"This time, I'll be your eyes."
Hearing this,
Fureiko smiled faintly, and she could clearly hear Sans let out a long sigh of relief, "You're finally smiling."
He gently stroked her cheek, his expression full of adoration.
"Weeds is still scouting ahead, so if you want to rest a bit more, I can keep you company."
"I feel much better now, we can set off," Fureiko said softly.
"Alright, take my hand."
With that, a pair of strong hands enveloped her small one, "Hold on tight."
Fureiko rose with his support, smooth and practiced, as if they had rehearsed it countless times.
"Let's go."
After some time, they arrived near Xiaohua again.
"Fureiko!"
Xiaohua called out, "Are you feeling any better?"
Fureiko nodded.
"That's good, that's good," Xiaohua's tense nerves relaxed slightly.
"Although I don't want to interrupt your conversation, I have a question for you, sweetheart."
Sans asked, perplexed, "How did you die just now?"
"Sans?"
Xiaohua reprimanded, "Why are you being so blunt! Can't you just..."
Before she could finish, Fureiko gently interrupted, "It's alright, Xiaohua, I'm not that fragile."
"I remember I was killed by a trap set by Andaine."
She paused, then added, "I must have accidentally activated it, and was pierced by many arrows."
"As expected,"
Sans said with a look of realization, "Just as I thought. From now on, I'll be holding onto you. You can't go off on your own anymore."
Sans was a clever fellow, adept at adapting to various difficulties based on known information.
Fureiko nodded. Given the current situation, without Xiaohua and Sans, she wouldn't be able to go anywhere.
"Very good, now hold my hand and let's pick up the pace. There's still a long way to go."
"I'll do my best!"
Holding Sans's large hand, Fureiko was filled with determination!
She could feel his grip tightening, but it didn't hurt at all. It was completely different from the handshake they shared when they first met.
Now, Sans had no intention of harming her; he even protected her instinctively.
Perhaps,
He had truly been influenced by her and changed.
Lost in thought,
Soon, they arrived at the place guarded by Andaine.
Swish, swish, swish!!
To their surprise, as soon as they met, Sans attacked first.
Even though she couldn't see, she was familiar with the sensation of the Dragon Bone Cannon lodged in her body as a shield.
Clang, clang, clang!!
The sound of arrows colliding with bone was deafening, and she knew the battle was fierce.
Then came Andaine's panting and roars.
In an instant, all the sounds of battle vanished.
"Damn traitor!"
Andaine's enraged voice echoed, "For this human, you betrayed your own kind!"
"For our kin, if you want to pass through here, you'll have to kill me!"
She was unyielding, but unfortunately, her combat power was no match for Sans.
Yet, her resolve was strong; she would never yield, and death was the only thing that would make her budge. She would absolutely not let humans pass here.
Fureiko seemed to sense something and immediately called out, "Wait, Sans!"
"Don't kill her!"
Sans's hand froze mid-air, and he looked at Fureiko with confusion, "Do you know what you're saying?"
"She just killed you!"
He was indeed filled with murderous intent, "I want to avenge you!"
"No!"
Fureiko's attitude was exceptionally firm, "I know Andaine blinded me, but she had her reasons for doing so."
"Even so, I hope she can be forgiven."
She remained true to herself, even when facing Papperis, who had tormented her countless times, or Andaine, who had taken her sight. She still held onto her original intentions and her inner kindness.
"Even if you say that..."
Sans was about to say something more, but Fureiko gently interrupted, "Sans, promise me, okay?"
She couldn't see, but she could feel the hand holding hers tighten and then loosen, showing great internal conflict.
After a moment, a voice came from beside her, "Alright, she won't bother us anymore."
"Sans? Andaine..."
Fureiko's expression was uncertain. Sans, reading her worry, comforted her, "Don't worry, I knocked her out. I didn't want you to be ambushed from behind."
Saying that, he touched her cheek. She docilely placed her hand into his.
"Thank you for thinking of me, Sans."
"Okay, okay..." Sans didn't linger on their affection, "We need to hurry and meet that weed."
He knew he couldn't waste Fureiko's time and had to get her out of the ground as quickly as possible to break the curse of magic.
So, holding her hand, he walked forward.
As they walked, a wave of heat washed over them.
Fureiko knew they had entered a new area, but she wasn't sure how much longer it would take to reach the barrier.
"Fureiko."
Xiaohua's voice came from behind, "Are you alright? Are you injured anywhere?"
"I'm fine, everything went smoothly this time," Fureiko replied softly, and Xiaohua's face lit up with joy, "That's great!"
"While you were fighting Andaine, I scouted the path ahead. It seems there are no more traps."
"Later, we'll have to pass through Dr. Effie's laboratory to reach the core. Inside, there's an elevator that goes directly to the throne."
After a pause, waiting for them to digest the information, it asked, "Is there anything you're still unclear about?"
Fureiko shook her head, indicating she understood.
"Alright, let's go now!"
Sans took Fureiko's hand again. They didn't speak along the way, perhaps each lost in their own thoughts, or perhaps unsure of what to say.
Only the audience and the streamer in front of the black screen were left staring at each other, chatting while listening to the eerie background music.
"I remember after Sister Fish, it's Effie and Mettaton... no, Mettaton. That darn robot is so annoying. In the original, Effie was also a great character. I wonder if it will change here..."
Momozhi, while tidying her hair in front of the black screen, sighed.
At this point, players who had played the previous installment knew that the story was nearing its conclusion...
'It's almost the end. After Effie, it's just the king's storyline.'
'I sincerely hope this is a happy ending. Please don't make it a sad one. I've gotten so invested in this pairing, don't let me lose!'
'Invested in the pairing? I suggest you run. Run now, the sooner the better!'
'This old thief's game is classic with its build-up, a devastating ending, and tons of manufactured angst!'
'Happy ending, I'm really about to cry to death [crying emojis]. Before the emotional blow earlier, people kept saying it was sad, and I almost cried to death [crying emojis]. It's just too heartwarming, woohoo!'
'Another one obsessed with the pairing, take them away!'
......