Yaxiu Is Mine

"Is that some new kind of insult?" The red-haired swordswoman sneered. "Plenty of people call me a devil, but you're the first to call me an angel." Would a projection possessed by an angel know it was an angel? If it did, would it confess or put on a disguise? Yaxiu couldn't tell, nor did he need to make that judgment right now. He spoke earnestly, "I'm not here for revenge or to arrest you. I'm here to help you!" "Why would the great celebrity Yaxiu Heath want to help a wanted criminal like me? Do you take me for some ignorant, naive girl?" The red-haired swordswoman's swordplay suddenly turned manic, her voice growing even more grating and venomous. "You think you can trick me? You think I'll drop my guard and let you play me? You despicable, shameless, lowborn bastard, I'll shove my sword right up your—" "Shut up." Yaxiu's sword quickened in response. "The limit of my tolerance for profanity is 'little trumpet.'" "Ha! Why should I listen to an orphaned bastard like you?!" she shouted insolently. "Die, trash!" She suddenly brought her sword horizontal before her. Without grasping her intention, Yaxiu slashed forward. The instant their blades met, it was as if a tripwire had been struck. The red-haired swordswoman spun into a sudden dance, her longsword carving a magnificent arc that lunged toward a blind spot he had no way of defending against! Yaxiu instantly recognized the prototype of this move—it was none other than the Sword Princess's original miracle, Meteor Calamity! At this moment, Yaxiu completely understood the relationship between the projection and the true body. No wonder those who stood high in reality were still influential figures in All Stars; no wonder Niya's swordsmanship could actually rival that of a legendary sorcerer. A projection synchronized all abilities from the true body, including but not limited to their realm of sorcery, skill proficiency, and social talents! Even if the projection possessed neither sorcery spirits nor sorcery power, merely retaining the sorcery talent of the Sanctuary or Legendary realm already placed them far above ordinary mortals in the Country of All Stars. It was why Yaxiu could take on dozens of men with his bare hands. Not to mention, sorcerers were frequently leaders, managers, and organizers—interpersonal abilities that suffered no reduction in the Country of All Stars. As a result, a projection's life trajectory in All Stars would not diverge significantly from that of their true body in Stars. Recognizing it was one thing, but Yaxiu truly had no way to evade the strike in time. He couldn't deploy sorcery spirits or his Sanctuary, because Niya wasn't a sorcerer at all; any occult power he used would instantly evaporate and fail. And within mortal limits, once Niya's counter was successfully triggered, it was utterly flawless! In that case... he wouldn't dodge! Yaxiu raised his arm and took the blow directly. Charging forward like a rampaging bull, he slammed the red-haired swordswoman against the wall. His right hand locked onto her wrist in a vice grip, forcing her to let go of the hilt, and he pressed his elbows and knees against every leverage point on her body, successfully pinning her down completely! Under the meager starlight filtering into the alley, Yaxiu finally got a clear look at her face. It was strikingly similar to the Sword Princess's: the same ruby eyes, the same long red hair. But her pupils burned with a manic, unhinged fury he had never seen before, and her hair was greasy, tangled, and neglected. A hideous cross-shaped scar marred the right side of her face. Looking like a battered, rabid cat, she parted her jaws and bit down violently onto the arm Yaxiu was using to pin her neck! Yaxiu gasped from the sharp pain. "Let go!" Far from letting go, Niya yanked backward with vicious force, genuinely intent on tearing a chunk of flesh from his arm! "Don't make a sound!" Clack, clack, clack. The heavy clatter of combat boots rumbled through the alley like thunder. Officers in full tactical gear with loaded firearms sloshed through the flooded, filthy puddles, sweeping their flashlights across every nook and cranny capable of concealing a person. When they noticed the fork in the alley, a beam of light swung over, instantly catching two figures. In the corner of the alley, two people were pressed against the wall, their bodies practically merged as one, their heads held close in what appeared to be an intimate, passionate kiss. An officer barked tensely, "Who's