Chiyou's roar echoed like a death knell, spreading across the frozen sea, causing the surrounding air to vibrate with each of its crazy heartbeats.
The Xuan Yuan group immediately readied themselves, preparing to charge into the next battle. But just as they were about to move forward, a hand reached out to stop them.
"Just leave this to us."
Feng Yue, with a half-teasing, half-serious tone, stood in the middle of them like a mysterious outsider. Jiang Zhu, although not satisfied, only hummed in agreement.
He had no experience in fighting, and was even more unfamiliar with that unpleasant feeling of fusion, but now was not the time to argue. He looked towards the Xuan Yuan queen, the girl he loved, and softly said to her a single sentence:
"You should also step back."
The Xuan Yuan queen frowned slightly, her eyes seemed to ask:
"Are you sure?"
But in the end, she still chose to quietly observe. Celestial Jingwei crossed her arms, coldly watching as if she wanted to see what these two could do.
Jiang Zhu sighed, reluctantly preparing to perform that shameful ritual dance again. But just as he was about to step forward, a low laugh rang out beside his ears.
"Haha… there's no need to do that again."
This unexpected word made Jiang Zhu stiffen.
"What?"
"Last time I did it just to respect tradition." Feng Yue curled his lips, his eyes hidden behind the fox mask filled with teasing.
"I didn't expect you to obediently follow along like that."
Jiang Zhu's face immediately turned red. He turned around, seeing Xuan Yuan and the others' puzzled gazes looking at him as if they were looking at an idiot. A feeling of shame surged up like a tsunami.
"Then… then what should I do in the end?"
Feng Yue raised her fist, standing parallel to him. A simple, decisive movement.
"Just fist bump with me."
Jiang Zhu stared at that fist, then hummed in agreement, still feeling irritated from being teased. As their fists met—
"Fusion!"
A stream of red-orange energy erupted from their feet, sweeping across the sky like a firestorm. The sea shook, the dark clouds summoned by Chiyou were torn apart, revealing the clear autumn noon sky. Under the bright sunlight, their fused forms appeared once again.
Yaksha Chihu.
As soon as the name was uttered, a stream of air swirled around them, dragging along the crimson flames like giant fox tails. And with just one move—
BOOM!
They charged forward like free-falling meteors, shattering space with overwhelming speed. A direct punch hit Chiyou, causing its gigantic body to crash into the sea like a collapsing castle.
Not giving it a chance to counterattack, they disappeared from sight and appeared right behind it, then disappeared again, then appeared at another angle—
Each blow, each violent aura forced Chiyou into a situation where he couldn't fight back. It roared in pain, its eyes filled with wild rage.
Roar—!
Chiyou burned its own life. The Honkai energy in its body fluctuated wildly, causing the released heat to burst out like a hellish firestorm.
BOOM!!!
The air distorted, the surface of the sea evaporated, layers of ice shattered into steam.
A devastating blow.
The scene was no different from the legendary Burning Godzilla, when the entire sky was swallowed by a crimson light.
But—
With just a wave of the hand.
The fox-tailed energy tendrils on their cloaks spread out, like dozens of flexible arms reaching up to block the heat wave. And in an instant—
BOOM!!!
They swept the entire heat source up, pushing it out of the stratosphere. In the distant sky, the explosion exploded like a dazzling red-orange firework.
The silence lasted only a few seconds.
The wind blew across the battlefield, carrying the floating ashes.
Chiyou, the once invincible monster, trembled for the first time as he stood up.
And the battle, had only just begun.
In the deep blue sky at noon, after the terrifying battles, Jiang Zhu and Feng Yue were still floating in the air, surrounded by shockwaves from the fierce battle just now.
The hot wind blew past, carrying the steam rising from the turbulent ocean. Below them, Chiyou was still struggling to get up from the punch that fell from the sky, its giant body was torn apart, pieces of flesh were scorched and oozing red lava.
"Since the fusion time won't last long, I'll increase the intensity to end this as quickly as possible. Try to endure it well, buddy!" - Feng Yue's voice rang out through telepathy.
