Volume Six: What She Lost, What I Gained - The Past and the Present

Author's friendly reminder:

For a better reading experience, please review chapters 530 and 531 before reading this chapter, or compare this chapter with chapters 530 and 531.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Think about it. Think about it.

Think about it.

Think about it carefully.

Don't be impatient.

Don't be reckless.

Don't be discouraged.

Mobilize every brain cell.

Valentina is inside this marble.

Valentina is doomed if the marbles are destroyed or if a way is found to infiltrate the area.

Then the racetrack will be restored, and Casey, who was hidden inside the marbles, will be exposed. Enter the racetrack, kill Casey, and Haoyue will be saved.

That's clearly how it is.

It's just something like that.

But--

"Can't do it...?"

I simply can't think of a solution at all?

I'm someone who can turn the tide in any predicament, someone who has faced death countless times. I thought I was fearless, yet now I can't even save one person?

Or is it... precisely because this isn't my own problem that it's so difficult?

"Bright moon..."

If you ask me if I want to lose her, the answer is definitely no.

But if you ask me if I want to give up thinking, the answer is... yes.

If I were to save the Sick Spider, the Sin Annihilation, Little Ying, or Neumann, I might actually give up and focus my energy on dealing with more enemies.

But if it's Haoyue, Xiao Wu, Little Butterfly, or Winnie inside, even if I know I'm powerless, I will still try my best until the very last moment.

Perhaps there's some self-consolation in this too? There's a difference between failing after trying and failing without trying. The latter leaves you with nothing, while the former leaves you with something to comfort yourself.

But no matter what, there's no way I can be real right now.

Damn it... Am I just supposed to quietly wait for Haoyue to die of old age? Not even get to see her one last time? Not even a word of farewell?

No, we can't do that! Think about it again!

"Um... Miss Ye?"

"Neumann? Have you come up with any good ideas?"

"I'm sorry, no..."

"Oh... never mind, you just focus on Xiao Wu, I'll take care of Haoyue."

"I'm sorry, if only I could have been more useful..."

"You've done very well, it's me..."

My hand holding the marble trembled slightly, and I couldn't help but bite my lower lip. Was I really that panicked? Had I become numb with fear of losing Haoyue? Or was it all too sudden, and I simply didn't feel it was real?

Within the compressed space--

The racetrack, which had been utterly destroyed by the rampaging moon, has now been completely restored.

A smooth track, a newly erected stage, empty audience seats, and scattered spotlights.

Everything was exactly the same as the racetrack last night, except that Valentina and Yu Xun were sitting side by side on the side of a stage equipped with maintenance lights, slightly out of breath.

Both of them have recovered to their condition from last night. Yu Xun is fine, but Valentina has been using her powers beyond her limits, is still in critical condition.

"How are you now, Valentina?"

"His injuries have healed."

"That's good... How much longer can it last?"

"If we compress the space, it shouldn't be a problem to hold out until Tartaglia dies."

"Okay..." Almost there.

Fisher just sent a message saying that Urahara Sakura Dance has been defeated by him.

If they had held on a little longer, Tartaglia would have died.

With two of Ye's three main forces eliminated, the outcome of the battle will be a foregone conclusion.

"Damn it... damn it, damn it, damn it..."

Seeing Ye constantly muttering to himself, Neumann was also extremely anxious, but like Ye, she was at a loss.

She was also racking her brains, thinking about whether there was a convenient algorithm that could be used, and one that would be effective immediately.

It's been almost six and a half minutes, and Haoyue is 85 years old.

Even for Haoyue, if she hadn't eaten for sixty-five years, her physical condition would have been extremely strained, and with the added effects of aging... the chances of her living to ninety years old would be slim.

Damn it, does this mean we're really helpless!?

"Miss Ye... Miss Ye accept my condolences..."

"... ah!"

Ye's shoulder suddenly jolted.

She blinked, touching her head with one hand.

His body swayed slightly, as if he were sleepwalking.

His eyes were a little dazed, and his expression was very strange, subtly somewhere between "I see" and "unbelievable".

"Um, Miss Ye?"

Ye looked at Neumann with an indescribable dazed expression.

Neumann suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

Has Miss Ye finally gone completely mad? Was she overwhelmed by anxiety and despair because she couldn't save her companions?

But--

"... Hey, Neumann, I... I've got an idea."

"You've figured it out!?"

Neumann was surprised again by the unexpected answer.

"Well... you might not believe it, but..."

Ye revealed a strange smile that even he found hard to believe.

"... Actually, I already won last night."

Huh?

Ignoring the bewildered Neumann, Ye looked at the marble in his hand, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, as if sensing something.

Then, in a very, very deep tone, he commanded "a certain being"—

"Kill!"

"... Even after all this, are you alright, Valentina?"

"To be honest... I'm afraid there might be some... but it's alright for now, Yu Xun."

Leaning against the side of the stage, the two whispered to each other.

Although the process was difficult, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The two breathed a sigh of relief.

Just then--

"Not good!"

Valentina stood up without warning.

"What?! Enemy attack!"

Yu Xun suddenly screamed, and Valentina reacted at the same time! She quickly turned around, stretched out her hands, and compressed a space about two meters in diameter around her hands! The Blood Crystal Barrage that was already close to them was absorbed by the slightest difference; any slower and they would have died on the spot!

"Tch... did it fail?"

