Are You an Angel?

"Captain, were you originally supposed to meet your boyfriend today?" The moment Aisha spoke, Dimi and Yadas couldn't help looking over as well. Just who the red-haired Sword Princess's boyfriend was happened to be a topic of avid discussion among university students across all of Jialesi. Many believed that the "Sword Princess's boyfriend" was merely a smokescreen—that she had no boyfriend at all, and the entire thing was a conspiracy cooked up by the Paw-Stretching Club! They claimed the club had fabricated the rumor to ward off potential suitors so they could keep the Sword Princess for themselves—an utterly sinister motive enacted through despicable means. Students of Sword Flower University, however, almost universally believed it was true. The lovesick stench radiating from an infatuated maiden was entirely incompatible with the noble aroma of single aristocrats. Moreover, Aisha possessed firsthand information. Ingrid was her best friend, Adele was her frenemy (after Aisha had deliberately cultivated her friendship), and she herself was an analytical prophecy sorcerer. Thus, not only did she know Sonia had a boyfriend, but she had also deduced that their relationship was currently in its most ambiguous, intoxicating cocoon-breaking phase. To put it simply, their bond had already reached the absolute limit of friendship, desperately needing an intimate, all-consuming entanglement to elevate it to an even higher realm. "Huh?" Sonia was slightly startled, but immediately realized she had given herself away and could only counter, "How did you know?" "Because I don't think you'd get a new haircut and put on new clothes just for a surprise raid tonight." Aisha blinked. "Haven't you noticed you're the prettiest person here tonight?" "Nonsense, you're very pretty too." "My beauty is broadcast over the airwaves for everyone to see, but yours is written in a letter meant only for one specific person." Aisha wagged a finger. "Don't change the subject—is there still time for your date? The search is over anyway. Leave the remaining patrol work to us; go hurry over to him." The search of the Lone Diamond District had ultimately failed to turn up the second legendary sorcerer, but the temporary headquarters refused to give up, ordering the squads to patrol the surrounding commercial centers. If the other legend had indeed escaped before the encirclement closed, they would most likely conceal themselves in crowded areas. Headquarters therefore instructed each squad to emit ripples of their seven-color sorcery power while patrolling. While it had no effect on ordinary mortals, sorcerers would keenly sense Sanctuaries on the move. Since they hadn't managed to corner the beast in a trap, they could only beat the grass to startle the snake. The Stars Surveillance System was operating at full capacity; as long as the legendary intruder betrayed any flaw provoked by the Sanctuary Sorcerers, it would be instantly detected. For Sonia and the others, however, this was purely futile, meaningless overtime. "Yeah," Dimi nodded as well. "We'll cover for you." Yadas didn't speak, but his lack of objection was silent assent. "Thanks for your concern." Sonia smiled, shaking her head lightly. "But it's too late. It seems he ran into an emergency at the last minute as well, so tonight's date was canceled." "What business could possibly be more important than dating the Sword Princess?" Aisha protested indignantly. "You were summoned on short notice to surround and hunt down a legend, which is why you couldn't make it. Is he a Sanctuary Sorcerer too, dragged in by the Throne Room for overtime?" "No." Sonia shook her head. "He's not a Sanctuary Sorcerer. And I don't blame him. What he ran into tonight is indeed far more urgent than mine." "Whoa." Even though they had anticipated it, the three couldn't help letting out a collective inward gasp—Sonia's lover really wasn't a Sanctuary Sorcerer. They had assumed that anyone capable of making the Paw-Stretching Sword Princess so infatuated would surely conquer her completely with raw strength, but now it seemed everyone had guessed wrong. "Isn't it a total waste to dress up so gorgeously, then?" Aisha said. "Once he finishes his business, can't you continue the date in the early morning? You're both sorcerers anyway; pulling an all-nighter is nothing... Oh, the cake here is delicious. Why don't you buy some to get ready?" "Ready for what?" "If he apologizes for missing tonight's date, you can eat the cake together; if his performance is unsatisfactory, then smash the cake right into his face!" Sonia caught the rich, custardy cream fragrance drifting from the bakery workshop, the air sweet enough to make her feel steeped in an ocean of cotton candy. She loved sweets, but sweets were far too caloric to maintain her figure, so she had cut them out completely ever since her freshman year. Prompted by Aisha's suggestion, the Country Girl suddenly craved cake too. Yet compared to eating it herself, she wanted even more to watch Yaxiu eat it—given his sloppy habits, he would definitely get cream all over his face. That way, she could tell Yaxiu to hold still, gently cradle his face, lean in close, and then... Under the watchful eyes of the three, the Paw-Stretching Swordmaster's blush suddenly crept all the way to the tips of her ears, as though her entire body temperature had spiked. Dimi and Yadas finally understood why, despite no one ever seeing the Sword Princess's boyfriend, the faculty and students of Sword Flower University believed in him without a shadow of a doubt. Anyone who saw the Sword Princess in this state would start believing in love. Sonia looked up and suddenly burst into a giggle. Beneath the bakery's signboard was an inscription: "Romance, delicious food, and body fat share one thing in common: you will always want to share