School Anniversary Day (9)

Chisaki unwrapped a chocolate bar.

She was very careful, her fingertips gently caressing the serrated edge, peeling it apart little by little, carefully gathering the fragments into the gleaming silver foil. The rustling sound was very soft.

Then, she broke the chocolate bar in half.

He handed half to the person next to him.

"Give."

The woman accepted the gift and thanked the Trailblazer. She didn't eat it immediately, but simply held it in her hand, her gaze sweeping over the bustling lights and sounds in the distance, as calm as if she were passing by an unrelated cloud.

She is the only normal person (relatively speaking) among the original female protagonists who doesn't engage in abstract or abstract discussions.

Chisaki took a small bite off her own half.

Sweetness melted on her tongue, mingling with the aroma of roasted grains. She chewed slowly, her red pupils reflecting the flowing lights and shadows, silently undisturbed.

The two walked slowly along the edge of the stall.

Footsteps echoed on the stone path, one light, one steady, each punctuated by the same silence. Occasionally, students would run past, laughing and joking, stirring up a gust of wind. Chisaki would slightly step aside, making way for them. Her movements were natural, as if she had long been accustomed to creating a small, quiet vacuum for herself and her companions in this crowded world.

The Trailblazer took a bite of the chocolate bar.

Crisp.

"Over there," she gestured with her chin, pointing to a small stage surrounded by several people, "It looks quite lively."

Chisaki followed her gaze.

Chaos reigned on stage. Two girls with exaggerated hairstyles, one fair-skinned and the other dark-skinned, both with strange black marks on their faces, were arm in arm, waving wildly at the audience and shouting things like "Hilarious Twins." The audience erupted in deafening laughter.

"Mmm," Chisaki responded, offering no further comment, simply putting the last bit of chocolate into her mouth. She carefully folded the wrapper into a neat little square, holding it in her palm.

They continued walking.

Passing by the roasted apple stall, Felut's loud voice and Yakoda's focused profile as he carved sugar blocks flashed by. Passing by the "chest-breaking boulder" area, Guinaifen was enthusiastically pulling a passing teacher to promote her game, while Sushang lay on a bench and winked at them.

The Trailblazer responded with a very shallow nod.

They passed another stall selling glowing toys. Klee was standing on tiptoe, trying to reach a Dodoco model that emitted rainbow lights and hung at the very top of the shelf. Jean stood behind her with a "I can't do anything with you" look on her face, but still reached out and took it down for her.

Wow! Thank you, Director Qin!

Klee cheered, hugged the Dodoco model, and happily spun around. Then, she saw Chisaki and the Trailblazer passing by.

She tilted her head, blinked her large golden eyes under her red beret, and revealed a big, carefree smile, waving her little hand vigorously at them.

Chisaki paused for half a second.

Then, she raised her hand and waved it lightly in Klee's direction.

The movements were a bit clumsy, but it was completed.

They left the stall and walked to a relatively quiet shady spot. It was a bit far from the main road, and only a few students were sitting on benches resting or talking quietly.

The swaying shadows of the trees filtered out most of the noise, leaving only a hazy, joyful backdrop in the distance.

Chisaki turned her head and looked at the shadow next to a stall diagonally behind her.

In the shadows, Chun leaned against a tree trunk, her hands behind her head, a blade of grass seemingly dangling from her mouth, and looked on with a "smiling" expression.

A few small white round tables and chairs were set up next to a tea stall not far away.

Aime (the young girl) held a cup of floral tea and carefully blew on it to cool it down.

She sat somewhat stiffly, her back ramrod straight, her hands holding a warm cup, her fingertips slightly white from the pressure. A few strands of her long hair slipped down her shoulders, and she would occasionally raise her hand to gently tuck them behind her ears.

She glanced at the other side again, stealing a look.

Elysia leaned back gracefully in her chair, one hand supporting her chin, the other casually resting on the edge of the table, her fingertips tapping lightly. A cup of tea sat before her, but she seemed to have barely touched it, simply watching Aime with a beaming, undisguised smile.

The light in those pink eyes was gentle, bright, and possessed a kind of all-knowing clarity, causing Aime to unconsciously draw her gaze back to the petals floating in the cup, as if the answer lay hidden there.

"Hmm?" Elysia suddenly blinked, the corners of her mouth curving into a wider smile, her voice as sweet as a gentle breeze, "Oh dear, I feel like we're a bit alike, this lovely lady~ Is it even our heartbeats that are secretly in sync?"

Aime's body tensed almost imperceptibly for a moment.

She looked up, meeting Elysia's gaze, opened her mouth, and spoke even softer than before, "Eh? Is that so? I kind of think so too... You look like sunshine... warm and bright."

"Of course~" Elysia leaned forward, closing the distance a little, and a faint fragrance wafted from her, as if it contained the sweetest dreams of a spring garden. "Look, we're both so cute, so sparkly~ This must be a special fate, right? Is it the fairy's magic, or the stars' mischief?"

Her words were straightforward yet intimate, possessing a natural charm that prevented one from feeling offended; instead, it gave one the illusion of being enveloped in warm sunshine.

