Entrusted to You, My Other Self (Part 2)

In a pitch-black space.

A bored girl tilted her head, resting her chin on her right hand as she sat with her legs crossed on a high stool.

In front of the girl, a glowing magic screen was displayed.

The entire scene resembled a private cinema.

And the girl was the only audience.

But what was even more interesting was that if one looked closely at the image presented on the screen opposite her, they would be surprised to discover that the protagonist within looked exactly the same as the girl in the dark space.

Or rather...

It was another her in reality.

The girl was watching a movie starring herself, titled "My Life."

However...

Judging by the audience's reaction, it was clear this movie... wasn't very good.

Smack!

The girl suddenly, and angrily, slapped the armrest of the chair beside her.

"You're so stupid!"

On the screen, the current scene showed Liao Zixuan handing her the Purple Crystal Grass and Roer's letter, but she had chosen the latter between the two.

"The Purple Crystal Grass was already in my hand, why not just take it and leave? Why did you have to go looking for trouble with that Fire God Cult!"

"Hmph, do you really think you're that strong!?"

"You don't show much skill, yet you keep taking on trouble every day. You're just hopelessly dumb!!"

The girl in the dark space seemed furious, her chest heaving up and down continuously.

Please note, the "heaving" here was genuinely noticeable, with distinct curves and prominent peaks, completely different from her flat appearance in reality.

After all, this mental space was created by the girl herself. She was the sole Sovereign here, able to create anything she desired at will.

For example, the revealing black dress she was wearing, the noble chair she sat on, and of course, her own body.

Ahem...

Mmm.

It wasn't impossible that she had included some personal preferences!

In any case, the exasperated girl waved her small hand, petulantly shutting off the magic image as if she couldn't bear to watch anymore.

Unfortunately.

Not long after, the girl seemed unable to resist and sneakily turned it back on.

"I'll just take one more look."

The girl muttered to herself.

But soon, the dark space was once again filled with her exasperated voice.

"You didn't see a single person from the Fire God Cult along the way. Isn't it obvious they recalled all their subordinates and are just waiting for you to walk right into their trap!"

"Why didn't you even have someone scout ahead before entering the cave? You just charged in first like an idiot??"

"I can't stand it! When that old woman asked for your name, you actually told her obediently! Couldn't you have just made up a fake one? What if she becomes fixated on you later!"

As her real self finally ventured deep into the Claw's lair, reaching the Fire God Cult's main base.

In the dark space, the girl, perhaps without even realizing it, shifted from a relaxed posture to sitting bolt upright and leaning forward. Her small hands, which had been resting on the armrests, began to clench, and her crossed legs were now uncrossed, her toes tapping restlessly on the ground.

The girl stared intently at the screen, as if afraid of missing anything.

This state reached its peak when the real Eugenia, the Bishop, launched her attack, employing a trick by using the foreigner in the iron cage to distract her real self and waste her magic power on a rescue.

"Idiot! Fool! Moron!"

"I'm so angry! I'm so angry! I'M SO ANGRY!"

The girl even jumped up from her chair.

She stomped her feet forcefully in the dark space.

"What are you doing?! Don't you know you're in danger right now? Why do you still have the leisure to help others!!"

"You..."

Just as the girl was filled with frustration and gritted her teeth, a voice suddenly echoed in the dark space.

"Mmm, I know."

"What!? You imbecile! If you know, then why are you still..." The girl, who had been spewing insults, stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing something was off.

"..."

"..."

The girl, who had just transformed into a Gatling gun of insults, instantly became mute. Her expression was a picture of astonishment.

From shock to guilt, then to unease, and finally even closing her eyes and playing dead.

This dark space belonged solely to her, created by her. Outsiders absolutely could not enter, of that she was certain.

But there was still one exception.

That was, unless the one entering wasn't an outsider, but herself.

Another.

Herself.

"Because I want them to help me stall for time," Vivian explained patiently.

"You've been watching the whole time, you must have noticed, right? Ever since I chose to help those strangers in the iron cages, Bishop Eugenia has been saying an awful lot more, and her emotions seem very unstable. So I think these strangers are her weakness! The more I show I care about them, the more she'll try to persuade me."

