Act.15 You Could Be Mine · You Must Belong to Me

[Part 1: One more song]

The jousting was in full swing, all the while in a guest room on the thirty-first floor of the Blackland Royal Hotel.

Flavia and Duran watched the game live on television intently.

Cici Flavia clutched the lottery ticket tightly, her words revealing her overjoyed delight.

"Hey! Duran! This girl can make me rich! Hahahahahahaha!"

Ms. Duran remained unmoved. The White Snake formed from her soul power clung to her shoulder, continuously sending the calculations of the knights' duel back to its master's mind.

"Something's wrong! Flavia! Something's very wrong with this woman!"

Flavia: "What's wrong?"

Duran: "Female prisoner G117's fighting ability has exceeded the [Timeline]'s expectations, and the result of the game differs from its anticipated outcome."

"That's perfectly normal!" Flavia said nonchalantly, a bag of fresh milk dangling from her mouth. "You weren't even there, your soul power couldn't gather much information, how could it possibly make accurate calculations?"

"Even so, the deviation in this calculation result is too large!" Duran pointed out seriously, "Her next opponent is a master of guns—the duel will be a contest using the [Encore] single-shot pistol manufactured by Thompson Arms Company."

The little White Snake lay on the television, trying to compare the essence of the two, predicting the outcome of the gunfight by analyzing the condition of the joints and various parts of the body, breathing rate, environment, wind direction, and humidity.

"This dueling gun has a simple and reliable structure, and the barrel can be replaced to fire various types of ammunition, even rifle bullets and shotgun shells."

Duran cradled Flavia's cheek, urging Flavia to see clearly the movements of the two fighters on the ring.

"Watch closely. The G117 uses.454 Casull Wildcat ammunition, which employs a small rifle primer. The internal pressure of the cartridge case is extremely high, and the muzzle velocity is over 580 meters per second. It is a high-powered pistol cartridge."

"Her opponent, Tang Ji, was using a.50 AE rifle—she aimed to eliminate her opponent with a single shot, leaving no suspense, even if both were shot simultaneously, to destroy G117's fighting spirit."

"My White Snake has foretold that G117 will lose this duel."

"They are all excellent marksmen; within twelve yards, they would never miss the first shot."

"G117 and Tang Ji will both be shot, and G117's right arm will be broken, rendering him unable to fight. However, Tang Ji's chest wound will not affect his combat effectiveness; he can finish off his opponent with a second bullet."

"And what was the result? Look carefully, Flavia!"

The television footage showed the two gunmen with their Angora pistols raised, back to back.

Tang Ji kissed the gun in his hand, hoping Lady Luck would smile upon him. This [Chorus] was very reliable; given his dueling skills, G117 had absolutely no chance of winning.

If you've seen "From Beijing with Love," this gun is the powerful weapon in the hands of the Golden Gunner.

Xue Ming remained calm and composed, gripping the gun as if it were another limb.

These criminals probably have no idea how many bullets the person participating in the duel ritual has fired, how many calamity beasts she has killed, or how many lives she has taken.

For the Big Sister, firing a gun is as natural as breathing; she is almost always in a state of "flow" and forgets herself.

Edward, began counting.

The two stepped forward, each heading towards a corner of the arena.

Edward took ten steps, reaching a distance of twelve yards, and shouted at the same time.

"Start the fight!"

The sound of gunfire erupted!

At that moment, two bursts of blood erupted from the stands on either side!

Tang Ji had no idea what was going on! Everything happened so fast and so suddenly!

The handling for turning and firing was excellent, and the trigger pull and primer response were just right! Why didn't the G117 fall down? It wasn't hit!

Why wasn't I hit either? We both missed our targets.

Tang Ji Quixote doesn't understand! He simply can't comprehend what just happened!

Until G117 threw down his weapon and charged forward menacingly with his fist raised!

Tang Ji frantically pried open Ango's chest, preparing to reload and finish the fight with one more shot.

It's all too late, far too late.

The Big Sister, with her fists clenched, beat this gun expert into the next Bei Chen.

Even in his delirium, Tang Ji was still muttering to himself—

"--Why? I couldn't possibly miss my first shot."

Why?

Under the tutelage of fists, his mind gradually became sharper, and he finally figured out a terrifying truth.

Hitting an enemy within twelve yards is very easy.