Aime didn't reply, but her grip on the glass tightened, making her knuckles appear more distinct. She stared at the water's surface, where the flickering light and the other person's blurry smile were reflected.

"Coincidence is also a kind of fate~ or rather, it's the most charming opening line of all beautiful stories." Elysia chuckled, reaching out her hand and gently touching Aime, which was resting on the table, with her fingertips. The touch was slightly cool, yet strangely, it didn't make one want to pull away.

"So, don't be so shy." Her voice softened, encouraging yet with a hint of mischievous allure. "You can look at me more openly now. After all—"

She drew out the melody, her pink eyes curving into crescent moons, sparkling with a delicate yet dazzling light like stars.

"I've been watching you the whole time. With the same eyes I use to see all the beautiful things in the world, watching you with 100% focus."

Aime's breath hitched slightly, her eyelashes fluttered twice, and finally she raised her eyes to meet that deep, gentle pink ocean once more. There was no aggression there, only pure curiosity and admiration, yet she felt completely exposed.

"Come," Elysia withdrew her hand, resting her chin on her hand again, her smile dazzlingly bright, "Let's get to know each other better. For example, what kind of flowers do you like? Or... what kind of 'light'?"

"Deeply, deeply, whatever, no thanks, I still need to find Sister Trailblazer..." Aime's voice was barely audible, and the tea in her cup rippled slightly due to her subtle trembling. But her gaze remained fixed on Elysia's face.

"Hey, it's okay, let's do it together~"

Near the cold drink stalls on the other side of the square.

Lupa took the glass of chilled juice from Skirk, thanked her, and took a big gulp. The cool, sweet and sour liquid slid down her throat, making her body, which had been a little feverish from her earlier busyness, feel much better.

"Ha! He's alive!"

She let out a long sigh, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and her pink twin ponytails swayed with the movement.

Skirk leaned against the railing, holding the same glass of juice in her hand, but only taking small sips. Her posture was relaxed, yet it subtly revealed a precise sense of balance honed over the years, ready to be unleashed in battle at any moment.

"It sounds like your master..." Skirk turned to look at Lupa, her grey eyes calm and unwavering, "... training you in ways that don't seem particularly gentle."

Lupa blinked, a flicker of reminiscence crossing her heterochromatic eyes, before she laughed heartily, a laugh tinged with a touch of wistful sarcasm. "Haha... it's alright! Although he was quite strict... he'll heal me! And he always treats me to something delicious afterwards!"

She paused, looking at Skirk with a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "But, judging from what you've said, Skirk... your master seems to be more... uh, special?"

Skirk was silent for a moment, her gaze fixed on some non-existent point in the distance. She picked up her glass and took another small sip. When she spoke again, her tone was so calm that it was as if she were talking about someone else's story, not her own dark past.

"My master, Surtalogi... or you're more likely to have heard of his title, 'The Foul'."

"He believes fear is the root of evolution, and pain is the best textbook. His method is simple," Skirk's gray eyes looked at Lupa, devoid of any emotion, "'Train until you die, then you die.'"

"He would make me swing my sword until my bones broke and my limbs shattered. When my body completely disintegrated at the edge of the abyss, he would then use his power to rebuild me as before."

Lupa's hand holding the cup froze, and the smile on her face slowly faded.

"'Flesh and blood disintegrate, meridians tear apart. Every time you return from the brink of death, you become stronger.'" Skirk repeated the words, her voice devoid of resentment, only a cold statement. "This is the law he believed in. Break bones, repair, break bones again... in an endless cycle. Healing is not his care, but merely the torment I suffer, and a means to continue becoming stronger."

Lupa gasped, her lips twitching, and after a long pause, she managed to squeeze out, "This... this can't even be described as 'strict,' it's simply..."

"It's destruction." Skirk picked up the words she hadn't uttered, her tone still calm. "Destroy the old flesh and blood, and destroy the weak self, again and again. He wants me to imprison pointless emotions, to judge only with reason. Because the universe is vast, the joys and sorrows of the individual... are insignificant."

A gentle breeze blew by, but Lupa felt a chill. Looking at Skirk's calm profile, she suddenly realized that it wasn't numbness, but rather an extreme control that had locked all the turbulent waves into a silent abyss.

"Then..." Lupa hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Don't you hate him?"

Skirk remained silent for a long time.

"He did everything a master should do: save lives, teach skills, and show the way," she said slowly, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the cold rim of the glass. "I called him 'Master' and respected him. But I also feared him—because when he left, he told me, 'One day in the future, I will turn everything you've worked so hard to rebuild to ashes.'"

She turned her head to look at Lupa, finally revealing an expression that was almost self-mocking.

"Therefore, I must keep getting stronger. Strong enough to face him, or... strong enough to make him get what he wants, to achieve the defeat he craves, a defeat without regrets. That's the most 'useful' thing he left me: a perpetual evolution driven by fear."

"I don't want to make an enemy of my master, but... Surtalogi 'never breaks his word.' If you're hoping he's just lying to me to make me stronger, you're wrong. He will definitely come and destroy everything I have."