"Let her talk a bit longer, let's hold on a little longer, and I'll be able to learn that powerful magic of hers!"

Vivian's voice, tinged with a hint of pride, echoed in the dark space.

This was in complete contrast to the reality displayed on the still-lit magic screen in the space, where Vivian was being suppressed by Eugenia, unable to lift her head, looking utterly disheveled.

Girl: "..."

Girl: "..."

"Um... did I scare you? I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to!" Seeing that she couldn't get a reply from "herself," Vivian immediately started apologizing in a panic, thinking she had gotten too carried away with her pride.

Perhaps this truly startled the girl.

"Hehehe." In the dark space, a stiff laugh, as if squeezed hard from the throat, rang out.

"Scared by me? How could that be!?"

The girl finally stopped playing dead. She forcefully retorted to her other self.

Yes, very forcefully.

If you didn't look at the girl's toes, which were digging so hard they could carve out a castle, if you didn't look at her hands, which were gripping the armrests so tightly they were about to shatter, if you didn't hear her heart pounding in her chest as if countless fireballs were bombarding it.

"Phew, th-that's good then! I heard you scolding me the whole time before, I thought you really hated me..."

"What!?" The girl couldn't help but exclaim.

"You said 'before'?"

"When did you start listening to me here!?"

The girl suddenly stood up again.

"Let me think, it seems like it started from that sentence 'You're so stupid!' right?" Vivian in reality replied seriously after thinking for a moment.

At the same time, she was being whipped away by the furious Bella.

"I know you hate me, you look down on me..." Vivian in reality staggered to her feet.

"I also know that I'm very cowardly, always lacking confidence, and always foolishly thinking of helping others, even though I don't have the strength myself..."

Vivian in reality wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. She watched as the players in the iron cages disappeared, turning into streaks of white light.

"But I also know that ever since that rainy night, another, more powerful me has been by my side."

"She is stronger than me, smarter than me."

"There's nothing difficult for her; she can easily deal with any powerful enemy and effortlessly resolve any dangerous situation."

"So..."

Vivian in reality began to chant a spell.

"So, I was a little cunning and forced myself into danger, because I knew she wouldn't stand by and watch me. After all, this body is mine, and it's hers too."

"I can't just stand by and let the Fire God Cult's ritual proceed. I don't want the rampaging monsters to flatten our village."

"So..."

"Please, my other self! Save everyone, save the village, save the real me."

A silence fell upon the dark space.

Meanwhile, Vivian's spell in reality was nearing completion.

Just as she thought she wouldn't get a response, that her communication had failed again, and her eyes dimmed, the girl's voice suddenly rang out again.

"Scythe."

"W-what?"

"Since you're imitating that old woman's magic, you can naturally condense weapons from flames, right?"

In the dark space, the girl, seated in the noble chair in the center, crossed her legs again.

She yawned as if bored, then repeated herself, saying to Vivian in reality:

"I want a scythe."

"It would be even better if it were bigger," the girl added, resting her chin on her hand as she thought.

"Y-yes, no problem!!"

After a surprised agreement, Vivian in reality used the [Colonize Armor] magic to condense a fiery red giant scythe, more than a person tall.

"Let's get this straight, I'm not doing this because of your pathetic flattery!"

"I'm just..."

"Fulfilling a lost bet."

Rarely seen, although the young girl said "lost" bet, her lips were curling upwards wildly, as if she had lost, yet not entirely, feeling incredibly excited and happy.

"Huh? What bet—"

Vivian in reality was about to ask, but the next second, she found herself in this black space.

And before that, The other her who was originally in the black space...

Clang!!

Sparks flew!

Bishop Eugenia, also known as the Witch Bella, swung her fiery whip.

She didn't want to give the young girl any more chances to play tricks. The rapid whip of fire cut through the air, emitting a piercing sound, like a roaring fire dragon, carrying immense power, it fiercely lashed towards Vivian's original position.

This whip was far more lethal than the previous two combined.

If she were truly hit, it could be said she'd be crippled even if she survived.

And as for who could block her whip, it would be hard to find even one person in the entire Huodian City with a single hand. No, perhaps with two hands.

