The Battle That Ended, the Xuanyuan Sword That Was Drawn

The double images before my eyes gradually dissipated into nothingness, and darkness enveloped everything.

The battle is over.

The girl's body leaned limply against the immortal, her abdomen completely pierced by the enemy's sword.

The sword was stained bright red with blood, obscuring its original color.

Even his powers couldn't suppress the healing wounds; blood gushed out and flowed down the cuts left by the sword's edge.

Whether it was a minute or longer, the last remaining blood slowly dripped into the pool of blood at his feet, creating weak ripples.

She tried to struggle.

But in the immortal's embrace, it was like being immersed in a beautiful dream that would never fade away; the body felt terribly heavy, and consciousness gradually dwindled to a vast expanse of blankness.

She was terrified.

Satou Yunona is very scared.

This life, ending without accomplishing anything, this abrupt end before fulfilling her promise to them, terrified her.

Also, it hurts so much.

The excruciating pain of the sword piercing his abdomen felt like it was burning his nerves and torturing his soul.

For some reason, she suddenly remembered the ancient legends of Shenzhou.

Legend has it that there is an object called the Monster-Revealing Mirror. Any monster that is reflected in the Monster-Revealing Mirror will suffer unbearable pain and reveal its true form.

Are Pseudo-Herrscher equivalent to monsters in this world?

That monster... did it deserve to die?

You won't die.

[All demons and monsters are insignificant things; how could you be such a laughable and lowly being?]

[Satou Yunona, you are my apostle.]

Come back to my embrace.

[If you're willing, such an enemy can't be your match.]

The will from the distant other shore descended, and in Satou Yunona's almost blank consciousness, any sound at this moment should have been a heavenly rite of salvation.

Only.

I hate it.

Extreme disgust and deep resentment filled the void, and even in this moment of confusion when she had little judgment, Satou Yunona instinctively loathed this existence.

So, the girl gritted her teeth and suppressed her fear of death.

They chose the path of Asura.

"I refuse."

And so the girl's connection with that voice was severed once again.

He vanished again, gone forever.

"Satou Yunona, you did a great job."

A gentle voice turned the world upside down, and everything before Satou Yunona's eyes finally aligned into true reality.

Inside Fu Hua's bedroom, the gently falling feathers slowly dissipated.

The illusion created by Udu-dust has withered and ended.

Looking at the peaceful scene before her, the bewilderment in her eyes had not yet dissipated, and her right hand subconsciously covered her abdomen.

No injuries were reported.

What... exactly is going on?

In the final moments of the previous battle, the girl used that ancient sword, which seemed to be made of brass, to easily slice through the armor formed by Honkai Energy.

Immediately, the sword light swiftly and decisively annihilated all her abilities, piercing her abdomen without fail. After the tangible sensation of her life gradually fading away, this was the scene before her.

Satou Yunona snapped out of her reverie and silently watched the girl sitting in front of her, quietly making tea.

Her training clothes remained completely undamaged and spotless.

Fu Hua put down her teacup and gently pushed another teacup towards the girl's table.

Satou Yunona paused for a moment, then nodded slightly and held the cup with both hands.

The battle we experienced earlier must have been something like an illusion, so was the voice we heard earlier also an illusion?

This near-real experience of dying made her realize that she was still just as fragile at heart as she was in Changkong City.

In Satou Yunona's mind, the cowardice, sorrow, fear, and lingering attachment she felt before her death were all symbols of weakness.

Fu Hua quietly filled the teacup halfway and then asked:

Do you think you are weak?

The immortal's eyes reflected the girl's speechless expression after her thoughts were seen through. She continued:

"Satou Yunona, this is absolutely not weakness. Your lingering attachment to and fear of death are the best testament to your humanity."

"This precisely proves that you are not a puppet controlled by the Honkai."

The girl remained silent; this was the first time anyone had ever spoken to her like that.

Weakness is wrong, fear is unacceptable, and one cannot become stronger without it.

These prejudices and stubbornness were habits that Satou Yunona had developed over the years, but the girl sitting opposite her completely shattered this notion, telling her earnestly that this was good enough, and that this was proof of her being human.

How could she not be shaken by this?

"Class President, what exactly are you...?" Her question trailed off midway.

Since the other party never mentioned her identity, she should respect her.

Then, we can simply avoid mentioning each other's secrets.

After the girl stopped asking questions, she subconsciously took a sip of warm tea. She glanced cautiously at the other person's face before looking away, instead focusing her attention on the tea leaves floating in the cup to distract herself.

When those deep blue eyes, tinged with a hint of amusement, looked at her face, she couldn't help but look away, choosing to refuse to meet their gaze any longer.