there?!" "Huh?" Flinching as if startled, the man shielded the woman in his arms. He turned to the police with an expression of mingled confusion and shock. "What happened?" "A vicious murderer fled into this area just now... Wait, are you Mr. Heath?!" Once the patrolmen clearly saw the man's face, their jaws dropped in astonishment. "Mr. Heath, why are you here?! This... you two..." "Sorry," Yaxiu offered an embarrassed smile. "I'm not ready to announce my relationship just yet, so when we go out on dates to spend some intimate time together, we can only pick out-of-the-way places like this... You understand, if she gets caught up in a scandal with me, it would subject her to tremendous public pressure. I have quite a few obsessive fans." "Right, right, totally understood." The officers wore looks of people having just stumbled upon juicy celebrity gossip. "Still, if you could both present your identification for inspection..." "I don't mind personally," Yaxiu replied, looking somewhat conflicted. "However, once our information is registered, it might easily leak from the police bureau... If reporters catch wind of it..." The patrolmen exchanged glances and nodded in understanding. "Since it's Mr. Heath, there's really no need for registration. By the way, Mr. Heath, did you happen to see anyone pass by recently?" "I think I heard someone running down the alley a moment ago," Yaxiu answered. "Thank you very much for your cooperation." The officers voiced their thanks and continued their pursuit deeper into the alley. Once the footsteps faded into the distance, Yaxiu let out a breath of relief. Suddenly, a heavy blow struck his chest, shoving him back. The red-haired swordswoman rolled smoothly across the murky, waterlogged ground, her longsword back in hand, its point trained squarely on Yaxiu. "Didn't what I just did prove my goodwill?" Yaxiu wasn't angry, speaking calmly. "I staked my reputation to cover for you. Otherwise, you'd be hunted down by a dozen guns right now. You might be crazy, but surely you still possess some basic reason?" "If you hadn't gotten in my way, I would've escaped long ago," Niya said coldly. "Besides, I still don't trust you." "I went that far to help you. What more do I have to do to prove my sincerity?" "You have no reason to help me. In this world, there is unprovoked malice, but never unprovoked kindness," Niya said. "The more you protect me, the less I dare believe you." "I have a reason that compels me to protect you, but I cannot speak of it." "I don't need your protection. In return for just now, I won't hunt you down. Let's pretend we never met, and you pretend you never saw me." "Wait!" Yaxiu called out to stop her, at a loss for how to make her stay. Reveal the connection between All Stars and Stars? Setting aside how lengthy the explanation would be, if any ordinary person were told, 'You're merely a projection,' would they ever accept such a reality? He pressed a hand to his forehead and let out a long breath. Looking at Niya in the dim starlight, he said earnestly, "Because I love Miss Sevier, I must protect you." The alley fell dead silent. The urban din faded into the distance. The strip of starry sky framed by the towering walls cast a dark blue filter over the alley, allowing the two of them to clearly see each other's expressions. After a long silence, Niya shook her head. "I don't believe you." "But—" Yaxiu took a step forward. "I'm telling the truth." "I don't know whether you're telling the truth, but I know you don't like me." Niya lifted the tip of her sword slightly, warning him not to approach. "When you tried to fool the police with that kiss, you didn't actually kiss me. You angled yourself to create an optical illusion, making the patrolmen think we were kissing." Yaxiu froze. "I... well, I just wanted to respect your—" "More importantly," Niya stared at him, gently shaking her head, "even though you're looking at me, I can't feel your gaze. It's like... like you aren't looking at me at all." "Don't come any closer," she said, stepping backward into the shadows. "You deceitful, lying... little trumpet." Yaxiu remained rooted to the spot, watching Niya melt into the darkness and vanish without a trace. Exhaling a breath of turbid air, he slid down against the wall and activated Joy Sword to heal his injuries. Unlike the Sword Princess, Niya genuinely dared to stab and bite. He tilted his head back, gazing up at the stars through the narrow rift between the alley walls. After a moment, he let out a wry chuckle. "As