But.

What was that scene just now!?

Bella felt a massive rebound force from the fire whip, as if she had been repelled by something, almost causing her to drop it unprepared.

And the answer given to her was the fiery red scythe shadow.

At some unknown time, the burning scythe summoned by [Colonize Armor] was held in the young girl's left hand.

Bella felt that the aura of the girl opposite her had changed.

If the previous Vivian gave Bella the feeling of being soft yet firm, never confronting her directly, without a trace of malice or killing intent, always relying on unconfident evasion and defense.

Then the current Vivian seemed to have completely reversed.

The madness, arrogance, and intense killing intent revealed in her eyes...

Even she, as a "Witch," felt uncomfortable.

"You're not Vivian."

"Who are you?"

This time, Bella's voice was exceptionally solemn.

Because Bella was too familiar with the change that had occurred in Vivian.

Every time she possessed another host with soul magic, this kind of earth-shattering feeling would arise, where it was clearly the same person, yet felt completely different.

Bella mistakenly believed Vivian's situation was due to another powerful individual possessing the young girl's soul.

However...

Vivian's only reply to Bella were three words laced with mockery.

"Guess." Vivian smiled.

Her smile was eerie and wicked.

"I remember, you seemed to really like playing games with me before, right?"

The young girl tilted her head up, looking at Bella who was floating high above.

"So, let's play a game too."

"You guess my identity."

"If you guess wrong, let me kill you."

"If you guess right..."

"Then I'll let you... be killed by me!"

Vivian swung the giant scythe in her hand horizontally, pointing directly at Bella. At the same time, all the flames bestowed by [Colonize Armor] on her body began to change color in an instant.

The color deepened, eventually turning into an eerie black.

Black Flame.

Good grief, another one who doesn't play by the rules!

A certain somewhat insignificant little wolf cub finally realized he needed to steal the spotlight.

Liao Zixuan mentally shouted "sneak attack," because the Black Flame burning on Vivian at this moment was exactly the same as his Dark Flame Wolf's!

The young girl had somehow, at some point, secretly imitated his flame too!

The one with the replication ability was clearly not the second personality, Black Vivian, but the main personality, the naive and sweet one!

So.

She turned from innocent to cunning, did she?

At this moment, the second personality, Black Vivian, didn't care about the inner turmoil of a certain little wolf cub.

She only knew that compared to the crimson flames like the old woman opposite her, these black flames felt much more comfortable.

"You, go, kill her."

Bella's voice seemed to carry an irresistible force.

Even though all the Fire God Cult followers felt a deep sense of fear from Vivian at this moment, their bodies still moved uncontrollably, becoming cannon fodder for Bella to test Vivian's strength.

"Do you all want to come and play too?"

Vivian looked at the group of Fire God Cult followers charging at her with bloodshot eyes and holding sharp weapons. She smiled happily, like a little girl seeing many toys.

The maiden took a gentle step forward, but the next second, her figure appeared out of thin air above and behind the Fire God Cult follower at the very front.

With a casual swipe of the terrifying scythe burning with black flames.

The cult member's head, still showing a confused expression, rolled to the maiden's leather boots.

A clean one-hit kill.

The Fire God Cult followers chosen to follow the Bishop on a secret mission were all elites who had at least reached the threshold of the first order. In Huodian City, each of them could at least become a small captain in the knight order.

But facing Vivian at this moment, they seemed to lack the ability to even react.

When the first toy was destroyed, Vivian could no longer hold back.

The second followed, then the third.

The maiden in black clothes, black skirt, and with a black scythe hovered and danced among the Fire God Cult followers like a butterfly of death.

No one could see the maiden's movements.

The only sensation was a coolness at their necks, followed by a close-up view of the maiden's fair, lotus-root-like ankles.

Then, they became one of the plump figures rolling at Vivian's feet.

"Why are they all down..."

The maiden dangled her legs while sitting on the pile of corpses.

"Oh, I almost forgot, there's one more!" Vivian said to herself, raising her scarlet eyes towards Eugenia, also known as Bella, who was floating in mid-air.

"Has no one ever told you..."

"It's very impolite to always make others look up at you when they speak to you?"