Xu Zhi sensed clear killing intent from the aura of [Cup]. The moment she broke free of Midnight, [Cup] would devour her at once to obtain the fragments.
Fortunately, snatching someone from Midnight was no simple matter.
The silent shadows of trees began to sway. Just as Xu Zhi's chains were nearly corroded through by the scarlet, the shadows that had once captured her suddenly rose from Midnight, transforming into sharpened branches that stabbed toward the scarlet. They severed the claws tangled around Xu Zhi, giving her a brief chance to catch her breath.
Though the only sound around her was the howling wind, Xu Zhi seemed to hear indescribable shrieks rising from the tangled energies. As Midnight's earth slowly trembled under the intruder's actions, Xu Zhi felt a resonant fury.
In that instant, the rules of Midnight that she had not been very proficient in using suddenly became smooth and natural. The obscure, incomprehensible rule symbols she had yet to grasp also became intimate and familiar under that resonance. If the timing had not been wrong, Xu Zhi would have loved to begin comprehending the rules on the spot.
And this sudden increase in familiarity and proficiency was all thanks to [Cup]'s attempt to seize her. Because [Cup] wanted to take her away, Midnight's rules would not permit something belonging to Midnight to leave. To keep Xu Zhi from being taken, Midnight poured more energy and attention into her, allowing her to obtain a great deal of the "power of rules" that had originally belonged to Midnight.
The corroded chains began to shine with Radiance once more, and the Everlasting Lamp that had been swaying miserably in the wind became steady again. Just as Midnight and Xu Zhi seemed to be gaining the upper hand, an unexpected change suddenly