The silver-haired maiden’s waist-length locks shimmered like moonlight, her crimson eyes glittering like precious rubies in a crystal goblet. Her deathly pale skin held the unsettling pallor of a corpse. Clad in a black-and-white gothic dress, she radiated an aura of enigmatic nobility.
In her right hand, she gripped a pitch-black pole scythe taller than herself. Its blade reflected a cold, eerie gleam—no mere prop like Luo Qitian’s. Nangong Shiyu knew this was a genuine weapon. A weapon forged for killing. He would never forget her. The one who nearly ended his life two nights ago.
After the maiden’s sudden greeting, Nangong Shiyu exchanged a fleeting glance with Xia Zixin. Their eyes met for a second before both nodded silently.
"Shiyu, who is she? Do you know her?" Luo Qitian asked, eyeing the girl behind Nangong Shiyu. But Nangong Shiyu raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Before I answer," Nangong Shiyu said to the maiden, "could we move somewhere else?" The Beidou Star International Convention Center was no battlefield. Innocents would get caught in the crossfire. He refused to let more blood spill because of him. Casualties had to be minimized.
"Hmm…"
To his relief, the silver-haired maiden nodded.
Perfect.
"Then let’s talk outside."
"Hmm…"
After settling this, Nangong Shiyu turned back.
"Emergency. I’m leaving first."
"Oh… okay. See you."
With only that brief farewell, Nangong Shiyu, Xia Zixin, and the silver-haired maiden headed out of the convention center.
"Xia Zixin," Nangong Shiyu whispered near her ear midway. "Wasn’t she supposed to be dead after that night? Why’s she still alive?"
"When did I ever say she died?" Xia Zixin shot back. "Unlike mindless Aberrants, this Fiend has brains. She retreats strategically when outmatched—avoids death."
"Fiend?"
The word stunned him. So besides Aberrants, demons truly existed.
"How dangerous is she? Compared to yesterday’s monster?"
"How vast is the gap between intelligent and mindless creatures?"
If Xia Zixin’s comparison held, the difference was as wide as that between apes and humans.
*This is trouble.* Nangong Shiyu’s nerves tightened. His fists clenched unconsciously as he scrambled for a strategy.
"Besides," Xia Zixin added gravely, "that night… this very Fiend dragged me down from the seat of the 232nd-generation Thunder God. I owe her a debt of gratitude."
Nangong Shiyu’s gaze flicked to the scythe-wielding girl beside him. His pupils shrank.
*No.*
*This has to be a joke.*
The obsidian blade mirrored his own ashen face—a silent promise that his head would soon roll. He sucked in a sharp breath. His arms trembled uncontrollably.
*No…*
*No.*
*NO!*
Panic was forbidden. The fight hadn’t even begun. How could he crumble before it started?
He forced several deep breaths, wrestling his racing thoughts into calm. Fear solved nothing. To win, he needed clarity. Strategy. Victory.
*It’s fine. It’s fine.* The mantra steadied his heartbeat, just a fraction.
"Here… is this… far enough?"
The maiden’s honeyed voice snapped him back to reality. He glanced around—they’d walked much farther than he realized. Time flew when you wished to flee.
"Yeah. This works," Nangong Shiyu confirmed after scanning the sparse crowd.
"T-then…" The maiden fidgeted, pinching a fold of her dress. "C-can I… drain your essence?"
Only one answer was possible. Steeling himself, Nangong Shiyu replied:
"No."
The refusal came without hesitation.
The maiden dipped her head, murmuring too softly for ordinary ears:
"Then… Lotali must… resort to force…"
Her whisper was a battle cry.
"I’ll spirit-form first," Xia Zixin announced.
"Understood."
Her body dissolved into shimmering particles, vanishing into Nangong Shiyu’s chest.
The fight began.
Nangong Shiyu’s mind raced, weaving magic sigils. First, he amplified his physical limits—no dying in the opening strike. He sharpened his sight and hearing, prioritizing enemy intel over raw power. Finally, he forged a skeletal framework of mana across his back, sprouting wings for mobility.
"Lightning—heed my command!"
Visible arcs erupted from his spine, crackling violently. Street bystanders stared, but he no longer cared.
"Come."
Electricity coiled around him like venomous serpents, poised to strike.
"I’m ready."
