Fate, the Gungnir Spear

The woman stopped walking, as if she had grown tired of listening to the conversation. Her forward movement abruptly changed into a running posture. She dragged the black Xuanyuan Sword, and with just a little force from her long legs, the ground beneath her feet cracked.

In almost an instant, the moving body tore through the air, and a sonic boom slowly appeared behind her, exploding with a deafening roar.

In the blink of an eye, the dark sword was already inches away.

Su Qing'an was the first to be hit, and among everyone present, only he was able to react in time and retaliate against this extremely pure strike.

[Thousand Stars].

With the aid of burning Artificial Stigmata, Su Qing'an possesses the ability to instantly activate [Thousand Stars]. Even if the opponent has already swung their sword within a third of a breath, the young man is still able to successfully activate [Thousand Stars] at full power before that happens.

Regardless of Murata Himeko's current state, Su Qing'an has no choice but to go all out to subdue her.

"--!"

[Calming the Tempest] and the Xuanyuan Sword collided violently at such extreme speed.

As a Divine Key.

Even the mass-produced Divine Key are no match for the original [Calming the Tempest].

The initial encounter was cleaved in two, and the battlefield was severed a few seconds later—that was its original fate.

However, after Rin's blessing, the blade's sturdiness was no less than that of the Xuanyuan Sword.

Judging solely from the perspective of a weapon's life, [Calming the Tempest] experienced quite a few twists and turns.

Perhaps like its owner, it is like a piece of steel that has been forged and cut countless times, and each time it is reshaped into a blade, it becomes even more stubborn and unruly.

Now.

It once again accompanied the boy on the battlefield of life and death, silently standing by him as he confronted his so-called fate.

The [Calming the Tempest] will not be severed before the final outcome.

Su Qing'an encountered the first wave of attacks.

Today's opponents have lost their former skillful fighting style; their pure, unrestrained violence is nothing but mindless savagery.

The woman swung the sword with great force, the clanging sound of steel clashing against steel jarring the eardrums.

The young man refused to back down and chose to strike in an extremely narrow area. The time he had to accelerate was too short, but the state under the [Thousand Stars] loading still allowed him to block the sword with pure speed.

This level of attack was beyond what I could have blocked before the Artificial Stigmata enhancement. To say that one strike could kill an Emperor-class Honkai Beast would be an exaggeration, but one strike could kill a Chariot-class Honkai Beast, which is an undeniable fact.

The jet-black sword blade was chillingly cold; even in the briefest clash, the young man sensed an extremely ominous aura and a vast, abyss-like malevolence emanating from the Xuanyuan Sword.

Chop it up.

This was the thought that flashed through Su Qing'an's mind.

[Thousand Stars]'s advantage lies in its speed of movement, allowing it to dodge all of the opponent's attacks and then calmly find an opening.

The boy hadn't lost his mind, even as the flames of anger began to scorch his consciousness.

He still followed the essence of these battles very well.

And then the next breath.

Blade flick, Sword Defense Style.

Retreat.

The sword shape created by the Sword Defense Style also possesses a certain degree of lethality; it would not be difficult to cripple at least a Chariot-class Honkai Beast. However, Murata Himeko allowed these Honkai Energy sword waves to wash over her body at will and continued to swing her sword.

Neither the limbs covered by the dress nor the bare skin were damaged.

The sword wave, powerful enough to split mountains and shatter rocks, landed on Himeko like a gentle breeze, having no other effect and failing to hinder her even for a moment.

Su Qing'an's heart sank. Even though he had long understood that this was unlikely to harm her in her current state, the fact that he couldn't even stop her for a moment was still beyond his expectations.

The boy's swordsmanship and intuition immediately and keenly grasped the reason.

This unusual defensive capability stems from the woman's external gown; a transparent layer of Honkai Energy shield clings tightly to every inch of her skin and is linked to the Great Honkai energy reserves within the gown.

Unless Su Qing'an is prepared to completely kill Murata Himeko and uses his full strength, which he cannot possibly hold back, he will have no chance of breaking through this defense line, and therefore no chance of quickly subduing Himeko.

The [Time Cutter] technique, combined with the full power of [Thousand Stars], might be able to break through this defense, allowing the Honkai Energy to penetrate the opponent's skin before it can be replenished, thus severing limbs and killing the enemy.

But clearly, Su Qing'an was unable to draw his sword.

