It was already late at night. Outside the Barbecue Shop, Lin Yue, who had just eaten until her mouth was shiny with grease, was slowly rubbing her belly.
"I'm so full~"
For the sake of preserving what little remained of her ladylike image, she had barely managed to stop herself from burping in front of Zhu Li and Chen Xi.
"Who told you to eat so much? You're like someone who's been starving."
Holding her cola, Chen Xi muttered under her breath.
"Those skewers were just too delicious. You can't blame me for all of it." Lin Yue protested, then circled around to Zhu Li, hoping for some support. "You think so too, right, Zhu Li?"
That was a lie. The real reason was that she'd gotten rich, in a way—every time she died, her money refreshed. That meant she had money now, didn't it?
Zhu Li didn't type anything. She just nodded in agreement.
"Let's talk about something else." Chen Xi tossed her drink away and asked, "Zhu Li, did you notify the Countermeasure Bureau about Evil Flower's appearance?"
The red-haired girl gave her an OK sign.
An extraordinary criminal organization operating across several Federations wasn't something First or Second Rank Transcendents like them should deal with.
They just had to pass the problem along to the Spark Federation.
Since the Barbecue Shop was near the school, the two of them decided to take Lin Yue back first.
Taking the backpack with the Chainsaw Cleaver inside, the blonde girl stood at the school gate and excitedly waved goodbye to them.
"Bye~"
She'd finally survived her second night. For her, that was a major breakthrough.
Once Lin Yue left, the atmosphere grew much quieter.
Only a few drunken pedestrians remained on the street.
Chen Xi checked the time on her phone. It was already one in the morning.
The black-haired girl habitually started typing on her phone. "Where do you live? I'll get a taxi and take you home."
Zhu Li didn't reply. She quietly stopped Chen Xi's right hand, then picked up her phone, where she'd already typed out a message, and started text-to-speech.
"I can fly faster than a car. I'll take you."
Zhu Li gave her a teasing look as the voice continued, "It's not every day I manage to guess what you're going to say."
Chen Xi thought it over, then agreed. "All right."
After more than twenty years of habit, she'd reflexively overlooked how convenient her abilities could be.
Maybe once Lin Yue advanced in Rank and had enough magic, she'd be able to indulge in taking Chen Xi up into the sky and down to the earth like this, too.
When Chen Xi agreed, Zhu Li led her to a secluded alley.
Flames stretched out behind her, transforming into wings like those of a Crimson Flame Butterfly.
Zhu Li stepped forward and hugged her from behind.
"Uh..." As Zhu Li's arms wrapped around her chest, Chen Xi let out an unintentional little gasp, unused to the contact.
Seeing this, Zhu Li quickly let go and looked at her in confusion.
Even without her writing anything, after spending this much time together, Chen Xi understood what she meant.
[What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?]
"No." Chen Xi looked embarrassed.
Women's bodies were much more sensitive than men's. She still hadn't fully adjusted, so when Zhu Li gave her a bear hug, she'd naturally lost her composure.
She took a moment to steady her breathing, then said, "You can hold me."
At that, Zhu Li's movements grew even gentler. She seemed to press herself against Chen Xi's back.
Once she was sure they were secure, Zhu Li carried Chen Xi up into the air.
High above the ground, Chen Xi looked down at this unfamiliar world.
"This is my first time seeing the world from this perspective. It's amazing."
And a little hot, too...
Although Zhu Li was deliberately controlling the temperature, no matter how carefully she regulated her flames in the middle of summer, fine beads of cold sweat kept appearing on Chen Xi's forehead.
The attentive girl noticed her discomfort and sped up.
"We're here."
After using up most of her magic, the two of them finally reached their destination.
For convenience, Zhu Li simply landed on the roof.
These old residential buildings were usually only eight stories tall, after all. She remembered clearly that Chen Xi lived on the sixth floor.
Back in the little home she hadn't seen all day, Chen Xi looked back at Zhu Li, who was still standing outside the door.
"Want a glass of milk?"
Zhu Li waved her hand, but then stepped closer to Chen Xi.
She handed her a crumpled sticker and, before Chen Xi could say anything, turned and walked away from the doorway.
Chen Xi smoothed out the sticker. It was still slightly warm.
[After we deal with that matter, could you spend one last day alone with me? I want to know more about the person who killed me—what kind of person you really are.]
Sure enough, nothing could get past the attentive Zhu Li...
Chen Xi fell silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and called loudly down the stairwell.
"Of course!!!"
Zhu Li, standing on the fourth-floor landing, heard her answer. A faint blush colored her cheeks as she hurried down the stairs.
Hearing footsteps running below and knowing the other girl had heard her, Chen Xi shut the door with a bang.
It had been such a full and wonderful day—if only Wu Xin hadn't shown up.
"I thought you'd tell her the truth."
The white-haired woman was half-lying on the sofa, leisurely crossing her legs.
"Not planning to ask them for help? I can give you some time."
"Did you come here just to say that?" Chen Xi remained composed. She hadn't even activated her Berserk ability.
Wu Xin put on a mournful expression, her voice full of grievance. "You've changed so much. Just a day ago, little Xi wouldn't even dare to snap at me."
Chen Xi glared at her. "Don't call me that."
"Fine, then let's talk business."
Wu Xin dropped her playful act. "Three days from now, when the typhoon hits, we'll end all of this at the school building."
"My Ascension Ritual has already locked onto you and Lin Yue, so I can't change it now."
Chen Xi considered her words. "Why tell me all this?"
"Because it's part of my Ascension Ritual, too."
A goblet full of red wine appeared in Wu Xin's hand.
"The more you know, the greater the reward I'll get after killing you."
Her face lit up with that radiant smile again.
"The Legend I wield, the Faceless One, is actually extremely weak at First Rank compared with other Legends of the same level."
"But once I advance to Second Rank, all the abilities I have will undergo a tremendous transformation."
"With a little preparation, it won't be a pipe dream for me to fight a Third Rank Transcendent."
Wu Xin stared at her solemnly.
"So I'll leave the important task of saving the world to you, little Xi. Make sure I don't kill you."
"Heh." Chen Xi let out a derisive laugh.
"Don't worry. I'll tear the Snow Woman's face off you."
"Don't say it so harshly." Wu Xin chuckled and dissolved into scattered threads.
"Chen Xi."
Her ethereal voice echoed through the room.
"Let's end this fight in the most brutal, terrifying, and primitive way possible."
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