After Nangong Shiyu readied himself for battle, the Silverhaired Maiden seemed equally prepared. A black aura enveloped her entire form, concealing most of her body. It crept up her arm onto the polearm scythe, coating the blade with a faint, wispy black mist.

That dark vapor seemed to symbolize curses...

And death.

"Lotali... I must... drain you dry..."

Sensing danger from the change, Nangong Shiyu fixed his gaze on the scythe in her hand. He knew he absolutely could not let it touch him.

Without concrete intel, that black mist likely carried an "instant death" effect. Even if not, it was probably a poison-like curse—just one hit would seal his defeat.

Nangong Shiyu decided to keep his distance and avoid close combat.

Just as he activated his wings to retreat backward, the maiden’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. She charged like a bullet, eager to slice him into pieces.

Spotting her first strike, Nangong Shiyu flapped his wings frantically, ascending to dodge. Then he gathered Lightning power in his palms and launched a probing attack.

"Lightning, pierce my enemies."

Two dazzling bolts shot from his hands, too fast for mortal eyes to follow, aimed at the Silverhaired Maiden below.

He’d hoped this might end her—but her impossibly agile dodge shattered that delusion without mercy.

"Xia Zixin." Sensing trouble, Nangong Shiyu called to the spiritualized Xia Zixin. "Got a plan?"

"Shouldn’t you figure it out yourself? This big sister can’t help."

His plea was coldly rejected.

"Any intel on her then?"

"Specifics? This big sister doesn’t know."

As Xia Zixin finished speaking, the Silverhaired Maiden swung her scythe. Two crescent-shaped black beams shot toward Nangong Shiyu. He held his breath, realizing he couldn’t dodge. At point-blank range, he gathered Lightning again and barely blocked the beams rushing at his face.

But the ground-bound maiden gave no reprieve. She pushed off with both feet, spiraling upward like a missile. Nangong Shiyu’s sixth sense screamed: don’t take this head-on.

"Tch."

Awkwardly controlling his Lightning wings, he leaned back and dropped. Her scythe whistled past his nose, nearly slicing it off.

Close call.

But he still had a chance.

Just as relief washed over him, a shadow blotted out the sun, swallowing him in darkness.

"That is..."

Nangong Shiyu frowned up at the Fiend above.

The maiden...

Had spread her wings.

He’d expected bat-like or black-feathered demon wings—but these defied his every expectation.

They weren’t demonic at all.

They were angelic wings.

Clashing with her pitch-black scythe, this Fiend bore snow-white wings.

—A demon with angel’s wings. What bitter irony.

A searing pain exploded in Nangong Shiyu’s abdomen. Before he could react, the Silverhaired Maiden’s kick slammed him into the ground. The impact cratered the concrete, groaning as spiderweb cracks spread. Even a one-ton iron ball couldn’t shatter it so badly.

"Tch. Hurts."

"Serves you right for surrendering the high ground!" Xia Zixin scolded.

Without his protective Lightning layer, he’d be shattered to pieces.

No—

With that force, a normal person’s gut would’ve been punched through.

As Nangong Shiyu struggled to rise, the sky-borne figure spiraled down like a drill. He rolled right, dodging the fatal follow-up. Gritting his teeth, he channeled magic, flapped his wings, and put distance between them to avoid close-range combos.

This is bad.

Staring at her weapon, an idea sparked: if she wanted melee, why not fight melee too? In games, mages lose to melee without a tank. If he became melee himself, he could close that gap.

He began conjuring a weapon in his mind.

But she wouldn’t grant him that chance.

Just as the weapon’s form took shape, the Silverhaired Maiden attacked again, giving him no breath. Unarmed, Nangong Shiyu fled, flapping his wings desperately upward—no more ceding the high ground.

The two spiraled through the air, one chasing the other. Onlookers gaped below; some even filmed on phones, oblivious to the danger.

Nangong Shiyu wouldn’t harm bystanders—but what of the other side?

The Fiend likely knew of the Balancers. To her, these innocents were probably as insignificant as grass.

Life or death meant nothing.

They’d make perfect disposable tools.