The person before him... was his only family in the world.

Even though the two are not related by blood, Murata Himeko has already gained Su Qing'an's recognition, and in his view, it has nothing to do with whether they share the same blood.

Murata Himeko was undoubtedly his family.

It's my... older sister.

Just by swinging his sword at her, Su Qing'an's resolve began to waver.

He once believed that his sword heart could never be broken.

Even if the world is desolate, and one walks alone on the boundless wilderness and coastline for millions of years, the young man can still maintain a calm and unperturbed mind even if the sky falls.

The divine version of the Void Sword Qi demands an even higher level of mental fortitude and is more difficult to master than the true Void Sword Qi.

Without a spirit that shines like gold, even attempting to enter the first level, Shisui, is futile.

Su Qing'an, who was already qualified to enter the Mirror of Light, would be a hero worthy of being given a heroic mission in the epic.

Heroes in epic tales can slay dragons and dethrone ancient gods from their lofty thrones.

Su Qing'an could also bear the agony of being torn to pieces and the loneliness of a thousand or ten thousand years.

Such a young man, forged with an iron will...

But the one thing he couldn't accept was the possibility that he might have accidentally killed his opponent in this battle.

Let's recount some of the battles he has experienced.

And Ganesha, and the Living Doll, and even Jizo Mitama, which is closest to the limits of self.

In every battle... in every single one of them, his resolve to fight never wavered.

Even at the moment he thought he was about to die, Su Qing'an's sword heart did not develop a single crack.

But now, even with each swing of his sword, Su Qing'an finds it difficult to remain completely unmoved.

Sword Heart wavered restlessly, and Heart Ice gradually became tarnished.

Passive defense, attack the Xuanyuan Sword, and look for opportunities to subdue the opponent.

This is the only decision he can make at the moment.

His indecisiveness has reached a point completely unlike his usual self, and if this continues, the outcome is already obvious.

The battle before him was far too cruel for the boy; it was like Achilles having his only weakness exploited, with a vile poisoned arrow aimed at his ankle.

Perhaps the arrow has already left the bowstring, but no one knows when it will hit its target.

The goddess who weaves the tapestry of destiny watches with a light laugh this inevitable battle, built from a series of coincidences.

Like a puppet show where no one is allowed to disturb it, the endless stream of Honkai Energy at the center of the altar created three energy entities modeled after Murata Himeko as Himeko stepped out and wielded her sword, each wielding a Xuanyuan Sword and slashing at their respective opponents.

Su Qing'an must face this "enemy" alone, who is no less formidable than S-rank Valkyrie and perhaps even more so, and devise a way to successfully save her.

The boy swung his sword forcefully, and after mastering martial arts, his [Time Cutter] became faster once again.

In the time it took Himeko to swing her sword once, Su Qing'an had already swung nearly a hundred swords, striking a point on the edge of the Xuanyuan Sword.

The boy, enraged and furious, drew his sword, hundreds of resilient Honkai Energy threads swirling around him in every moment of close combat.

This is the pinnacle of Honkai Energy control. In order to prevent [Calming the Tempest] from being damaged and to make the blade even sharper, Su Qing'an has used up all his life's learning in every strike.

The [momentum] had no effect on Murata Himeko in the present moment, but Su Qing'an discovered something else inside the Xuanyuan Sword through the attack of the [momentum].

It was not a chaotic aggregate of pure malice and murderous intent, but rather an existence possessing a certain degree of intelligence.

However, the attack of [momentum] is like a gentle breeze blowing on a blazing campfire, unable to overwhelm the opponent in this way.

Having fully grasped the crux of the problem, Su Qing'an once again understood the only solution.

That was his initial, instinctive, subconscious reaction: to shatter the Divine Key.

If this Xuanyuan Sword is shattered, it might actually wake Himeko up.

To this end...

Natural Stigmata and Divine Key were not within Su Qing'an's considerations.

But reality was far from as easy as Su Qing'an had imagined. After his power disturbed the remnant soul of Ji Xuanyuan inside, the evil thoughts within no longer intended to hide themselves.

[You're so persistent, even thousands of years from now.]

A faint voice echoed throughout the vast square. It should have been a clear and melodious female voice, but it was tinged with a mournful and lonely tone.

