Six bullets were fired simultaneously, heading towards Wang Xiaole from all directions.

Once hit, his physical condition would inevitably worsen, affecting the previously planned actions.

If the situation evolved in that way, the entire course of the battle would change.

To be fair:

At the moment of facing defeat, Ye Chuxue launched a fierce counterattack that could potentially overturn the entire situation.

She was on the brink of success, even the formidable opponent facing her did not dare to guarantee that they could ward off the assault from the beginning.

Was it a coincidence or a tactical coincidence?

In any case, the ice elements that Wang Xiaole had previously condensed played a critical role at that moment.

Perhaps Ye Chuxue forgot that not long ago, the ice hockey had been shattered into several ice shards by sword strikes.

Those large fragments falling to the ground numbered as many as seven or eight!

Now, those seemingly insignificant pieces, guided by the power released by Wang Xiaole, flew from behind, almost catching up with the six bullets.

These entities were not meant for defense but served as an offensive tactic.

Each ice shard was responsible for hitting a bullet, so not all ice shards were needed to bring down all the bullets.

The advantage in numbers ultimately determined that Ye Chuxue's counterattack could not reverse the situation.

Even if she managed to fire six consecutive shots, or seven, or eight, the outcome would not have been any different.

Nevertheless, even though that was the reality, she couldn't help muttering in front of that person:

"Just a little bit more!"

It was a familiar phrase, but Wang Xiaole's response would be different from the girl's back then.

"Yeah, just a little bit more, indeed a pity..."

The next moment, the magical power concentrated in the blade part, released in a stabbing motion by Wang Xiaole's hands, turned into a vortex of impact.

As if encountering an endless swamp, numerous threads were immediately engulfed by vast magical power, becoming the sustenance of that force in an instant.

The suppression effect of magical power against holy power was fully demonstrated at that moment.

If it were an equivalent scale of holy power, the scene of destruction might not have been as awe-inspiring;

But now, the entire room was filled and permeated with dense magical power!

In that moment, what appeared in the eyes of Wang Xiaole was a girl with an extraneous object around her body.

A massive skeleton, currently indiscernible as to what creature it belonged to, shielded Ye Chuxue from the terrifying impact in front of her.

"Xiaojun, what do you think sister went downstairs for earlier?"

She suddenly spoke.

"Hadn't had enough for dinner, so decided to have a snack? Be careful not to develop a potbelly."

The teasing tone in Wang Xiaole's response was evident.

Enjoying that light banter, she then revealed the answer:

"Sister went to inform the subordinates nearby to bring the injured comrades into the basement to prevent any repercussions later..."

As she finished explaining, the skeleton increased its size threefold, its top crashing into the ceiling, causing a cascade of wood chips to fall amidst a shattering noise.

The room where the two stood was instantly destroyed. By the time the smoke mixed with flames dissipated and the wood chips ceased falling, Wang Xiaole suddenly realized:

That wasn't just an independent skeleton, but a complete large-scale skeleton with a hauntingly pale appearance that he would never forget.

With the protection of the skeleton, Ye Chuxue's own injuries were controlled to the lightest extent possible.

After taking a deep breath, the girl cast a somewhat lonely gaze and asked the boy:

"Were you happy with our date today?"

This question might have seemed out of place, but in reality, it was not.

After the defeat in battle and resorting to the last resort, the girl's fighting spirit had been greatly diminished;

Currently, she was trying to restore her resolve through this dialogue.

The boy saw through her intentions, knew lying was futile, but refrained from speaking falsehoods.

Though he had lied to the girl initially, this time he decided to speak truthfully:

"It was alright. If Xiaoya had no trouble during our time together, reminiscing about this experience in the future should make it more pleasant."

"If possible, do you want to go out with sister again in the future?"

"Let me tell the truth?"

"By all means, speak the truth."

"Then... I don't want to."

"Why?"

Even without seeing her in person, he could sense the girl's expression had become much sadder than before.

Reading the emotions that flickered in her eyes, even a stranger like him could discern them.

Suppressing the discomfort in his heart, he told her:

"If Xiaoya went out with me, was it of her own accord? No! It was decided by those noisy knights;

I must admit that tonight's date made me happy, and Xiaoya's mood seemed good too."

"If that's the case!"

"If that's the case, one date is enough!