Is it possible that, based on the ballistic simulation just now, it was almost like shrapnel from a bullet collision that hit the audience?

This woman--

--They intercepted my bullet with a.454 flathead bullet!

The muzzle velocity of the.50 AE is 480 meters per second!

Even if we pull the trigger at the same time, the Wildcat bullet is faster! It will reach my gun muzzle sooner.

All she needs to do is aim at the gun barrel to win this high-stakes gamble!

Who exactly is this person? Such courage and determination, such judgment in the face of death, and such decisiveness in throwing down her weapon and charging forward with her fists raised—it's as if everything was within her expectations! Within her expectations?

At this very moment--

--I, Tang Ji Quixote McLaren, have no strength left to fight back.

I felt humiliated, and I felt inexplicably jealous!

Yet I also felt beauty and power!

This woman!

She no longer needs Lady Luck's favor!

She surpasses even Gun Jesus! Compared to her, I, who spend my days burning incense, bathing, and praying for divine favor while facing a gun, am so weak and powerless!

The television broadcast simply couldn't explain what actually happened during the gunfight.

Duran was completely bewildered, but his expression remained serious.

"--See, Flavia, this result is completely different from what I predicted."

Flavia, on the other hand, was basking in the joy of her impending payout of a huge sum of money.

"Well done! She did a great job! I don't care how she did it! As long as it helps me win money, a cat is a good cat, regardless of its color!"

"Flavia, didn't you hear the background music?" Duran reminded his companion, the White Snake gently patting the little black snake's face. "Have you been in Hedland for too long, you little viper, and become numbed by that life of debauchery and debauchery?"

"You mean..." Flavia finally snapped out of her daze, staring intently at the security camera footage inside the room, then, feeling guilty, whispered to Duran, "She is..."

Duran: "That's right."

Flavia: "Was it her who played the music at the stadium?"

Duran: "That's right."

Flavia: "That proves it."

Duran: "Yes."

Flavia: "She's the warden. The warden is a woman?"

Duran suddenly felt a strong sense of exhaustion, and it took a very long time for him to recover.

The White Snake mustered its strength and roared at Flavia together with its master.

"This is Green Day's song! At the airport! The airport! I've never seen many people in my life who can change fate like this! Possessing such a strong will! Such pure spiritual power, such explosive soul power! Can't you figure out who she is?"

Flavia finally remembered the two strings of numbers, FE204863 and FE33031.

"Oh! Oh oh oh oh oh!~"

She opened her mouth wide and began to scream and yell.

"He actually changed."

Before Flavia could finish speaking, Duran shoved a fist into his companion's mouth.

--With Flavia's supple, beast-blooded body and her bizarre, snake-like jaw muscles, she could easily swallow her female companion's fist.

"Listen, my dear Cici, now everything we say and do is under the warden's surveillance. You'd better think carefully."

"I know! I know! I know!" Flavia's eyes lit up. "It's okay! Anything is fine with me! Men or women!"

"You shameless, heartless, green tea bitch!" Duran cursed, "Our relationship is over!"

Right now, at this very moment.

Claudia Ars Duran could no longer tolerate her lover's fickleness and heartlessness.

This black snake bitch had been dating other men, they were hugging and kissing, Duran turned a blind eye.

But at this moment, Flavia seemed to be possessed, daring to wear all her infidelity and betrayal on her face in front of her lover, which almost drove Ms. Duran into a state of impotent rage.

"I can't take this anymore, Cici!"

Duran emphasized, fighting back tears, that he was about to confront Flavia.

"I've saved you so many times! I've sacrificed so much for you! Why do you still hurt me again and again!"

Flavia, however, seemed completely oblivious.

--She's like a little girl who never grows up.

For those who receive blood from the Madness Butterfly Sect, their bodies, which coexist with the essence of the Calamity Beast, alter their mental state and their souls.

This is also the origin and source of the soul power forms of the White Snake and the Black Snake.

Flavia didn't take Duran seriously at all, or rather, Duran had so many complex emotions that he would care about his lover's loyalty, which is what's strange.

Among the members of the Little Brotherhood, Duran is the weakest in combat. [ In the Timeline], he has almost no combat ability and is a very gentle Soul Master.

"Whatever you want."

Flavia pursed her lips and shrugged indifferently.

"But before [burning incense and bathing], we're still in the same boat, aren't we?"