Murata Himeko's sword stopped. She was like a puppet on a string. Her body, which had been Honkai Energy beyond saving by Honkai energy, had become a weapon in Ji Xuanyuan's hands to eliminate enemies.

Ethics and morality, justice and principles.

These beautiful things that should have been etched into the souls of heroes have been swallowed up by the evil accumulated over the long years.

After all these shackles and ideologies disappeared, the inherent flaws of humanity swelled and gave rise to a personality completely opposite to the original Ji Xuanyuan.

She is no longer worthy to be called by that hero's name.

It was as if the wings of a demon were born from the remains of an angel, and now those wings spread, obscuring the day and sunlight, and bestowing upon the earth a silent winter.

The people of the past would naturally praise the angel's grace, but Su Qing'an is forced to accept this arrangement made thousands of years ago, to face the devil's claws and the accumulated evil thoughts.

Upon learning that there was a suspected consciousness within the Xuanyuan Sword, Su Qing'an understood that it could only be the sword's former owner.

The one whom the ancient people called the Yellow Emperor was Ji Xuanyuan.

Su Qing'an was able to catch his breath during a break in the conversation, and he secretly dispersed [Thousand Stars].

Even with the reduced weight of the armor and the enhancement of Artificial Stigmata, the full-power [Thousand Stars] skill cannot be used for more than ten seconds.

If he exceeds this word limit, he is very likely to collapse before solving the problem.

Therefore, it is necessary to seize every brief opportunity to rest for a while.

Su Qing'an tentatively asked:

"Are you Ji Xuanyuan? Are you Hua's friend?"

[Huh? You mean Chi Yuan? Yes, Chi Yuan. Chi Yuan abandoned me too. She's the one who made me endure so many long years of loneliness.]

I'm so lonely, I'm so alone.

Ji Xuanyuan's initial murmur of doubt turned into a sudden realization, but the name of this old friend intensified her emotions. Her soft whisper sounded like a child's aggrieved and resentful complaint.

The gradually deepening, speeding up, and intensifying tone made her voice increasingly terrifying and frightening.

Why? Why did you leave me all alone?

Her furious questioning, her hysterical roar.

Why? Why? And why wasn't she there when we needed her most?!

Su Qing'an was stunned. He seemed to be taking these questions on behalf of Fu Hua and was speechless.

The Black Xuanyuan Sword in Himeko's hand began to stir, unleashing an endless torrent of malevolent thoughts...

"--!"

At the same time, a mysterious sound resounded, like the beating of a giant heart. After only two earth-shaking tremors, Honkai Energy, like boiling blood within the earth's crust, gushed forth and landed precisely on the Xuanyuan Sword, forming a connecting bridge.

Is it Chi You?!

The Xuanyuan Sword and Chi You have been linked for thousands of years. In essence, the Xuanyuan Sword has been infected and become part of Chi You's body. Therefore, a mechanism of its own immune system reacted when the Xuanyuan Sword needed Honkai Energy.

Su Qing'an is no longer just facing the remnant soul of a thousand years, Murata Himeko, who has been manipulated into a puppet; he also has to face the assistance given to them by the Judgment-class Honkai Beast Chi You.

The Holy Spear he previously used was named the "Spear of Longinus," but perhaps Su Qing'an is now facing an existence of equal renown.

The legendary Eternal Spear, a declaration from the God of War.

That is, Gungnir.

In Norse mythology, this is the exclusive weapon used by the chief god Odin, and its sole function is that it will always hit its target when thrown.

It was like fate.

Now it's as if this gun is flying towards him, aimed at the Cyclops's eye, piercing Achilles' ankle, telling countless epic tales and laments, conveying the gods' declarations and decrees, and finally reaching his own heart.

It was as if He was speaking to the boy:

[Su Qing'an, you deserve to die.]

Faced with these fully revealed facts, Su Qing'an simply smiled. There was nothing funny about his current predicament, but he felt that other things were worth laughing at.

You think Su Qing'an is just an ordinary person with a worthless life. He has been struggling and barely surviving all this time, and in the end, he only has less than ten years left to live.

Even if he survives today's battle, he won't live for another five years.

Perhaps not even in three years.

But assuming it would bring him the result he wanted, then even dying wouldn't be a loss.

Only...

I think I've broken the contract again, hua.

Time and time again, even though this is the thing I hate doing most.

Looking at the girl in the ancient black dress, Su Qing'an made up her mind.