Vivian pouted as she pulled Hoshimi Miyabi away. She seemed a little angry, but still waved behind her.
She did not know how deeply this parting would scar her.
Deep within Crete Hollow, gray fog hung heavy, and turbulent currents of Ether thrummed softly.
Lu Yingheng stretched lazily. With his Ether-adapted constitution, he could spend the rest of his life here without any trouble.
The little system girl had seen Lu Yingheng enter and leave Hollows so often that she showed little curiosity. What she really wanted to know was why her host had chosen this place.
Lu Yingheng looked at the old subway hub before him and smiled faintly:
"This is the Hollow disaster zone where Anby and Billy will lose their footing and fall in the future. The only safe thing that can truly put people at ease has always been one that poses no danger.
If I help them as the Void Hunter Dragon Emperor, they'll certainly wonder what I'm after."
Lu Yingheng stood in the center of the Hollow, his black hair hanging loose. His normally intimidating golden eyes were now so pale they were almost lifeless.
He had suppressed all the Dragon Emperor's might and completely concealed the overwhelming edge with which he had crushed every conglomerate.
Before him, Long Yi, leader of the Dragon Emperor Guard, knelt on one knee, his black cloak trailing on the ground. His voice was low and hoarse, with a tremor he could scarcely hide.
"My lord, must you really go this far? With Gungnir through your heart and your body sealed to a cross... to outsiders, you really will have fallen."
As the strongest of the Dragon Emperor Guard, he had seen his lord use Gungnir's divine power.
The spear of destiny pierced cause and effect.
Lu Yingheng's voice was calm, without the slightest trace of emotion:
"It has to be this way. The remnants of TOPS have yet to be wiped out, and the undercurrents can't all be rooted out. Only 'death' can free me completely."
Long Yi raised his eyes, which were full of reverence and reluctance:
"I understand. I... will do it."
Heavy black iron chains wound layer upon layer around his limbs, binding him tightly to the cold black stone cross.
The next instant, the sharp Gungnir tore through the air, bearing an edge that pierced destiny itself, and drove straight through his heart.
The Dragon Emperor's might, at its peak, abruptly shattered, and wisps of golden light dissolved into the Hollow's black mist.
In the depths of a Hollow unknown to anyone, the illustrious first-generation Void Hunter, the Dragon Emperor, brought the curtain down with an earth-shaking feigned death.
At the same moment, Lumina Square in New Eridu blazed with lights. People came and went in an endless stream, filling the whole block with noise and bustle.
Vivian strolled along the street, the evening breeze brushing her face. Her previously relaxed mood suddenly sank, and her heart gave a violent jolt, as though an invisible hand had clenched around it.
Vivian: Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ
She frowned and murmured to herself, "Strange... why do I suddenly feel so uneasy?"
Not far away, Alice, who was choosing a milk tea at a shop, also pressed a hand gently to her chest. "I feel uncomfortable for no reason too," she said, puzzled. "It's a sudden feeling of emptiness."
Hoshimi Miyabi nodded slightly, her gaze steady, and softly reassured them both. "There have been quite a few Hollow disturbances lately. The Ether impurities might be a little unstable. Don't think too much about it."
She was the most rational and levelheaded of them. She had long been accustomed to the Dragon Emperor Guard secretly protecting them from the shadows, and nothing had ever gone wrong.
Vivian was still uneasy. "But... this feeling is strange," she said softly. "It's like... like something really important is missing."
Hoshimi Miyabi spoke calmly. "Lord Dragon Emperor's strength surpasses everyone in New Eridu. No one can rival him, and the Dragon Emperor Guard is on standby at all times. There won't be any danger. We don't need to worry ourselves over nothing."
The three each suppressed the sudden panic in their hearts, treating it as an illusion caused by their surroundings.
None of them could have imagined that the young man who had always borne every storm for them was personally burying all his glory in an abyss unknown to anyone.
Deep within Crete Hollow, the cross was bone-chillingly cold, Gungnir remained firmly lodged through his chest, and the Dragon Emperor's aura continued to fade.
