Sunshine Boy circled the wooden table for a while, then looked at the last six Night Guards. "Tell me, which one should I choose?"
No one spoke.
"At a time like this, you still won't give me any advice? Mother, they're allowed to give advice, aren't they?"
"Of course they are." Weird Mother's voice was gentle.
Sunshine Boy, whose body had now returned to that of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old, walked up to the Night Guards. Like a general inspecting his soldiers, he passed along their line, meeting each person's eyes.
No one spoke.
"Your consciences have all gone rotten," Sunshine Boy complained, scrunching up his face.
Some of the six Night Guards sighed, some looked ashamed, and some remained expressionless.
Sunshine Boy circled the table again, then looked at the six Night Guards. "You really won't give me any advice?"
The six still said nothing. Book-Listener merely shook his head.
Sunshine Boy walked up to the six again, staring into each person's eyes as he passed, just as before.
When he reached Good Fortune Born at the end, he wore a contemptuous expression, as though saying, You're utterly useless.
Good Fortune Born glared back irritably. At a time like this, what... could... he... do?
In the instant Good Fortune Born's attention wandered, Sunshine Boy suddenly thrust out both hands. His left hand seized Good Fortune Born's left wrist, while his right grabbed the Heaven-and-Earth Ring shaped like a black dragon holding a black gemstone in its jaws.
"I'm grabbing this!"
As Sunshine Boy spoke, he yanked hard.
Seeing this, Book-Listener moved to stop him. Such a magical artifact was no ordinary object. It was surely bound to Good Fortune Born's life-blood and could not be removed at all. Forcibly seizing it would inevitably trigger a Fate Mold backlash.
After