Sitting in the armored vehicle's cab, Bai Zhou spotted a familiar Rolls-Royce in the distance through the holographic display, its body battered and covered in dents.
Beside the Rolls-Royce stood Fang Xiaoxia, the Gem Witch, and the others, their faces lit with delight.
Old Yu and his wife stood farther back, supporting each other amid a crowd of officials, while Fang Xiaoxia and the Gem Witch hurried toward Bai Zhou beneath a sky filled with streaming spiritual light.
Just then, the giant octopus overhead exploded beneath the pillar of light that pierced the heavens.
Boom, boom, boom, boom! Green poison mist, crimson bloodlight, and a riot of other colors burst across the sky like an enormous, dazzling firework.
With a clack, Bai Zhou poked his head out of the armored vehicle and looked up at the breathtaking display.
The reflected fireworks lit his face and eyes, inexplicably reminding Bai Zhou of how thoroughly he had burned himself out. In all honesty, he had thrown everything he had into this fight, prepared to take his enemy down with him, just to force a foe as powerful as the Holy Son into his final "octopus" form.
He had stopped just short of lighting himself up like a firework.
Watching the Ordinance Envoy unleash his might and mercilessly suppress the octopus, Bai Zhou saw for himself that the giant octopus had reverted to its original form. Even the [Brain in a Vat] fell to the ground with a splat.
Only after confirming this did Bai Zhou finally let out a long breath, his entire body relaxing in relief.
"It's over... right?"
The string that had been stretched taut in the depths of his mind for far too long abruptly snapped, and his vision went black.
In his daze, Bai Zhou felt the world