Jiang Zhu felt a chill down his spine when he heard that. The feeling of power exploding inside his body was both exciting and terrifying, but he still gritted his teeth and shouted loudly:
"Okay!"
"That's it!" - The fox mask let out a burst of gleeful laughter.
As soon as they finished speaking, their crimson cloaks opened wide, and the fox tail energy tendrils spread out in all directions, seemingly stretching endlessly.
The red-orange aura flared up violently, so powerful that it distorted the surrounding space. The whirlwind of power swirled like a solar flare, overwhelming even the heat from Chiyou's self-immolation.
"Accelerate! Let's Fire!"
A chorus of voices rang out, and then
—BOOM!
.They charged at terrifying speeds, breaking the sound barrier and leaving behind countless sparks as they moved.
The speed was so fast that space was torn apart, the air pressure exploded into huge shockwaves. Jiang Zhu could feel the hot air sweeping across his face, but that feeling was nothing compared to the excitement boiling in his veins.
In the sky at this moment, a series of afterimages appeared one after another, each of their figures simultaneously charging towards Chiyou from all directions.
A series of attacks with the destructive power of three ballistic missiles rained down like a storm. The attacks were so powerful that the surrounding air exploded into waves of fire, the sea surface below shook violently, forming giant whirlpools.
The weight of the punches and kicks evaporated the seawater, creating a deep hole with a radius of up to fifty meters right in the middle of the ocean.
Chiyou screamed miserably, its giant body trembling. Lava blood gushed out from all the wounds on its body, radiating enough heat to blow up an entire island. But just as it opened its mouth to fire a plasma heat beam twice as powerful as before...
"Did you think we'd let you do that?!"
Feng Yue sneered, and immediately, they curled up, using the nine fox tail energy tendrils to wrap around themselves and swirl like a giant drill. Space twisted under the pressure, and swirls of crimson energy exploded around them. THEN—
BOOM!
They stabbed straight into Chiyou's mouth.
The moment the energy drill touched, all the plasma beams that hadn't even shot out exploded right inside Chiyou's body. Light flared up violently, and the sea surface rolled into columns of waves hundreds of meters high.
A thunderous explosion echoed throughout the sky, and when the light dissipated, Chiyou's lower mouth was torn apart.
"It's not over yet!"
Still hovering in the air, they swung their energy tendrils high up and slammed them down like giant sledgehammers.
BOOM!
Chiyou was slammed into the sea, creating an earthquake on the surface of the water. But even though it was so severely injured, the monster still refused to fall.
The will to die! The endless will to unite burned in its dying eyes.
Once again, it burned its own life force to prepare for the final thermonuclear explosion. Its body was burning hot, lava was boiling from its core, its skin as hard as obsidian had now turned dark red, as if it would burst into flames just by touching it.
"This is bad! If it explodes, we might be fine, but those girls' group will be in danger!" Feng Yue transmitted his voice through the mask, his voice also becoming tense.
Jiang Zhu clenched his teeth, his heart pounding. "That won't do! I'm here to save the queen! We have to stop it at all costs!"
"Very well! Then concentrate! I'll use a skill to neutralize the detonator, but you need to concentrate with all your heart!"
"What, concentration is the forte of a medic like me!"
From another angle, the Xuan Yuan group was observing the battle from a cliff on the sea. The surrounding icebergs had been completely melted by the intense heat from the battle.
The two long-haired black-haired twin girls - Fu Xi and Nu Wa - hugged each other and trembled as they exclaimed.
"So scary! So scary! Their strength is so scary! They might even be stronger than Kevin-san right now!"
Beside them, Celestial Jingwei just silently crossed her arms, her eyes cold but also shining with contemplation.
As for Xuan Yuan, she didn't understand the entire conversation because they weren't from the same era, but her eyes still didn't leave Jiang Zhu. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed when she saw him rushing into this battle of survival.
And then, she saw them soaring out of the deep hole in the ocean, stabilizing themselves in a certain position right above Chiyou, looking very focused. Xuan Yuan muttered in confusion:
"What are they planning to do...?"
