A Sweet Pair

As a Vastaya patriot, Xayah seeks to ignite a revolution to save her people.

Agile and insightful, she uses her razor-sharp feather blades to eliminate any opposition. Xayah fights alongside her soulmate, Rakan, to protect their dwindling tribe while honing their skills, hoping one day to lead their people back to their former glory.

As a child, Xayah loved listening to her father sing ancient ballads of Vastayan heroes. The melodious tunes would transport her to a time long ago.

There, the spirit realm freely intertwined with the real world, vibrant and enchanting. Yet, humans never abandoned their ambition to encroach upon the Lotlan Tribe. Generation after generation, they invaded this sacred realm with ulterior motives, shattering the pure and chaotic Ionian spirit. Unwilling to stand idly by and watch her race perish, Xayah defied her people's laws and set out to dissuade the human invasion.

Leaving her secluded home, she ventured into human villages. Only then did she realize how naive and vulnerable she was.

A group of famished villagers surrounded her. Some saw her feathers as priceless treasures, wanting to snatch them as trophies; others were terrified by her strange appearance and alerted their leader to capture her, forcing her to defend herself. Her piercing feather blades made the attackers realize she was no easy target.

Xayah returned home disheartened, only to be shocked to find her father and tribe had vanished without a trace. Unnatural shadow magic had corrupted the Vastayan's ancient temple, severing its connection to the spirit realm. Xayah destroyed the temple, attempting to dispel the shadow power.

Almost simultaneously, magic poured out, revitalizing the surrounding land. It was a beautiful sight, yet her people remained nowhere to be found.

For years afterward, she flitted through heavily guarded castles and fortresses, leaving a trail of corpses beneath her sharp feather blades. Her reputation grew, and the world came to know her as the "Crimson Raven Spirit."

She worked alone, her mind focused only on the next mission and the ultimate goal of saving her entire race.

Until she met another Vastaya, someone who changed her life.

When she arrived in the remote mountain ravine of Longge Town, searching for a stolen Vastayan relic, she witnessed a bizarre scene that startled her.

A fervent crowd packed together, erupting in ear-splitting cheers. A performer with ostentatious wings, as vibrant as a raging inferno, stood on a stage surrounded by onlookers. It was a veritable Golden Peacock. He sang his heart out, performing ancient Vastayan ballads with a captivating melody.

As the song neared its end, he performed a few dazzling, cliché tricks—or so Xayah thought—and the crowd roared with approval, repeatedly chanting his name: "Rakan." He took an exaggerated bow, appearing to Xayah as nothing more than a trivial clown.

Xayah resolved to forget the comedian and continue her mission. She managed to escape. Thanks to the clown's performance distracting the residents of Longge Town, she had to admit the mission became much easier.

However, besides telling herself "never again" regarding Rakan, she couldn't find a way to forget him. The feeling was subtle yet strange: a spark of light in his soul, alluring as death.

Ever since leaving the town, Xayah had been plagued by these strange thoughts, unsettling her mind, until she was ambushed by a group of mercenaries.

She had longed for a fight and eagerly anticipated unleashing her blades, painting them red. A thorough battle would surely make her forget the mediocre performance and those subtle feelings.

Just then, Rakan made his grand entrance.

Xayah repeatedly insisted she didn't need help from this arrogant Vastayan compatriot. But Rakan insisted it was a trivial matter—he simply didn't want to miss the fun.

During the fight, Rakan proved himself to be a brave, fearless, and incredibly powerful... ally, despite his unconventional methods.

He leaped, spinning rapidly through the enemies, leaving them dizzy and giving Xayah ample time to strike them down one by one with precision.

Afterward, Rakan ignored Xayah's protests and followed her on her wanderings. Slowly, his companionship melted her defenses—though she was ashamed to admit it at first—and the vast world was no longer as hopeless and lonely as before. They became inseparable.

Xayah's genuine passion for the Vastayan people infected the boastful war dancer. Xayah also gradually adapted to his improvisational fighting style, using the chaos Rakan created to confuse enemies and strike them down.

The two walked side by side, fighting relentlessly. They aimed to liberate the ancient magic of the Ionian continent; only then could the Vastaya hope to rekindle their glory.

Nowadays, they heard traces of shadow magic had appeared on a small island in the West. Magic Power was bound, and the trees had turned pale. They set off to investigate without hesitation.

At dusk, one brilliant gold, one dark purple.

Two figures sat nestled together on a thick tree branch.

"That monkey is really annoying."

"Your magnificent feathered robes made him fall for you, Rakan." Xayah chuckled.

"You're the only one I've ever wanted to attract, my dear."

Before Xayah could reply, Rakan hugged her tightly. "Did you notice the sky?"

"It's beautiful."

"Not as beautiful as you."

"Rakan, I'm so lucky to have you."

"No, I'm the lucky one."

In the forest of the Symi Ape tribe, Yi and Wukong had been chatting until now.

"Your junior disciples are improving quickly, but they still need experience."

"I can see that. Are you really letting them go like this?"

"Of course not. The spiritual energy in the West is rapidly declining; a conspiracy must be brewing."

Yi glanced at Wukong and shook his head.

"You're too restless. I'll go alone."

He silently walked towards the West...