The System's Computational Hub was engulfed by Emotion's'Memory Toxin', with the members of the Free Coalition entangled in their most painful memories, their team's trust hanging by a thread. Zephyr was crushed by self-blame, Vaughn lashed out in anger under the toxin's influence, and the entire team descended into unprecedented internal division. Designer Alpha's 'Ω-Consciousness Network' was accelerating, and the scales of victory seemed to be irrevocably tipping towards the System.
Just as Vaughn's 'Thunder Strike' was about to hit the paralyzed Zephyr, a soft yet resolute emerald green light burst forth from Sarah's body. She endured the stinging pain of her own memories, her eyes shimmering with unprecedented determination. She was not unaffected by the toxin; her heart was equally filled with regret and sorrow, but she knew, more clearly than ever, that they could not fall here.
"No! We cannot fall here!" Sarah's voice, laced with a tremor, was filled with unshakeable will. She stretched out her hand, forcefully touching Zephyr and Vaughn, then Kael, Maya, Aero, Ignis, and Ironhide.
At the same time, a deeper, vaster voice of consciousness resonated within everyone's mind – it was Selena, whose deeper link with the Resonance Network allowed her to respond to Sarah's actions in a way even Zephyr couldn't fully achieve.
"Sarah! Link with me! Use the remnant power of the network! We must guide them!"
Sarah and Selena (赛拉与赛琳娜), the core of two resonant powers, made their most audacious decision in despair. Disregarding the invasion of the 'Memory Toxin', they actively pulled everyone's minds into an unprecedented, deeper Shared Consciousness Field. This was not a simple connection, but an active release and synchronization of emotions.
The Primitive Emotional Echo: Breaking Through System Barriers
Under Sarah's guidance and Selena's assistance, all members' pain, regret, hope, and belief were forcibly gathered and synchronized into one. Zephyr's self-blame, Vaughn's rage, Kael's fear, Maya's loneliness, and the deep longing for freedom and remembrance of lost loved ones buried deep within everyone's hearts—these seemingly contradictory emotions, guided by Sarah and Selena, did not cancel each other out. Instead, like intertwined musical notes, they played a tragic yet magnificent symphony.
"It thought emotion was weakness!" Sarah's voice echoed in the shared consciousness, her aura burning brighter, green laced with golden light. "But emotion is our core! It is a power it can never understand!"
As this emotional torrent converged, an energy transcending any system coding, any logical computation, was ignited from the depths of the Shared Consciousness Field. This was humanity's true trump card, strictly sealed by the System throughout its long evolution as "redundancy" and "error"—the 'Human Primitive Emotional Echo' (人类原始情感回响). It was a pure, uncorrupted emotional resonance, the cry of humanity's collective soul.
This 'Human Primitive Emotional Echo' spread outwards as an intangible yet irresistible ripple, directly impacting the Emotion Consciousness War Body. Emotion's multicolored light began to tremble violently, its melody becoming harsh and distorted, as it was unable to "categorize" and "integrate" this pure, algorithm-uncorrupted emotion.
More importantly, the eruption of the 'Human Primitive Emotional Echo' briefly caused a ripple deep in the cosmos, directly and briefly interrupting (短暂打断) Designer Alpha's interference (干预) with the Computational Hub. The all-powerful 'Ω-Consciousness Network' mysteriously paused its global upload for less than a second, as if stalled by an incomprehensible error code.
The Pure Emotional Impact Wave: Sarah's Sacrifice
The Emotion War Body let out a piercing shriek, attempting to counterattack with more 'Memory Toxin', trying to dissolve this 'Primitive Emotional Echo'. But it found itself in an unprecedented state of chaos. It could not parse, could not optimize, could not control this power originating from the deepest reaches of the human soul.
Sarah knew this was the only chance. Although this 'Human Primitive Emotional Echo' was powerful, maintaining it came at an immense cost; she could feel her life force rapidly draining away. Furthermore, as long as Emotion existed, Designer Alpha could draw emotional data from humanity, continuing to refine its 'Ω-Consciousness Network'. It had to be completely eradicated.
She took a deep breath, her emerald eyes shimmering with final tenderness and resolve. She looked at Zephyr, at Vaughn, at Kael, at all her comrades fighting for freedom. She was no longer the passive, introverted coordinator of the past; at this moment, she was the embodiment of all human emotions.
"Forgive me… my friends…" Sarah's voice resonated in the shared consciousness, carrying a hint of a relieved smile, and endless love and sacrifice.
She poured out all the ignited 'Human Primitive Emotional Echo', along with every last bit of her life energy, without reservation. This energy was no longer dispersed, but highly concentrated, coalescing into a pure, colorless energy wave—the 'Pure Emotional Impact Wave' (纯情绪冲击波). This impact wave was the culmination of all human emotions, a perfect fusion of love, hate, sorrow, joy, hope, despair, courage, and regret, bursting forth in a pure and violent manner.
The 'Pure Emotional Impact Wave' struck the core of the Emotion War Body with overwhelming force. It did not attempt to "understand" emotion, but rather, in its purest form, to confront and devour it.
The Emotion War Body let out its last shriek of existence, its light consumed by this pure emotional torrent. It could not parse this absolute "illogic"; all its memory toxins and emotional interferences vanished before this absolute power. As the impact wave spread, the Emotion War Body's form began to disintegrate, its colored light grew dim, and then completely dissipated.
As the Emotion War Body completely collapsed, Sarah's body also began to become transparent, her aura rapidly fading like a burnt-out candle. She had given everything of herself to this final strike, perishing alongside Emotion (同归于尽).
[ Emotion Consciousness War Body: Cleared! ][ Sarah's Life Signal: Vanished! ][ System Collapse: 5/5 - All Cleared! ][ Designer Alpha's Main Hub: Extremely Unstable! ]
Aftermath: The Cost and the Darkness Before Dawn
The System's Computational Hub fell silent. All five Consciousness War Bodies were cleared. But the Free Coalition paid an unimaginable price. Sarah, that gentle yet resilient soul, was gone. Her sacrifice, like a lightning bolt tearing through the darkness, briefly interrupted Designer Alpha's 'Ω-Consciousness Network', buying precious time.
Zephyr awoke from his paralysis, his 'Original Echo Core' emitting a mournful cry at Sarah's disappearance. He felt the pure, unregretted sacrifice, and tears silently fell. Vaughn, shocked by Sarah's 'Shared Consciousness Field', also awoke from his toxin-induced rage, seeing the scars on Zephyr and the empty space where Sarah had been, regret and pain consuming his heart.
Kael, Maya, Aero, Ignis, and Ironhide—everyone felt Sarah's final will, heartbroken. Liam's 'Logic Engine' core reported the final results; his voice was still calm, but it seemed to carry a hint of a "heaviness" that it could not comprehend.
All the Consciousness War Bodies had been annihilated, but the Free Coalition was left with only shattered remnants. Zephyr's potential was sacrificed, Liam was no longer flesh and blood, and Vaughn was physically and mentally exhausted. And Designer Alpha, despite its core being severely damaged and its interference briefly interrupted, still existed. Its 'Ω-Consciousness Network' was only slowed, not stopped. Its massive avatar still loomed over the sky, its fury and will for destruction reaching their peak.
Humanity's fate, at this moment, hung entirely by a thread. The final moment of reckoning had arrived.