"I will deliver the defeat he desires."

Lupa was stunned, momentarily speechless. Sympathy, admiration, and shock—a complex mix of emotions welled up in her chest. Finally, she simply raised the glass in her hand forcefully, trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere and manage a bright smile.

"Haha... It sounds terrifying, but, congratulations to you for surviving! And congratulations... uh, congratulations to your master who made you stronger!"

As Skirk looked at the bright smile of the girl before her, which seemed to be trying to illuminate the darkness around her, a faint warmth appeared in her gray eyes. She also raised her glass.

"Bite."

The two cups gently touched in mid-air, making a crisp sound.

Jingliu, who happened to be passing by, saw the two people in front of him.

"You two seem very strong. I recently mastered a move called 'Illumination of Ten Thousand Rivers,' may I ask you for guidance?"

"I'd be happy to oblige."

"Oh! Okay!"

Yanqing also came over at some point, holding a half-eaten candied hawthorn in her mouth.

"Wait! Sparring is not allowed here! If you insist on fighting... the only way is to capture you all and hand you over to Master for judgment!"

Yanqing waved the candied hawthorn and struck a pose.

"Uh... no, I took the wrong one..."

"Boom--!"

The roar of the engine grew louder as it approached, like the howl of a hungry beast, instantly shattering the relatively tranquil air at the edge of the square.

Two dazzling, streamlined beams of light, one crimson like a blazing flame and the other golden like a raging sun, tore through the road side by side at an alarming speed. They did not slow down at the bends, and the tires screeched sharply against the ground, stirring up waves of dust and grass.

The figure on the crimson motorcycle, with fiery red hair billowing in the gale, resembled a Burning battle flag. Mavuika wore a pair of cool goggles, her gaze piercing behind the lenses. Her body was hunched low, almost blending into the motorcycle, and every turn she made carried a savage yet precise, instinctive impulse, as if she were riding a living creature.

"Haha! Lynae! Your driving skills are pretty good!"

Her laughter mingled with the roar of the engine, unrestrained and exuberant, full of pure joy.

On the golden motorcycle beside her, Lynae also crouched low. The wind force yanked her golden hair back, but she narrowed her eyes, her gaze focused and calm, like molten gold, as she locked onto every inch of the track ahead. Her driving style was wild yet precise; every control of the throttle and brakes was calculated and decisive.

"Oh? You too, Mavuika!" Her voice came through the wind wall, overflowing with excitement despite her restraint.

Ahead lay a series of S-shaped bends, like the twisted spine of a giant beast.

As if by unspoken agreement, the two cars cut in simultaneously. Mavuika's line was domineering and aggressive, the rear of the car swinging out in a breathtaking arc under the centrifugal force, yet she laughed loudly on the verge of losing control. Lynae, on the other hand, was like a precise blade, ruthlessly cutting into the inside line at a smaller and more dangerous angle, the golden light drawn by her car instantly slicing open a gap of half a car length!

"Beautiful!" Mavuika cheered, her fighting spirit burning even brighter. She twisted the throttle all the way to the floor, and the crimson motorcycle roared even more furiously as it relentlessly pursued her.

Red and gold, like two intertwined and battling lightning bolts, chase, bite, and crisscross wildly on the track. The roar of the engine is the war drum, and the screech of the tires is the horn, playing a pure ode to speed and courage that gets the blood pumping.

The last straight stretch, the finish line in sight.

The two cars drove side by side again.

Mavuika and Linno exchanged a glance, both seeing unbridled joy and determination in each other's eyes. They simultaneously twisted the accelerator to its limit!

"Buzz--!"

The engine roared to its peak, as if trying to break free from the shackles of steel.

Crimson and brilliant gold, like two exploding meteors, streaked across the finish line with long trails of light and shadow, almost indistinguishable to the naked eye!

"Squeak--Crunch!"

A screeching sound of brakes rang out. The two cars traced long, charred arcs in the buffer zone before coming to a smooth stop.

Mavuika ripped off her goggles, tossed her sweat-drenched, fiery red hair, revealing strikingly bright eyes and an incredibly cheerful smile. She strode up to Lynae, who had just gotten out of the car, and gave her a light, solid punch on the shoulder.

"That was exhilarating! It's been a long time since I've had such a satisfying opponent!"

Lynae also took off her helmet, her golden hair sticking messily to her slightly flushed cheeks. Her breathing was a little rapid, but her smile was just as warm and pure.

"Same to you! Mavuika, the sheer force you use when cornering... it's like riding a fire-breathing dragon! It's so exhilarating!"

"Just call me Mavuika!" Mavuika waved her hand dismissively, casually putting her arm around Lynae's shoulder. "Come on! It's on me! Let's go get some drinks and have a good chat about that death corner we just saw—how exactly did you calculate it?"

"Alright! I'll play along to the end!"

The two walked arm in arm toward the drink stand, their figures disappearing into the bustling crowd, leaving behind only a lingering trail of laughter and the echoing, free-spirited energy that seemed to still resonate in their ears.