They were stunned when they saw who the attackers were.

I can't understand it.

I absolutely cannot understand it.

That alluring peach-pink long hair.

That stunningly beautiful face that could topple kingdoms.

That flawless, perfect body.

Those heterochromatic eyes were filled with murderous intent.

It's impossible for him to admit he's wrong.

But--

"It's him!"

"How did she get through that?!"

As for their surprise and doubt, Ye merely frowned and charged over without hesitation!

"Yu Xun, you retreat first! I—gulp"

Left with no other choice, Valentina had to drag her exhausted body into the battle!

Valentina--

"I told you to leave first!"

Valentina waved her hand, and several marbles shot towards Ye at an astonishing speed. The opponent also countered with Blood Crystal Barrage —in this clash, Ye was temporarily at a disadvantage!

"But—that's all there is to it!"

With a wave of her hand, several enormous Crystal Spike, each several meters in diameter, erupted from the ground. Valentina hurriedly compressed the space beneath her, and although she managed to cut off the tips of the Crystal Spike, the remaining pillars still slammed straight into her! A mouthful of blood spurted from her mouth, and her already gloomy face turned even worse. Gritting her teeth, she waved her hand again, and several marbles rained down from the sky!

Rumble rumble rumble!!!

The marble suddenly exploded, and raging flames, carried by a hurricane, pressed down on Ye! But--

"I have an extremely heat-resistant constitution!"

With a whoosh, the flames that obscured the view were sliced open by the crystal blade. Ye accelerated to his maximum speed and rushed towards Valentina, while simultaneously raising his hand to shoot out more than a dozen blood crystal spears! Valentina used one hand to block in front of her body, compressing the space and retracting the first few crystal spears. At the same time, she flicked her other hand upwards, and immediately several marbles shot out from the ground towards Ye!

Ye dodged the attack with a side roll, and the two were now only a few meters apart. Panicked, Valentina tried to compress the space around Ye with both hands, but Ye was one step faster than her.

Click!

Valentina's arms were cleaved in two by Ye's horizontal slash, and before she could scream, a knee struck her in the abdomen, forcibly silencing her scream.

"Gulp... cough cough... Damn it..."

She glared fiercely at Ye, her delicate face splattered with blood, making her look exceptionally ferocious.

"I don't know... how you did it... but... if it weren't for me..."

"Sorry, I have no interest in hearing the villain finish their last words."

"!?"

There was no time to dodge, no time to defend; the opponent showed no mercy.

With the next stroke, he severed her head.

The instant her head was severed from her neck, Valentina saw her own body gushing blood.

This was the last thing she saw.

Then, her consciousness plunged into endless darkness.

The cold-blooded executioner didn't even glance at her.

With Valentina's death, the space crackled and popped, a sign that the compressed space was about to be released, though Ye didn't notice.

She left Valentina's headless body where it was and looked at another person.

"It's been a while, Miss Fiser."

"Or... should I call you 'Yu Xun'?"

As Ye attacked Valentina, he also released a stream of liquid blood that chased after Yu Xun along the ground. Once it caught up, it would turn into a membrane and envelop Yu Xun, and as a result, Yu Xun was quickly captured.

Ultimately, Yu Xun's only ability is "returning to the origin." If used well, this ability is indeed extremely dangerous, but once it becomes a direct confrontation, it has no fighting power whatsoever.

Let the enemy slaughter us.

Now, Yu Xun is at my mercy.

"What... what happened... where... did something go wrong? Why would you...?"

She muttered incredulously, "What? She cares more about why I'm here than the fact that I'm about to kill her?"

"I simply sneaked in through the maintenance passage, casually discovered you, and thought I could take advantage of the opportunity to kill you. Can't you even figure out something this simple?"

"Just like that... sneaking in? That's... impossible!"

I felt like her reaction was... a little off.

A subtle feeling arose within me, and I blinked in surprise. The sense of unease quickly vanished.

But I always feel...

--kill!

"... No, there's nothing to hesitate about."

It was just a matter of swiftly cutting down a knife.

"Goodbye, Yu Xun Sang. If there's an afterlife, please help us repair the ship again!"

Click!

The sharp blade tore through her throat. Her eyes widened, she convulsed once, and collapsed limply to the ground, her face a final expression of resentment. Blood gushed from her neck, staining the ground; she now looked like a blooming flower of blood.

Valentina - Killed.

Yu Xun -- Killed.

"..."

Is that all?

The two people in the Extra Weapon, the murder weapon—I just took them out so easily? And without any dramatic twists or turns?

But... no matter what, I won, right?

That's not good--

Pfft!!!

"... ah?"

A warm sensation spread through my chest.

The viscous, excruciating pain slowly spread.

My body suddenly lost all strength.

Looking down, the heart...

Held in one's hand

A slender, pale hand emerged from my left chest, stained with blood, and clutched my heart in its hand.

Puff!!

With a squeeze of that fair hand, my heart was instantly crushed into a pulp.

As if signaling this, my vision went dark, and a large amount of warm liquid flowed from my mouth and nose, carrying a metallic taste.

"Why?"

Before my consciousness completely faded, I mustered all my strength to turn my head and look behind me—

"Thank you for your hard work, me 'a day ago'."

What I saw was my own smiling face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So I asked, who could have predicted this twist and the ending that was set forty chapters ago?! Hahahaha!