A petite, soft-looking figure landed gently on Lu Yingheng's shoulder. It was the system in the form of a little girl. She swung her feet, a teasing look in her eyes, and spoke leisurely.
"Tsk, tsk, host, you really are ruthless."
She propped her cheek on her little hand and teased him with a smile. "How many conglomerate big shots have you crushed single-handedly and left trembling? You're the illustrious Dragon Emperor. Who would dare lay a finger on you?
"But look at you. You nailed yourself to a cross and staged this grand death scene to fool all of New Eridu. Are you trying to turn all the girls who admire you into yanderes?"
Lu Yingheng: •﹏•
"Get lost, get lost."
"Hmph! If you tell me to get lost, am I supposed to?"
Lu Yingheng lowered his golden eyes slightly, wearing a speechless smile. After cursing at her a couple of times, he couldn't be bothered to pay it any more attention.
Yanderes and the like were only a problem if one wasn't strong enough.
If one was strong enough, wouldn't a yandere be nothing more than a slightly clingy kitten?
The little system girl continued to question him, her tone growing a little more serious:
"I really don't understand you. Aren't you afraid?
"After you fake your death, the mayor of New Eridu will be the only person in the whole world who knows the truth.
"You never know what's in someone's heart. Aren't you afraid... he'll betray you someday?"
The wind sighed mournfully through the Hollow, and black mist churned without end. The little system spirit waited quietly for his answer, waiting to hear what gave the invincible Dragon Emperor his confidence and what considerations lay behind it.
Hearing her question, Lu Yingheng finally spoke slowly, his voice low, clear, and utterly certain.
"He won't."
The little system girl blinked. "Why are you so sure? Host, you've spent years rescuing people from Hollows. Haven't you seen enough brothers turn against each other and become enemies?"
Lu Yingheng's gaze was calm as he slowly explained:
"He and I have been together since we were young. We've come a long way, entrusted our lives to each other, and our friendship is genuine. But I never stake my judgment of a person on sentiment."
He raised his eyes to the Hollow's endless black mist, his tone steady and clear:
"What truly binds a relationship is position and interests.
"Much of his power, his prestige, and his absolute authority in New Eridu was secured and upheld by my own hands."
"Right now, I need to merge with the system, enter the main storyline, and accumulate emotion points to grow stronger.
"The stronger I become, the more stable New Eridu will be, the more secure his position will become, and the greater the benefits he can gain."
Lu Yingheng concluded calmly:
"Our interests are completely aligned, with no conflict whatsoever. If he betrays me, he'll destroy the very foundations of everything he has.
"A smart man wouldn't do something that stupid."
"Ah... I feel awful."
The pounding in her chest that had begun in Lumina Square could no longer be suppressed. Vivian's chest felt tight, her face gradually paled, and the panic in her heart spread completely.
The unease from before had only been an illusion, but now it had turned into tangible fear that gripped her entire body.
She clenched her fingers uneasily and murmured, "No... something really isn't right..."
In the changing room of a nearby shop, Hoshimi Miyabi and Alice were choosing new clothes and chatting in a relaxed atmosphere, completely unaware of the change outside.
"This style really suits you."
"You've always had a good eye, Miyabi."
Their soft laughter and conversation shut out all the panic outside.
Vivian alone stood by the street, her mind in turmoil.
Unable to bear it any longer, she hurriedly pulled out her phone. Her fingertips trembling uncontrollably, she opened the pinned chat she knew best.
She typed quickly: [Yingheng, where are you? Are you all right? I feel scared.]
The message sent successfully, but the screen remained deathly silent. There was no instant reply, no read receipt, only cold silence.
In the past, no matter how busy he was, he had always replied to her messages as quickly as possible.
Second after second passed, and the deathly silence spread.
Vivian's eyes stung at once, and the fear in her heart erupted. Her fingers went slack, and the heavy shopping bags in her hands fell to the ground with a thud, scattering their contents everywhere.
She stared blankly at the dark phone screen, her voice trembling slightly:
"...Why aren't you answering me?"