Chapter 99: Shaving Years Off Our Lives

The video on the screen continued. The trio was deeply engrossed in their tangled web of love and resentment, utterly indifferent to the devastation they were causing. Meanwhile, the helpless mortals cried, screamed, and shouted, their voices unheard by the oblivious trio on the screen. Their back-and-forth exchanges obliterated everything, leaving only the ruins of a small village painstakingly built over generations. The sight was utterly devastating.

Eventually, the trio ended their dramatic love triangle. They didn't even glance at the chaos they'd wrought. The man in white flew away; the man in black left with the woman. The performance concluded, the lights dimmed, and for a few seconds, the barrage of online comments almost ceased. Within minutes, however, viewership skyrocketed.

Taylor and Riley were drenched in sweat. "Why are we doing this again?" Riley exclaimed. "Filming this show is shaving years off our lives! They're going this far? They might as well use Team Duo Alpha's performance as supporting material!" Even the backstage crew, responsible for the limited special effects and props (nearly identical to those used in the previous stage play), was anxious. They worried their involvement made them appear to be ganging up against Team Duo Alpha, risking the wrath of Duo Alpha's fanbase.

The staff trembled; the spectators were stunned, their hearts racing. Their perspective had been forcefully swung in the opposite direction. The earlier love story had taken an absurd twist, leaving everyone off-stage thoroughly taken aback.

Maverick, Hendrick, and Mirabelle scowled, their eyes glued to the large screen. Furious at Team A-list for targeting them, they considered the team's actions despicable and felt they had been used and played for fools.

The live comments reappeared, filled with outrage.

One typed: "What's the meaning of this? They're clearly targeting our idols, turning their performance into a laughingstock to highlight their own. How can people be so malicious!"

Another wrote: "Initially, I was all for friendly competition. I even liked them before. But I didn't expect them to resort to any means necessary to win."

Someone commented: "Team A-list is nothing but trolls, deliberately finding tricky angles to mock others' performances. It's disrespectful to the other team's efforts! They're trash lacking artistic integrity!"

A commenter defended: "I think Team Duo Alpha's fans are overly sensitive. They just used common tropes from medieval fantasy stories. If Team Duo Alpha can use them, why can't they?"

Someone agreed: "Exactly. Instead of complaining, you should've asked your idols not to act out such a boring script! That plot is so cliché, any similarities are purely coincidental!"

One netizen typed: "I'm just a passerby… While I think Team A-list is targeting the previous team a little, plot-wise, I'm rooting for them."

One added: "They're spot on with their performance. Powerful characters consumed by love, while the mortals who could have loved died because of their conflict."

Another remarked: "Yeah! I was about to say the same. Team A-list should definitely turn the previous team's plot on its head!"

Discussions flared on Twitter, and related searches trended. Public opinion, however, remained evenly divided.

Meanwhile, the stage performance continued. The lights flickered on. Villagers returning from a journey found no trace of loved ones, their homes destroyed, survivors gravely injured. Coffins, funerals, and mourning filled the world with sorrow. Celestial and demonic techniques had dried rivers, collapsed lands, and destroyed farmlands, leading to famine and plague. Countless mortals sought refuge near the temple.

"Brother, I'm so cold and hungry. What are we doing?" Isabella asked, kneeling beside Christopher.

With trembling lips, Christopher replied, "We are praying to the celestials. This is our faith. As long as our hearts remain sincere, the benevolent celestials will surely rescue us."

"I miss our parents, Faye, and our little yellow dog," Isabella sobbed. "I long for the candied fruit from East Street and the oatmeal from West Street… Brother, are we sinners? Is this why…" Her voice trailed off. "We probably are," Christopher said solemnly, bowing his head with Isabella and the others. "That's why we must be more devoted."

The big screen lit up, showing the celestial realm. The deities ignored the mortal realm's plight, instead observing a fresh cycle of love and hate.

"You're not leaving with him!" "Tell me you love me!" "I don't love you!" "Forget about me." "Let her go!"

The divine trio argued. A few voices pleaded, "Celestial lord, you shouldn't be consumed by personal emotions. The prayers from the mortal realm are increasing. They need your protection. They need your response…" But their pleas were ineffective.

The screen showed captivating emotional drama. Off-screen and on-stage, however, everyone bowed and fell, one after another, in a horrifically tragic scene. As Christopher fell, Isabella, the last survivor, muttered, "Is it not their duty to protect us? Do they even exist? If they did, why didn't they come? Are they not our faith? Why did we believe in them?" Then she collapsed.

Still, it wasn't enough. The grand battle between celestials and demons began—again, over a woman's affection. Smoke filled the stage. Scenes flashed before the audience: mortals at a wedding; mortals studying; mortals nursing children; mortals opening shops; mortals debating the nation's future. Then, lightning and thunder struck. Heaven became a battlefield; earth, a purgatory. Amidst the celestial conflict, there were declarations of love, madness, sadness, and sacrifice. On earth, families were torn apart, kingdoms ruined, homes lost. Mortals, powerless against the deities, bore the brunt of the battle. Life was turned upside down. Even the kings cried out in despair: "Where are the deities we believe in? Who will seek justice for us? If they can't protect us, on what grounds do they possess the power to destroy us? They don't deserve to be exalted, nor our faith!"

As the stage lights dimmed, the screen glowed, showing the man in white holding the woman, disappearing into the distance, as if he had lost his world.