After calming down and easing her emotions, she realized a problem.

Why is this person's good looks so strange?

It wasn't the kind of arrogant beauty that seemed to draw all eyes to it, but rather a beauty that was light and ethereal yet undeniably real.

She usually looks fine with glasses on, but now that she's not wearing any, her porcelain-white skin and her gentle, ethereal features are exquisitely beautiful, like flawless works of art. In this enclosed space with only the two of them, she forcefully draws Satou Yunona's gaze to her.

She used to enjoy watching beautiful high school girls, and although Satou Yunona is now a beautiful girl herself, this hobby obviously won't change because of it.

Having spent a long time at the St. Freya Academy, Satou Yunona was no longer swayed by ordinary-looking girls. With her standards raised high, only beauties like Kiana could still make her feel endlessly attracted to them.

Fu Hua has clearly always been a part of this ever-popular list.

Just as doubts were stuck in her throat and countless thoughts were drifting aimlessly away, Satou Yunona heard the other person speak.

"Sato-kun, let's call it a day. Although you probably still have many questions, you should know that some things are better left as secrets."

"Just like your current identity, I will help you navigate the path to acquiring this power more smoothly, and in return, please keep it a secret."

"It's 6:40 now. Although it's only been ten minutes, I believe you should have already gained something."

"Please go back and get some rest."

Upon hearing Satou Yunona nodded and said:

"Thank you for your help today, Class President. I'll keep this a secret."

"Then I won't bother you any longer, I'll head back now."

After a quiet thank you, Satou Yunona chose to leave. When she was alone with Fu Hua, she always felt a bit awkward if there was nothing important to discuss.

Having gone through this unforgettable training, Fu Hua now feels more like a mentor to Satou Yunona than a classmate or senior.

Neither she nor Fu Hua would intentionally acknowledge this relationship.

Fu Hua leisurely sipped her tea; today's exertion was not as great as she had originally expected.

Satou Yunona's performance in the realistic illusion created by Udu-dust did not disappoint her.

Whether it was the ability to quickly adapt to the instinctive aversion to the armor or the willpower to regain sanity after the power went berserk, both are commendable.

What truly convinced Fu Hua of her opponent was the moment the battle ended.

Just as the link to her Honkai Consciousness was about to re-emerge through the negative emotions of the fear of death, Satou Yunona, as if it were an instinct etched into her soul, directly rejected the response.

He might descend upon her because of the emotional void created by Satou Yunona's near-death experience, something she had anticipated before the battle and had been waiting for.

She deliberately set the battlefield in the illusion within Udu-dust, just in case, so that she could Time Cutter when Satou Yunona succumbed.

Satou Yunona's fighting prowess in this battle did not exceed her expectations, but in the end, she still had to draw the Xuanyuan Sword to decisively end the battle.

My strength is still dwindling, and my situation is getting worse and worse.

But let's not think about those things right now.

Satou Yunona's final choice made Fu Hua feel that she wasn't doing something meaningless.

Perhaps, her wavering and change will usher in a new beginning for the war.

Finally, the girl recalled the strange sound effects emitted by the Emerald Armor during battle and fell into deep thought.

Sato-kun, do you like Kamen Rider?

Unaware that this was actually Kiana's hobby, Fu Hua had already labeled Satou Yunona as a tokusatsu enthusiast.

If Satou Yunona knew Fu Hua was thinking at this moment, she would probably be incredibly embarrassed.

Fu Hua briefly imagined what it would be like to have her Valkyrie armor with sound effects added.

Although there's a subtle kind of fun and a strange sense of excitement about it, I'd better pass.

She saw online that netizens commented that no man could resist Kamen Rider, and perhaps she could ask Su Qing'an to verify how accurate this assessment was.

"Beep beep beep."

A faint sound interrupted Fu Hua's rare moment of relaxed thoughts.

Fu Hua frowned and answered the communicator.

She seemed to have immediately confirmed the visitor's identity, and said:

"What's the matter?"

The man on the other end of the call said:

"Good evening, my old friend. How have you been lately? Rita told me that the sea breeze in St. Freya is very pleasant and unforgettable."

She didn't bother with pleasantries and asked directly:

"What's up?"

Faced with the immortal's indifferent reaction, the man's voice carried a hint of helplessness, making one almost imagine him sitting in the chair, helplessly spreading his hands.

"Of course, my friend, I have a very simple task for you, which will still be a short trip for you."

Otto laughed, and said with great interest:

"However, this mission's partners are different from before, but I believe, my friends, that you will cooperate very well."