Believe Me!

In the video—

"This is..." Himeko followed the dragon's roar and looked up, her pupils contracting sharply.

Kong's massive body tore through the clouds, her dragon wings spanning a full hundred meters in width.

Her scales gleamed with a faint blue luster under the moonlight, each one like a meticulously carved crystal.

But what struck the deepest fear was the glistening teardrops hanging from the great dragon's eyes, refracting a poignant radiance in the light.

As Kong dove, lightning began to rain from the sky.

"Watch out!" Ye Li shoved Himeko aside, but he himself was sent flying several meters by the hurricane kicked up by the dragon's wings.

Kong let out a mournful cry, and her dragon breath swept across the deck as an ice-blue pillar of light.

The warship's turrets froze solid in that absolute-zero breath, then crumbled to dust.

"Damn it!" Himeko barely managed to steady herself, a layer of frost already forming on her armor's surface.

She raised her greatsword, only to find her arm stiff from the cold.

Kong's tail suddenly lashed out; she just had time to block with her blade before the impact sent her flying.

"Himeko!" Ye Li's voice rang out.

Himeko felt someone catch her, but the force still made her mouth taste of copper.

"I'm fine..." She struggled to stand, only to realize her right leg had gone numb.

Kong's attacks carried a special kind of Honkai Energy that was eroding her body.

Ye Li set her down behind a relatively safe piece of cover and quickly checked her injuries.

"You need immediate treatment in this state." His voice was still calm, but Himeko noticed his clenched fists trembling slightly.

"Now's not the time for that..." Himeko grabbed his wrist. "The Helios can't withstand a second attack..."

Kong circled overhead, the storm from her dragon wings rocking the entire warship.

"You're right. That's why I'll lure her away."

Ye Li stood up and looked toward the dragon in the sky, his gaze resolute.

"Are you insane?" Himeko clung tightly to his clothes. "That's a Judgment-class Honkai Beast!"

"Precisely why someone has to go." Ye Li gently pried her fingers loose. "Trust me. I have a way."

"Ye Li!" Himeko tried to stand, but her injuries made her collapse back to the deck.

All she could do was watch as he leaped onto the edge of the deck and raised the Rebel Sword to the sky.

"Hey! Little one, remember me?" Ye Li's voice was still clear through the storm.

Kong's eyes locked onto Ye Li, and she let out a deafening roar.

Ye Li cast one last look back at Himeko, a familiar grin curling at the corner of his mouth. "Remember to buy me a drink later. Don't welch on it."

The next second, his figure turned into a streak of purple light, racing away from the warship.

Kong pursued without hesitation, her massive dragon wings stirring up one last gale that scattered the ice crystals across the deck.

Himeko propped herself up against the wall and watched the purple speck gradually vanish into the clouds, clenching her fists. "You... bastard..."

Ye Li's figure flickered in and out of sight among the clouds, Kong's roars fading into the distance.

Himeko leaned against the cover, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the turmoil inside her.

"Ye Li... don't you die on me..."

She murmured under her breath, scenes of them fighting side by side flashing through her mind.

That guy, always wearing that careless smile, but when it counted, more reliable than anyone.

Just then, a loud crash rang out from afar, followed by Kong's furious roar.

Himeko's head snapped up. A blinding purple light flashed through the clouds, then a violent explosion.

"Ye Li!" Her heart clenched. Ignoring her injuries, she quickened her pace.

But before she could take more than a few steps, static crackled from the communicator, followed by a familiar voice: "Himeko, still alive?"

It was Ye Li!

"You... are you okay?" Himeko nearly shouted.

"Of course. I'm holding you to that drink."

Ye Li's voice carried a hint of exhaustion, but it was still light. "I've lured Kong away. You all need to evacuate now."

"What about you?" Himeko asked urgently.

"I've got a little something to take care of. Don't worry."

Ye Li paused, then chuckled. "Make sure the booze is good. I don't want cheap stuff."

The communication cut out. Himeko stood frozen for a long moment before finally letting out a bitter laugh. "That guy... he really knows how to piss you off and make you worry."

She looked up at the sky. The clouds gradually parted, moonlight spilling across the deck as if everything had returned to calm.

But Himeko knew this battle was far from over.

"Ye Li, you'd better keep your word..." she murmured, tightening her grip on the greatsword.

Real World—

When they saw Ye Li actually use himself as bait to lure Cocolia away alone, netizens in the real world were moved to tears.

Wuwuwu, Ye Li is a real man

Prison Ye, don't elbow!

Man!

My husband is just too great

Drinking and stuff, don't plant flags at a time like this!

Prison Ye is like an old general on the opera stage, covered in flags

The writers wouldn't take my Ye Li offline at a moment like this, right?

Really? No way, something like that, no way!

Elsewhere.

Unlike his classmates who had gone into full howling mode, the man himself, Ye Li, felt nothing but awkwardness watching this scene.

Frankly, this public execution made him extremely uncomfortable.

Of course, compared to that.

What made him even more uncomfortable was watching his classmates get worked up over the video of him, with more than a few 'slightly exaggerated' reactions.

Even though he wasn't even a tenth of his peak strength back then, dealing with the Mimic Herrscher Bebe Long was still more than enough.

He lured Bebe Long away mainly to let the next part of the plan go smoothly, while also misleading some presence lurking in the darkness.

Thinking this, Ye Li looked up and met Fu Hua's thoughtful gaze.

Fu Hua: ￣-￣ (stare)

Ye Li: ...