The answer came right after.
A rain of crimson crystals immediately fell from the sky, covering Chiyou. No, it wasn't rain, but a storm that crushed everything—a storm of destruction.
BOOM!!!
In that moment, the sky and sea shook, Chiyou let out a final roar, and then everything fell silent.
*******
The sky was a deep blue, but right below, the ocean was churning in the throes of Chiyou. Its gigantic body, once the embodiment of destructive power, was now nothing more than a thermonuclear reactor waiting to explode. Crimson light rose from the cracks on its body, the heat radiating from it distorted the space, the sea boiling as if it was being cooked.
Floating above the deep pit in the ocean, Feng Yue and Jiang Zhu both held their breaths.
Feng Yue gently raised one hand, and the energy tendrils from his cloak spread out like tens of thousands of thin silk threads. In the blink of an eye, they dispersed into tens of thousands of red energy spheres, spinning in the air like a death vortex.
Then they began to transform.
Immediately after, the energy spheres exploded simultaneously, not in a destructive manner but in a subtle transformation.
They created an abnormal crystallization effect, taking root and spreading at a terrifying speed. Attracted by Chiyou's enormous heat source, the energy crystals were like a pandemic, clinging to every muscle fiber, every inch of flesh of the monster, penetrating deep inside and starting to drain its power.
Chiyou roared, its roar like a death knell echoing throughout the sky. It struggled, but each movement only made the crystallization process happen faster. In just a few seconds, its entire body was covered in millions of crystal spikes, layer upon layer overlapping each other, piercing through the outer shell and destroying every cell, every energy atom inside.
Five seconds. Just five seconds.
From a mighty giant monster, Chiyou was now just a withered corpse, a red crystal statue frozen in the middle of the ocean, before shattering into thousands of pieces, swept away by the waves.
Both of them silently watched Chiyou's body disappear. The battle was over. The tension from earlier gradually subsided, leaving behind a strange feeling of emptiness.
They slowly descended, landing on the remaining land near the shore, where Xuan Yuan's group was waiting. As soon as their feet touched the ground, a beam of light separated them.
"30 seconds..." - Feng Yue muttered. He looked at Jiang Zhu, who had just endured a fusion that lasted more than three times the original limit.
"Not bad, I didn't expect you to last this long. I thought you would collapse after only 10 seconds."
But when he took a closer look, Feng Yue laughed scornfully.
Jiang Zhu was currently lying on the ground, panting as if he had just run three marathons around the world.
His face was pale, sweat was pouring down, his limbs were shaking to the point of having no strength left. This appearance, compared to the majestic image just now, was truly indescribably funny.
"Don't... talk as if I'm... just a weak vase..." - Jiang Zhu was out of breath, but still tried to argue back
"Okay, okay, just lie there and breathe." - Feng Yue crossed his arms, shrugging. But then, after a moment, he raised his hand.
"Anyway, good job."
Jiang Zhu stared at him, then slowly reached out to touch his hand. It was a gentle clap, without explosive power or shocking energy, but contained the recognition between comrades who had just fought side by side in a life and death battle.
A moment later, when Jiang Zhu regained enough strength to sit up, he slowly walked towards Xuanyuan. They stood facing each other, the space between them condensed by the words that had not been said yet. Then, in the sunlight reflecting on the sea, Jiang Zhu spoke.
*****
After the battle, the sea had regained its original calm, but what stirred people's hearts was not the waves or the wind. Xuan Yuan stood there, her silhouette reflected on the sea, her brown eyes reflecting the lively sea.
She should be happy to be alive, but her heart was no different from the sea before a storm—turbulent, chaotic, and filled with nameless emotions.
Everything had ended the moment she decided to rush into Chiyou. Yet now, standing on the border between life and death, the person who should no longer exist was right behind her.
"What are you sitting there thinking about, Your Majesty?"
Jiang Zhu's deep voice rang out, like a gentle breeze brushing past her ears. The space was so quiet that she could hear his footsteps approaching.
"...I was already prepared to die."
She didn't turn around, just whispered, as if saying this would make it all a pipe dream.