I can't promise to make Xiaoya happy next time. Besides, Xiaoya has no reason to go out with me again."

"Maybe there is a reason..."

"Then let me rephrase that question!"

Feeling a sense of fear, he didn't let the girl finish her sentence and instead chose a more cautious approach.

Knowing that she wanted him to stay and hadn't given up on persuading him until now, he decided to give a firm rejection, with the reason being:

"Does Xiaoya like me?"

"..."

He received no response because the girl simply couldn't answer that question.

When a moment of silence descended, there was no need to continue the conversation of detaining.

Inability to answer = dislike = no need for another faked lovers' date = no reason to remain

His logic was more or less like this.

Of course, this was just self-deception and couldn't truly fool himself.

He couldn't treat the girl before him as he would a disciple, so:

The final target of his deceit wasn't himself but the girl opposite him.

"Huh, hehehe."

That was probably the most melodious laughter Ye Chuxue ever let out.

After the laughter subsided, she made a final decision, lifting one of her arms.

Chi!

Her fingernails scratched across it, tearing the fair skin and letting crimson blood flow out, dyeing the entire arm in red.

"Xiaoya, you..."

"Shut up, don't you dare use that nickname to address me!"

The moment she interrupted his words, Ye Chuxue's whole demeanor changed from before.

She seemed relieved, casually shifting the blood-colored arm and using the dripping blood to moisten the skeleton in front of her.

"No more acting, no more acting. Being treated affectionately by someone I detest feels disgusting.

Under the fox mask, her face must have turned more vicious, just like her offensive tone:

"The trouble you've brought is greater than Sister imagined! Sister thought by treating you a bit better and dropping some hints, you would be bewitched and give up your position as Emperor."

"Xiaoya, are you trying to say that the kindness you've shown me before was all pretense?"

"Stop calling me that!

Bang!

A bullet shot towards Wang Xiaole, and with an instinctive movement, he evaded it, then heard a slightly regretful "tsk" sound.

It seemed that Ye Chuxue felt regretful for the bullet going off track. Her voice was tinged with clear displeasure:

"You're just a petty thief peeking at girls bathing. If not for your status as Emperor, Sister wouldn't have wasted her time on you."

"Does whether I'm Emperor or how you treat me have any necessity to you, Xiaoya?"

"Nonsense! Sister always saw you as prey. Because you're that person's consort, if Sister could confuse you, she could prove herself better than her!"

"Suppose I truly got confused, then what happens next..."

"Then the petty thief would be worthless. After this war ends, whether you go to jail or how others treat you won't matter."

"Is this Xiaoya's sincere words?"

"Otherwise? Did the little thief think that Sister had desires of that nature for you?"

Her eyes were filled with mockery, treating him like a ridiculous figure, not disguising the disdain in her words and actions.

"Sister wanted to keep the little thief around to reduce Dibiles' strength; after all, you are decent in terms of strength."

After laying bare her true intentions, she seemed much more at ease than before, as if in a moment, she had shed all the burdens in her heart.

"Since you don't want to hear kind words, be prepared to be hurt by Sister!"

As the blood spread like paint, turning the skeleton a deep crimson, fresh flesh emerged, filling the gaps in the bones, connecting the limbs with sinews.

After reaching a certain stage in growth, Wang Xiaole finally recognized the true identity of the creature before him.

A dragon!

To summon a dragon with the body of a girl, this surreal sight triggered memories in Wang Xiaole's mind.

He remembered:

In the kingdom era, a queen of Inran had two male consorts.

Known for her affections, the queen favored the two young lovers of different races over the "royal husband" selected for political reasons.

The queen gave birth to two girls with distinct racial bloodlines.

The elder inheriting the mermaid bloodline and the younger the dragon bloodline;

During an audience with the potential heirs, the courtiers could discern the features of two different races from the princesses.

On the day of choosing the heir, the queen bypassed the royal children and crowned the elder princess.

Thus, the children from the consorts became the legitimate line, securing the throne for their descendants as regents today.

Since hundreds of years ago, Inran had an unwritten rule:

Princesses without inheritance rights would be the head of the knights and be expected to serve the current monarch in any situation;

Conversely, the monarch was not allowed to harm or undermine the position of the princess knight.

This rule persisted, making all generations of princess knights the emperor's right-hand person.

Even in this generation, the situation remained the same.