expected..." Yaxiu muttered softly. "I really can't deceive her." Once she confirmed that the Starflick Guard had fully withdrawn from the Lone Diamond District, Felix hurried down to the basement to pry out the nails on the coffin lids, shifting the covers aside to let fresh air circulate so Igola and Harvey wouldn't suffocate inside. However, she had no intention of hauling the coffins upstairs—first, leaving them down here helped evade surprise inspections; second, she simply didn't want to. Who would want coffins sitting around in their villa?! Felix returned to the second floor and pushed open the master bedroom door, finding Yaxiu still lying peacefully under the quilt. She sighed. She had no idea when these fellows would return. For every day they were away, they remained an inescapable burden on her shoulders. She had entertained the thought of simply finishing them off, but Igola had casually dropped hints that their bodies were embedded with death-triggered miracle sorcery procedures. If they died, those procedures would erupt: Igola's was a mental blast, Harvey's was an undead scourge, and Yaxiu's was even more terrifying, guaranteed to shake the entire Starry Kingdom. Felix couldn't tell whether it was the truth or a bluff; how could a two-winged sorcerer possibly judge the capabilities of Sanctuary sorcerers? She could only assume it was real. Moving them outside to kill them carried even greater risks than hiding them. After weighing her options, keeping them hidden was indeed the best choice. Felix pulled back the quilt and crouched beside the bed, wondering where best to hide Yaxiu. As she pondered, she found herself studying his sleeping face. In truth, though he was infuriating when awake, he was surprisingly cute when asleep. To think such a person was a Legendary Sorcerer, was somehow intimately familiar with the Four Pillar Cult, and had two Sanctuary Sorcerers following him. She had heard he had traveled across many nations and survived countless adventures, which was why being hunted across the entirety of Stars didn't seem to faze him in the least. Just what kind of secret was this man hiding? Right, Felix suddenly remembered that Yaxiu seemed to have had a date tonight. That was why he had dressed up so elaborately, only to be teased relentlessly by Igola and Harvey. But they had arrived in Stars only a few days ago—how did he already have someone to date? Felix stared at Yaxiu as her mind wandered. Outside, the starry heavens shifted slightly, and starlight brushed across Yaxiu's face, making ripples of luminescence seem to dance across his skin. Felix scrunched her nose and instinctively reached out, wanting to pinch his cheek— "Just try touching him." Felix froze entirely. She turned her head slowly, only to discover the red-haired Sword Princess standing beside the bed at some point—like misfortune woven of starlight, like the Grim Reaper rising from the shadows. Her crimson hair was tied into a ponytail with an exquisite hair band. She wore a black top and a red short skirt, a garter strapped around her thigh—playful and adorable, yet undeniably alluring. Though she was speaking to Felix, her ruby eyes did not stray for a single second from the sleeping beauty on the bed. Even though her flat tone dripped with blatant malice, her face was brimming with gentle warmth, making Felix wonder for a moment whether she had misheard. The Paw-Stretching Sword Saint set a cake box onto the bedside table, and the sweet aroma of cream and eggs gradually drifted through the bedroom. She reached out and gently gathered Yaxiu into her arms, handling him as delicately as a priceless work of art. "What happened to him?" she asked softly. "He's been like this ever since he brought Igola and Harvey into Ruby Mountain," Felix explained in the fewest words possible at maximum speed. Sonia said nothing. She simply caressed Yaxiu's cheek with her hand and brushed back his bangs. "We finally meet," she said. "Are you Yaxiu's date tonight?" Felix's fierce survival instinct made her realize what she had to say right now to save her life. "For tonight's date, he went through all the trouble of borrowing clothes from me and begging Igola to do his makeup and hair. He really tried so hard and took it so seriously." A faint blush rose to Sonia's cheeks. "Yes, I know." "So..." Felix's tone was as cautious as if she were facing a monstrous beast. "Are you two lovers?" Holding Yaxiu tightly in her embrace, Sonia said gently yet clearly: "Still, he is mine."