them with someone else." *** Smack! After Yaxiu cleaved the trash can open, he saw a dark box hurtling straight toward his face. Without a second thought, he snapped his leg up and kicked! The cake box shattered instantly. A huge glob of cake splattered against Yaxiu's boots, and unable to dodge in time, a dollop of cream hit him right in the face. Wiping it away with a swipe of his hand, he saw the crowd outside the bakery knocked aside, piercing sirens echoing beneath the starry sky. That flash of crimson turned into an alley, on the verge of vanishing from his sight. Yaxiu stepped forcefully off a fire hydrant, leaping onto the brick wall. With every step catching the grooves and crevices to maintain his height, he traversed twenty meters of wall within three seconds, soaring past the panicking crowd in hot pursuit! Truthfully, he didn't even know why he was chasing her; before he could think, his body had already moved on its own. "Dead Frenzy" Niya Sevier. Yaxiu was certain she was the Sword Princess's projection in the Country of All Stars, but she was merely a projection. According to Rose, Niya didn't know Yaxiu Heath at all, and was a serial killer to boot. Even if he caught up, what could he do? Yet if he simply let her go and missed her like this, Yaxiu wouldn't be able to forgive himself. Even if it really was just a shadow... it was still her shadow. Yaxiu dashed into the alleyway but saw no one. His eyes rapidly gathered information, spotting footprints among the litter on the ground leading toward a dim alley on the right, and he surged forward in pursuit! Yet just as he rounded the corner, a crisp flash of sword light illuminated his eyes! Clang! Yaxiu bent his waist backward to dodge the slash, his limbs coiling toward his opponent like tentacles! But the opponent drew a second sword in her left hand and slashed down, looking poised to chop Yaxiu into a limbless stick! The cult leader clamped down on the urge to unleash his Sanctuary, sensing his opponent's sword trajectory with full focus. In the flash of an eye, his fingers caught the blade just right, halting the slash; then with a sudden burst and shove of his body, he knocked his opponent back while wrenching one of the swords from her grasp! By the time he regained his footing, biting sword shadows were already stabbing toward all his vitals. Seeing this, Yaxiu actually breathed a sigh of relief. Flicking his blade into sword flowers to meet the assault, the dim alley was instantly filled with the ceaseless clash and ring of steel. As time passed, both Yaxiu and his opponent grew increasingly astonished. She was naturally surprised that anyone could match her in swordsmanship, while Yaxiu was equally shocked—the swordsmanship realm of the Sword Princess's projection was practically indistinguishable from the real Sword Princess herself! "I didn't expect Mr. Heath to harbor such superb mastery of the sword." Amidst the clashing rings of swords, a cold female voice suddenly spoke up. "As expected of the genius whose fame shakes All Stars." Yaxiu was suddenly energized. "You know me?" "Apart from an infant less than a week old, who doesn't know you?" the other party answered coldly. "I just didn't expect you to go this far for Rosena. It seems you and Rosena are bosom friends and sworn brothers." Yaxiu guessed Rosena was probably the unlucky fellow whose funeral he was supposed to attend in three days, so he hurriedly explained, "I'm not—" "Then you will become my target as well." What was clearly a melodious, pleasant voice was now brimming with hysterical madness and venom. "I will gouge out your eyes, cut out your tongue, sever your tendons, and rupture your eardrums, stripping away all your senses. Then I'll carve off your flesh, blade by blade, leaving you trapped in an endless cycle of agony, begging for life yet unable to live, begging for death yet unable to die! "No matter where you hide, you won't escape. I will pay you a visit myself—whether day or night, whether you are awake or asleep, I will watch you constantly, haunt you relentlessly—" "Really?" Yaxiu beamed with delight. "That's fantastic! I was just worrying about how to invite you to my place!" The opponent: "?" During this chaotic alley sword fight, Yaxiu gradually sorted out his thoughts instead. Regardless, taking control of Niya was the best choice. First of all, Niya couldn't die; her death would trigger the emotional backflow phenomenon, affecting the real Sword Princess. Although Yaxiu was confident in the Sword Princess's resolute willpower and believed she could resist the emotional backflow, he didn't want to expose her to unnecessary risk if he could help it. Secondly, Yaxiu recalled Heath's train of thought regarding the search for the angel: Since it wasn't human, its nascent worldview would surely differ from ordinary people, leaving it unable to integrate into society. Unable to integrate into society, it would definitely turn antisocial, appearing callous and unfeeling. To survive, it would most likely resort to murder and crime. Therefore, attention should be paid to the following group: antisocial serial killers with abnormal worldviews. Niya, a serial killer daring enough to set off an explosion right at the Police Department, fit every single criterion for an angel suspect perfectly! Could Yaxiu's luck really be that good, finding the projection possessed by the angel right from the start? Yet if that were so, Niya would become the target every Divine Lord sought to slay. But that could be considered later at leisure—perhaps they had a way to separate the angel from Niya? And if Niya truly was the angel, Yaxiu had all the more reason to protect her, preventing the Divine Lord of Stars or anyone else from killing her at whim and thereby harming the Sword Princess's true body. So Yaxiu asked directly, "Are you an angel?"