"I know."
No hesitation. No wavering. His tone was as calm as ever, as if her death was a given… or as if he had been prepared to pull her back before she decided to leave.
Xuan Yuan tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, finally turning around, his sharp eyes seemed to pierce his heart.
"If you knew, then why did you still save me?"
"Then why did you want to sacrifice yourself?"
A counter-question, but there was no mockery in it. It was just a brutal nakedness, leaving her unable to escape.
"Because it is my responsibility!"
She bit her lip, her voice trembling with excitement. "As queen, I must protect everyone. It is my responsibility… it is what I must do!"
"What about me?"
He took another step forward, closing the distance between them to just a few inches. His eyes stared at her, not allowing her to escape.
"Have you ever thought about me? Have you ever thought about what I would do if I lost you?"
Her chest felt like something was squeezing it.
Of course she had thought about it. Thought about it many times.
It was because she thought about it that she didn't want him to die.
"But I can't let you die! If that happens, I'd rather trade myself!"
The words escaped her lips like a scream, like the weak struggle of a cornered beast.
A gust of wind blew by, carrying the coldness of the ocean. But that coldness was not as cold as Jiang Zhu's eyes at this moment—not cold, but the coldness of someone who had decided something that could not be changed.
"You want to protect me, but you won't give me the chance to protect you?"
"…I just don't want you to make a trade."
"You don't want me to make a trade, but you force me to live without you? Do you think that's fair?"
His voice wasn't loud, but each word was like a knife cutting into her heart.
Before she could protest, a hand was placed on her shoulder.
"Xuan Yuan, do you really think I want a world without you?"
This time, his voice was low, whispering right next to her ear.
An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a hug so tight that she could hear his heartbeat. It wasn't a chaotic beat from the battle, but a steady beat, as if to tell her that…
… she was still alive.
And the one who saved her was still here.
"I don't need a great Queen or a mythical hero."
His voice was gentle but no less determined.
"I only need Xuan Yuan, the one I love."
Those words made her stiffen.
She felt the wall in her heart collapse, brick by brick.
She had heard the oaths of countless soldiers, had heard the loyalty of an entire kingdom, but no one had ever said such words to her.
No one had ever loved her… like a normal girl
"… I'm sorry."
This time, her voice was so soft that it seemed to be carried away by the wind. But the hand that was holding her tightened, making it impossible for her to escape.
"Don't say sorry." Jiang Zhu buried his face in her hair, his voice low. "Just promise me… from now on, don't leave me again."
She didn't answer right away. But gradually, her hanging hand lifted slightly, grabbing the hem of his shirt.
Tightly.
As if if he let go, he would disappear.
"… I promise."
The sea was still lapping against the rocks, it was noon and the sun was still rising. But even so, even though the scene wasn't very poetic, it still connected the two people's hearts together.
Thanks to the long conversation. A confession. A sincere thank you. A confession.
Finally, they sat down next to each other, leaning on each other's shoulders, watching the sun slowly set below the horizon, letting the waves lap at their feet.
Feng Yue stood from afar, arms crossed, watching the scene, quietly sighing.
"That guy isn't bad…"
He chuckled, but then suddenly realized something was wrong. A breeze blew by, bringing a cool feeling to his face.
"Hmm?"
He raised his hand to touch his face, and immediately froze.
His mask. It had been cracked for a while, and now, half of it was shattered.
In an instant, his eyes met with Fu Hua, who was standing nearby. She stared at him, her eyes filled with surprise.
"This is bad!" - Feng Yue quickly covered his face with his hands, turning away.
"I can't let her recognize me...!"
But it was too late. Because in that fleeting moment, he knew. Fu Hua had seen. And in those eyes, something had just flashed - a ray of awareness, a memory that had just awakened.
Feng Yue gritted his teeth, silently cursing her carelessness. This... was going to be complicated.
******
The sea breeze howled, rolling in the salty vapor that permeated the space. On the brink of fragile peace, only one person realized that it wouldn't last long, and that person was none other than Xuan Yuan.
It seemed like there was some kind of omen, an uneasy premonition creeping into her mind.