The term "[Incense Burning and Bathing]" refers to the code name for the operation to escape the Blackland Royal Hotel and go to Forty-Eight District to assist Xue Ming in eliminating drug lords.

Duran wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. "Yes, from now on I'm not going to care about you anymore. Do whatever you want! I don't care anymore! We're over."

"Hey," Flavia finally realized something, like a child who had just realized she'd done something wrong, receiving an exorbitant bill from her parents after leaving a wrecked toy store. "Hey, Claudia—you're kidding me, aren't you?"

After changing his clothes, Duran prepared to go to the lobby.

She didn't reply, her mind filled with thoughts of the past, and she started crying again.

For the LGBTQ+ community, relationships between men and women are vastly different.

A rainbow-colored love, if men can maintain it for even a week, it's considered a golden wedding anniversary.

When it comes to love that tastes like oranges, women usually choose one and stay together until old age.

This phenomenon is not determined by gender, but by needs.

Duran and Flavia's relationship is more like that of sisters or mother and daughter, transcending romantic love and reaching the level of familial affection.

They need each other, and are needed by each other.

Flavia, on the other hand, was much greedier.

--For this crazy girl from the Madness Butterfly Sect, there are far too many beautiful sights in the world; she is one of the most fickle and philandering women.

"Claudia Ars Duran! Wait for me! Wait for me!" Flavia ran out the door as soon as she finished changing, grabbing Ms. Duran's arm. "You were just joking, weren't you?"

Duran remained silent.

Flavia then rubbed her hair, scratching her head as she pondered.

"I admit, I did make you angry, don't be so petty. What would I do without you? You're wonderful, really wonderful. How about I give you a hug? Then we can let it go?"

Duran tilted his head slightly.

Flavia was startled by the blood-red eyes.

[Part ②·Traces of the Soul]

At this moment, manager Mana suddenly appeared. He seemed to have emerged from the ground, his eyes filled with intense curiosity. He looked at the two distinguished guests from the morpho butterfly kingdom and immediately went up to fawn over them.

"Ladies, do you need any help?"

Duran didn't reply, and his expression was unfriendly.

Flavia was immediately delighted when she saw Mana's beautiful face.

"She's ignoring me, Mr. Mana. She says she wants to separate from me and live separately—what a mess this is!"

Mana followed closely behind the two, keeping pace with Duran's swift and powerful strides, and stayed beside Flavia.

"How about I prepare a candlelight dinner for the two of you? A romantic dinner can mend cracks in a relationship, what do you say?"

Flavia nodded. "Sure! Could you pour me a drink?"

"Ms. X55, this won't do. Your eyes are only on her, on K101." Mana cupped Flavia's face, pinched her chin, and made her concentrate on looking at the prisoner's number. "Look carefully."

At that very moment--

A powerful and terrifying psychic tide enveloped the two Little Brotherhood girls!

Duran turned around abruptly and saw Flavia, who was in a daze, with her pupils slightly constricted. Her cheeks were being held up by Manager Mana, as if she couldn't move or breathe!

This is a Soul Power attack! It's Manager Mana's Soul Power attack on Flavia!

"Did you see clearly?" Mana's eyes were gloomy, persistent, and resolute.

Flavia struggled to describe the landscape seen by the optic nerve block.

At that moment-

--Duran seems to have split into several people.

Specifically, they are soul clumps of different colors.

Five patches of color emerged from a cloud of mist, seemingly arguing, tearing at each other, and vying for dominance.

There was a warm, yellow soul that kept apologizing to Flavia and the other souls.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have spoiled her. It's my fault, I wasn't good enough."

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. I can't cry. I'm so sorry, so sorry, it's so embarrassing."

"We've been together for over ten years, and if we just give up like this—I don't know what I'll do next."

"I'm not good enough, and it's not her fault that I'm not good enough."

Immediately afterwards, a bright red soul roared at Flavia.

"You lazy, good-for-nothing woman! Why should I have to serve you!"

"You think you're so great? Killing people with poison created by your soul power! You think you're so amazing? Without me, you're nothing! Without my guidance, you would have been dead long ago!"

"What kind of attitude is that? You think a hug will make it all go away? Even if you strip naked and beg on your knees, I will never forgive you!"

Flavia looked away—the blue soul leaned against Duran's right arm, whispering secrets.

