, even wanting to visit her own grave, preferably during her own memorial service.

How many people had the opportunity to attend their own funeral?

Of course, Luo Ling had attended… a few too many…

“Who is this…?”

An Yu looked up at Luo Ling, in her Black Kite form, standing beside Elsa.

Seeing Black Kite’s face, An Yu paused.

Not because she recognized Luo Ling, but because Iris’s features were too distinctive, even on Luo Ling.

“A friend,” Elsa mumbled, tugging at Luo Ling’s clothes and lowering her head slightly.

She wasn’t good at lying, afraid of being discovered, so she hid her unnatural expression.

“Black Kite—you can call me that.”

Luo Ling didn’t reveal her identity to An Yu, not because she didn’t want to be recognized or to reveal her faked death.

The situation in Victoria was over; there was no point in hiding anymore.

Having finally obtained a new “Black Kite” persona, she would keep it for a while.

As for this outing with Elsa, Luo Ling would soon erase herself from the memories of everyone who saw them.

“Mmm…”

An Yu’s expression was complex, but she understood that Xiao Qian making new friends during their separation was normal.

Perhaps because of this reunion, Elsa reverted to her talkative nature, chatting excitedly with An Yu.

Luo Ling remained silent, listening from the side.

As Elsa reminisced about the Twintails team, An Yu told her about her experiences after leaving Jiangcheng County and the Qingshan Mental Hospital group.

After the Jiangcheng County incident, the Qingshan Mental Hospital group had practically disbanded, the low-level Awakened Ones scattering to various small organizations, disappearing without a trace.

Even Ji Shinian, the group leader, having lost his abilities, had been sent to a retirement home by Lu Fangling.

Only An Yu, due to her Order Path abilities, had been recruited by the Fate Society as a “Diviner,” joining their Awakened One team.

Her story was unremarkable, like most low-level Awakened Ones, simply following her teammates, resolving minor Grotesquery incidents, and gradually growing stronger.

Only after Doomsday’s arrival and the Savior Witch’s intervention, the world drastically changed, the Boundary restrictions lifted, had An Yu been able to come to Victoria with the Fate Society.

However…

An Yu was also among the Awakened Ones affected by the change. Her current power was far weaker than when she first met Luo Ling. She couldn’t even erase a message log, let alone the information on a SIM card.

Having arrived in Victoria, lost and confused, and still traumatized by the Baiyan Village incident, An Yu hadn’t become a Grotesquery Apostle like other Awakened Ones, instead letting her abilities fade.

An Yu had decided to return to being an ordinary person, leaving the Awakened world behind.

She had come to Victoria simply to see her former seniors, Luo Ling and Elsa.

But unexpectedly, she was met with news of their deaths, grieving until this chance encounter with Elsa.

Luo Ling felt a twinge of guilt. Her faked death plan had caused so much grief, still unresolved.

“Should I… tell Cen Xiangyun and the others the truth?”

Luo Ling wondered, then she saw several familiar figures approaching.

…Cen Xiangyun and Eve.

They had been with An Yu, only temporarily separated.

Seeing Elsa beside An Yu, they were initially in disbelief, rubbing their eyes repeatedly before approaching.

Cen Xiangyun even pinched Eve’s cheek, and after Eve’s indignant “Don’t you have your own face to pinch?!” they finally confirmed this wasn’t a dream. Little Elsa, whom they believed to have died horribly, without even a body left, was standing before them, alive and well.

They were curious about Elsa’s changes, especially her left eye, now a terrifying red and black pupil, constantly glancing at it.

But regardless, seeing Elsa alive, both Cen Xiangyun and Eve were deeply moved.

Luo Ling stepped aside, using her abilities to make them ignore her presence, silently watching their joyful reunion, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

She had done everything in her power to save Victoria from Doomsday, even if it was just for this moment, it was enough.

However, Cen Xiangyun, Eve, and the others didn’t mention Luo Ling, but in their eyes, Luo Ling could see a flicker of hope and anxiety.

They were afraid.

Afraid that asking about Luo Ling would bring an unbearable answer.

They hoped Elsa would tell them about Luo Ling herself; perhaps that would be easier to accept.

Elsa wanted to tell them, glancing repeatedly at Luo Ling, but hesitating.

“What if I accidentally ruin Miss Luo Ling’s plan?”

Elsa knew she wasn’t very clever, and clumsy people shouldn’t cause trouble, so she tried her best not to interfere with Miss Luo Ling’s plans.

Luo Ling saw everything, understanding her teammates’ feelings and Elsa’s worries.

“Go visit the cenotaph with them,” Luo Ling’s voice echoed in Elsa’s mind.

At the same time, the unnoticed teal-haired girl vanished.

Hearing Luo Ling’s words, Elsa smiled, understanding her intentions.

Although Elsa’s sudden request to visit her own grave was strange, Cen Xiangyun and the others didn’t refuse.

Since Elsa was alive, keeping her cenotaph would be… morbid.

Soon, they arrived at the cenotaph.

Looking at the black and white photo of Luo Ling and Elsa on the small tombstone, Cen Xiangyun, who had personally buried them, felt awkward.

Elsa, however, stared at her own grave, seemingly sensing something.

“…Let’s retrieve Elsa’s clothes,” Cen Xiangyun said after a moment of hesitation.

Since Elsa had often slept with Luo Ling, they shared a cenotaph.

Opening a grave, no matter the reason, was disrespectful.

However…

Little Elsa was right here, they couldn’t keep her cenotaph.

Even if Miss Luo Ling was truly dead, they still had to retrieve Elsa’s belongings.

Cen Xiangyun sighed.

Eve remained silent, but she helped Cen Xiangyun.

Soon, a simple coffin was unearthed, seemingly unchanged from when they buried it—just two or three months ago.

Cen Xiangyun approached, but hesitated.

Finally, she sighed deeply and, together with Eve, lifted the coffin lid.

“Hmm?”

As they opened the coffin, Cen Xiangyun suddenly felt lighter.

After losing their abilities, their physical strength had decreased, although still above average, no longer superhuman.

Before Cen Xiangyun could process this, a panicked voice called out,

“Wait, wait…”

It was An Yu.

As they looked at her, An Yu’s face was filled with shock and disbelief.

“Is this… really a cenotaph?”

“Yes,” Cen Xiangyun frowned. She had buried it herself; how could she be wrong?

“But…”

An Yu pointed a trembling hand at the half-opened coffin.

“It seems… Senior… is inside…”

“??”

Cen Xiangyun and Eve were shocked. They quickly dropped the coffin lid and saw a familiar, gloomy girl lying inside, her sleeping face beautiful, yet with an undeniable aura of death.

“This… seems to be… really her…”

Cen Xiangyun and Eve stared at the girl, their memories only showing them burying Luo Ling and Elsa’s clothes in the coffin.

Suddenly, the black-haired girl opened her eyes, blinking.

“Hi, Sister Xiangyun, Eve. Long time no see.”