It was not the mysterious Feng Yue, nor the profound Jingwei, but she herself was the first to feel this inevitable wave of fate.
However, contrary to her survival instinct, she did not panic. There was only a slight smile on her lips, her expression sad but not wavering. She had said everything she wanted to say to the person she loved, something she had never thought she would have the chance to do in all these years.
She glanced down at Jiang Zhu, who was leaning his head on her shoulder to take a short nap after the fierce battle. Looking at his peaceful expression, her heart felt like it was being squeezed. The corners of her eyes stung. She slowly stroked his hair, whispering, her voice as soft as the wind blowing across the ocean:
"I'm sorry... It seems like I'm a terrible girl who can't keep my promise."
She had thought about many things like how to build their clan stronger, like what a child would be called if they had a child. Like where they would spend their old age, and what kind of small family they would have.
However, she knew that those dreams of the future could no longer be realized.
She thought that God was really generous in giving her so much more time to relieve her heart. Even though she was a selfish girl who wanted more. However, she knew that she should stop here.
Her hand tightened around the hilt of the Xuan Yuan Sword. Cold air began to spread from the sword, white breaths exhaled from her mouth, mingling with the cold sea breeze.
Everything happened too quickly after that.
Chiyou's withered body suddenly rose from the ocean floor. Normally, all of its energy sources would have been exhausted, and it would no longer have any detonators to trigger the fission reaction in its body. But the truth was not that simple. Even with only one last breath left, Chiyou could still take advantage of the volcano at the bottom of the sea—an external factor that no one had foreseen.
The fierce battle had eroded the geological layer under the sea, opening a path for the heat of the abyss to surge up. Just a small spark, a fragile vibration, was enough to ignite destruction.
Just six seconds. Just six seconds to decide everything.
In the first five seconds, Xuan Yuan had erected a giant ice wall, separating her from everyone—including Jiang Zhu.
He panicked, slamming his hand against the ice wall, his breathing rapid:
"Xuan Yuan! Don't do this! Open it! Feng Yue, come here and merge with me! We can—"
His words caught in his throat as her gentle eyes looked at him through the transparent ice.
She opened her mouth to say something, but Jiang Zhu couldn't hear it. One could only guess that it was a heartfelt thank you.
Then, she turned away, the sword in her hand glowing coldly. With light but decisive steps, she jumped onto Chiyou.
"I knew you would come back, Chiyou... After all, we are mortal enemies. Having you come to pick us up at the last minute like this, it doesn't seem so bad."
She smiled sadly, raising the Xuan Yuan Sword high. Her voice echoed like a verdict of fate:
"Oh my sword... Use all the power you have to seal us away."
Crack!
Ice and snow immediately spread, enveloping both Chiyou and her. Countless energy barriers formed, tightening every cell, every piece of flesh and bone, every will to resist. Gravity collapsed, dragging the two figures into the deep ocean. The water roared, swallowing everything.
On the shore, Jiang Zhu screamed madly, his hand repeatedly punching the ice wall that was so cold that it cracked. His eyes were red, hot tears kept falling, contrasting with the cold layer of ice separating the two of them.
Feng Yue wanted to step forward to stop him, but he suddenly stopped. An instability began to spread across his body, his skin seemed to be split, his body became unstable and flickered like a dim light bulb. Some kind of curse was activating.
"Damn... I've been discovered?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his body suddenly faded, then disappeared into nothingness, as if he had never belonged to this world in the first place and outsiders would be banished.
However, Jiang Zhu no longer had the mind to care about that. His heart was completely immersed in endless pain.
It seemed that this battle would end in a glorious victory.
But no. It turned into a tragic song, a sad melody of separation.
The Immortal Jingwei (Fu Hua) silently looked up at the sky. Her eyes were filled with judgment, as if asking the heavens why they were so cruel.
Why were the fates of those two people condemned to the end?
The sea breeze still blew, carrying with it a cold mist. The waves lapped at the shore, whispering the meaningless words of the ocean.
The battle was over.
But the hearts of the survivors could not let go.