After thinking it over for a moment, I came to a decision.
"Xiao Ye, what's wrong? Why did you suddenly close your eyes and stop talking... Huh!?"
Si Nan Ying cut herself off mid-sentence because I suddenly leaned forward and took her hand.
"Let me be with you."
I said it in the most resolute tone I'd ever used.
"Eh, eeeeeeeeh!!??"
Si Nan Ying was completely flustered. Even in the moonlight, I could clearly see her face turn red.
"B-be with me... Are you proposing!?"
"Proposing to your sister!" I smacked her on the head with a chop. Si Nan Ying made a muffled whining sound as she rubbed her head. Looking at her, back in her silly, adorable form, I couldn't decide whether to laugh or be annoyed.
"You're going back to the Imperial Capital after the barbecue festival, right? What I mean is, I've decided to go with you."
"Someone as naive as you will be facing a bunch of ravenous wolves—your older brothers—when you get back. They'll probably gobble you up in no time. Wouldn't it be better to have a companion?" I added.
Si Nan Ying blinked about a dozen times before she understood what I meant. She shook her head frantically and said, "No, no! You have no idea how dangerous that struggle will be! I don't want you to lose your life because of me!"
"Too bad, I've already decided. I have business to take care of in the Imperial Capital anyway. What's wrong with keeping you company? Besides, you say you don't want me to, but deep down you're happy, aren't you~"
"Ah, yes... No, no, I'm really worried about you!"
...She was so easy to read.
So I said nothing more and simply watched her in silence. After a long while, she finally realized I wasn't going to change my mind and gave up trying to talk me out of it.
"But you have to promise me three things before I can really agree, okay?"
"Go ahead, name your conditions."
"Okay, then..." She straightened her posture and put on an extremely serious expression. "I want you to swear to me: first, always put your own safety first; second, don't force yourself to do things you can't; third, if I really become a casualty of the struggle, don't grieve for me. Forget about me as soon as you can! All right, swear it!"
Her serious expression made me break out in a cold sweat. If this were a gal game, you'd just raised a massive death flag, you know!? And if I swore to it, wouldn't I be raising one too?
But there was nothing for it. I clenched my fist and repeated her words.
"I, Liu Ye, swear here and now: first, I'll always put my own safety first; second, I won't force myself to do things I can't; third, if you really become a casualty of the struggle, I won't grieve for you. I'll forget about you as soon as I can. Is that good enough?"
"That didn't feel very sincere... Oh, well. I suppose that's just like you."
What did she mean, "just like you"...? Still, seeing her smile again at last, I couldn't help but feel relieved.
After our late-night talk, our relationship had grown closer.
On a high-rise building at the northern edge of Winter Arrival City—
"Damn it! Everyone else is celebrating, and we're stuck on patrol!" Guard A grumbled.
"What can you do? The last investigation turned up something huge. Just accept it!" Guard B said indifferently.
"But haven't we already set up a surveillance network covering the whole city? What do they need us for?"
"Captain Si Nan Yuan said you had to prepare for the worst."
"Tch..."
"Huh? What's that?" Guard B suddenly shouted.
"Where? I don't see anything!" Guard A immediately looked into the city, but there was nothing unusual.
"Not in the city. Outside!"
"Outside!?"
Following Guard B's finger, he saw tiny red dots appear in the darkness in the distance, toward the Winterlin Mountains. A faint rumbling could be heard, as if countless beasts were thundering across the ground.
"God... Those, those are—"
Before he could get the words "demonic beasts" out, a blast of wind pressure came from above. Several Strange Birds swooped down from the sky and tore the two guards' heads apart in an instant.
"What? A Beast Tide!?"
Even Si Nan Yuan, usually so composed, couldn't help crying out in shock.
"That's right. There are thousands of demonic beasts of all kinds! We've lost contact with the first few members of the Lineage to spot them. At this rate, the Beast Tide will reach the outskirts of the city in a few minutes, and there'll be massive casualties!"
"Damn it!"
Si Nan Yuan stomped her foot in fury. A Beast Tide like this might not happen once in several centuries—how had they ended up running into one now? It didn't take a genius to guess that those mysterious opponents were behind it! She'd focused all her attention on guarding the city and never imagined the danger would come from outside!
They'd been completely outmaneuvered!
"Xiao Mo, contact Elder Hong. Shiyu, Liusu, gather everyone in the Lineage who can fight. A Fei, Zhang Hu, you're in charge of the city government. Everyone else, evacuate the citizens, as fast as you can!"
"""Yes!"""
"Captain, what about you?"
"I'm going to contact Miss!"
In the city center, everyone in the city had gathered to enjoy the festival with all their heart.
Suddenly—
"Woooooo—Woooooo—Woooooo—"
A piercing alarm split the night sky and stabbed at everyone's eardrums. The people who had been singing and dancing just moments before went quiet as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped over them.
They stopped and looked at one another, unsure what was going on.
Then the spirit-light display board, which had been showing brilliant patterns, turned a glaring red. The words "Warning—Warning—" appeared on it. The streetlights and lanterns all turned an ominous crimson too.
At some point, the alarm stopped. In its place came a woman's voice.
"Attention, citizens! Attention, citizens! A massive Beast Tide is approaching the city center. Please follow the instructions of trained personnel and take shelter inside a building! I repeat: a massive Beast Tide is approaching the city center. Please follow the instructions of trained personnel and take shelter inside a building!"
"Everyone, this way! Move in an orderly fashion, and don't panic!" Several members of the Si Nan Family appeared in the square and began guiding people. Quite a few started taking shelter, but most still had no idea what was happening.
"A Beast Tide? You mean the one from the legends?" "This has to be a joke! How could something like that just show up out of nowhere?" "I haven't even finished my barbecue." "Are there really shelters around here?" "Is this some kind of official April Fools' stunt?"... People began chattering, all looking disbelieving. The members of the Lineage shouted anxiously, urging them to take shelter, but it did little good.
"Listen. What's that sound?" someone said. A rumbling echoed faintly in the distance, and even the ground began to tremble.
"Look at that!"
Someone suddenly pointed at the sky, and everyone turned to look. Under the glow of countless red lights, several enormous shadows appeared overhead. They dove toward the ground—giant birds, each twenty meters long!
The people who had been disbelieving fell silent all at once. Then—
""""""Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh—!!!!!""""""
Accompanied by screams that shook the heavens, the night of revelry reached its climax.
Before you continue