"This woman is beyond saving; she's mentally unstable—"

"--It's probably because the blood of the calamity beast broke through the blood-brain barrier, which could be considered a chronic cerebral thrombosis."

"You can find someone more suitable; after all, you're just enjoying the process, right?"

"Who your partner is doesn't matter; we should care about our own feelings."

In the end, it was two souls, one black and one white, facing off.

The black-clad Duran had a sinister expression, as if he wanted to devour someone.

"This good-for-nothing wreck, shall we find a chance to kill her? Kill her? What do you say, Duran?"

"With [Timeline]'s capabilities, doing these things should be very simple. We can choose an invincible opponent for her, or simply leave her in Hedland—we can go far away with the warriors of Ming De, and do a good job on the mission in Forty-Eight District. Then everything will be much easier."

"The fact that you can still feel the illusion of [love] from your body's pheromones and are swayed by emotions means you are weak, and you must become stronger!"

The white-clad Duran was expressionless, very quiet, and spoke slowly in a soothing tone.

"Calm down, Claudia—she calls you Claudia, just like when you first met."

"Let's wait a little longer, maybe things will turn around?"

Immediately afterward, the white soul abruptly turned its head and stared blankly at Flavia.

"You must belong to me! You must belong to me! You must belong to me!"

These diverse and chaotic spiritual entities eventually coalesced into a single entity.

--They converged into a White Snake.

It was the power of Ms. Duran's spirit, her very soul.

Manager Mana released his grip and whispered to Flavia.

"This is a complimentary service; it's free."

After saying this, the manager left through the Heaven's Gate, as if his arrival was also at the warden's behest.

In the monitoring room, the manager emerged from the darkness and approached the warden to report on the situation.

"I have taken care of the matter you entrusted to me."

Warden: "How are they? Are they still arguing?"

Mana: "It shouldn't be noisy anymore."

The warden breathed a sigh of relief, just like the Black Cat: "That's good, that's good. I've seen them hugging and kissing, throwing pillows at each other, and playing games together. They're so sweet it makes my teeth fall out. If they break up over something like this, that won't do, that's unacceptable."

Mana was a little embarrassed and didn't know how to respond.

Then the warden spoke.

"Your spiritual power can discern people's inner landscapes and analyze the contents of their souls—please provide a detailed analysis for me."

Mana: "Who?"

The warden pointed to the arena where the martial arts competition was taking place.

"That's her, G117—you should have been in close contact with her when she first entered Blackland Prison. What's her soul like? Does it break into pieces? Did you hear any strange noises? What do they say?"

Mana's expression turned strange, as if he were recalling something extremely terrifying.

"You mean Glory, female prisoner G117?"

The warden nodded.

Mana thought for a long time but couldn't find a suitable adjective.

"Warden, most of the criminals serving time in Hedland carry the weight of their sins. Robbers, murderers, rapists—they all have one or two souls with them by their side—the cries and wails of their victims, the mental landscapes left in their hearts."

"Even if these criminals are unrepentant, devoid of any compassion, and confess to their crimes without reservation, believing they have done nothing wrong from beginning to end—this remnant of their souls will still remain with them as evidence of their crimes."

"Humans are not plants or trees, how can they be without feelings? Even a crime of passion committed on a whim will leave a strong trace afterward due to the powerful fluctuations of the soul and the horrific murder ritual that sacrifices a life."

Warden: "Where's G117?"

Mana: "The day she arrived in Hedland, I saw a procession of nearly a thousand people on the bridge."

The warden didn't understand for a moment.

"So many prisoners came to report that day? Oh no, I need to tell the kitchen to prepare more food."

Mana explained in a serious tone.

"The evidence against her is almost making my head explode! Warden! She's followed by nearly a thousand ghosts, yet I can't see her split soul—my soul power tells me that. She didn't utter a single wasted word from beginning to end, while the [S272·Stasi] beside her split into more than thirty pieces on the spot, its soul constantly running off to play elsewhere, wanting to touch and rub everything it sees."

Mana frowned and whispered in the warden's ear.

"I heard a very peculiar sound from G117."

He brought over the warden's milk tea bottle and the small fan next to the massage chair in the monitoring room.

Tear open the mouth of the milk tea bottle, then use a small fan to blow the water.

"That's the sound of a sandstorm whipping up blood-red mist—that's the sound I heard."

The warden looked stern and spoke after a while.

"I understand the logic, but could you please not waste my milk tea?"