Rajesh's defeat seemed to mark a staged conclusion to this angel hunt. After witnessing the trial of Hell, after all, the hunt itself seemed rather dull. Everything that followed had turned into garbage time; everyone just wanted to finish up quickly and go home to wallow in that somber sympathy for the fallen. For Yaxiu's group of four, however, what came next was the most dangerous moment of all.
Weixi's void wings were completely broken and her severe injuries remained unhealed. Feili and Niya were both covered in wounds as well. Furthermore, while Rajesh's advancement ritual had disrupted the angel's descent, it had not stopped the Six-Nation Legions from continuously spawning reinforcements. By the time Yaxiu and the others collected their wits, the building was already swarming with high-tier units.
They should have fled while Rajesh was undergoing his advancement ritual, but at that time Yaxiu's spine had been gravely injured, and Weixi had been practically limp as water. Even if Feili and Niya carried them on their backs, they wouldn't have made it far.
"If I'd known saving you would land us in such a desperate corner, we should have abandoned you and run," Yaxiu said.
"I once mastered a miracle called 'If I'd Known,'" Weixi replied calmly. "Its effect was to let the enemy anticipate my moves, after which I would anticipate their anticipation and lure them straight into my trap.
"Before dying, many people's last words are: 'If I'd known it would turn out like this, I should have done that,'" Weixi said, cutting him a sidelong glance. "As far as final words go, your format is remarkably standard."
"Then what are your last words?"
"I haven't decided yet. How about: 'Are you the Sword Princess? Yaxiu asked me to tell you that before he died, he realized the person he loved was the Witch'?"
Weixi casually raised her iron bar to block Yaxiu's short sword. Sparks flew in the dim fire escape stairwell.
"Weixi," Yaxiu said, glaring straight at her. "I don't mind your impudence, but I've already told you what isn't a joke."
"That's precisely how I knew what would sting you," Weixi said placidly. "You were the one who provoked me first."
Seeing the two of them suddenly stop on their escape route with weapons drawn at each other's throats, Niya showed little reaction, but Feili was so anxious she looked on the verge of tears. Stuttering, she blurted out, "M-My last words are Mr. Rajesh's line from before: 'Even a minuscule speck of dust may still replenish mountains and seas; even the faint glow of a firefly hopes to add brightness to the sun and moon.' Even though I'm very weak and keep dragging everyone down, I'm genuinely happy I could be of help. Even if I die, it definitely won't be worthless!"
Yaxiu and Weixi turned their heads to glance at her. Just then, the footsteps of the Six-Nation Legions echoed from above. Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Weixi took the lead down the stairs. "Don't be silly. You won't die here, and I certainly won't let things fall apart at the final hurdle."
"That's right." Yaxiu signaled the others to keep up. "No one is going to die here. The greatest enemy has already been dealt with; what remains are just small fry."
Feili breathed a sigh of relief and clenched her fists with a sweet smile. "Mm! We can definitely work together and fight our way out!"
"As long as a certain someone complains a bit less, working together isn't out of the question," Weixi said.
"Has a certain someone forgotten her place as a maid?" Yaxiu retorted. "Seeing your master in a bad mood and failing to offer comfort is one thing, but did you really have to crack jokes that cross the line?"
"It isn't past midnight yet! You can either go back on your word and revoke my holiday right now, or you can allow me to lose my temper!" Weixi knit her brows. "Give the chain a tug, and I'll turn right back into a docile, obedient maid for you. Whether covering the rear or warming your bed, this maid can satisfy anything you ask! A tool might not care about anything, but a person has a temper—especially a demigod shoved into a mortal body!"
"Hey."
Niya gave a soft call. When they turned their heads, they saw Feili trembling as she watched them, her lips pressed tightly together, too afraid to utter a sound.
Yaxiu and Weixi fell silent. Rushing all the way out of the bottom of the fire escape stairwell, they were immediately met head-on by a crowd of Starshot Warriors and Slay All Crows.
Even uninjured, these enemies were exceptionally difficult to handle, let alone now when they only had half their lives left. Although Yaxiu and Weixi fought with everything they had, the surging tide of the Six-Nation Legions continually pressed in. Not only did they fail to break through, but they also suffered several more wounds.
Weixi glanced over and noticed the small ruby mountain in the open clearing at the center of the building. Seeing that no soldiers of the Six-Nation Legions stood atop it, her mind stirred. "Head toward that!"
Without a word, Yaxiu silently pushed the battle line forward with Weixi toward the small ruby mountain. Once they reached a certain distance, they immediately noticed a bizarre change.
Gunshots.
Whenever Yaxiu landed an effective strike, a bullet fired from who-knew-where would pierce straight through his target. Its destructive force was terrifying; even heavily armored Starshot Warriors were punched through in an instant.
Weixi could trigger this effect as well, but Feili and Niya could not.
"Just as I thought," Weixi murmured. "So that's how it is."
"What do you mean?" Yaxiu asked.
"Occasionally, on Ruby Mountain, certain 'festivals' appear," Weixi explained. "Though there is no unified name, one might loosely call them the 'Festival of Flames,' 'Festival of Frost,' 'Festival of Swordsmanship,' or 'Festival of the Mind.' During these festivals, every attack by a sorcerer triggers a festival effect. If your sorcery faction aligns with the festival, it provides an exquisite synergy—as if the Void Realm itself is aiding your casting.
"Moreover, vast hordes of Void Realm creatures and sorcerer projections usually spawn during these festivals. Relying on the festival effects, sorcerers can practically steamroll these enemies. Besides reaping abundant resources, their colored void wings also grow at incredible speed. The only drawback is that the colored void wings grown during a festival often end up dyed by it. For instance, during the Festival of Flames, even if you are a water sorcerer, your void wings are very likely to be stained with the crimson of fire.
"Even in my era, sorcerers had long grown accustomed to the festivals of Ruby Mountain, and few ever pondered why sorcery festivals occurred." Weixi glanced back at the small ruby mountain behind them. "Yet looking at it now, these sorcery festivals don't seem all that different from holidays in the mortal realm."
She let out a soft laugh. "Most likely, they exist to commemorate those pioneers who have passed away."
With their backs against the small ruby mountain, Yaxiu and Weixi slaughtered the Six-Nation Legions like chopping vegetables; their attacks were executed purely to trigger the gunshot effect. Even if they merely grazed an enemy, a bullet would streak out from a blind spot to impale their foe. It was as if Rajesh were fighting side by side with them.
When the Six-Nation Legions suddenly dissolved into multicolored radiance and vanished into thin air, none of them reacted right away. Several seconds passed before Niya abruptly said, "It's over?"
"...Yes."
Yaxiu took in the shattered walls and ruined interior of the building. Now that the Six-Nation Legions had disappeared, the hall grew utterly quiet, leaving only a faint scent of blood lingering in the air.
Above this building were office floors, and below was a commercial shopping center. Even if the Six-Nation Legions avoided regular mortals, the collateral damage from Yaxiu and the others fighting Rajesh had been more than enough to snuff out those lives in quiet ignorance.
Her mind at ease at last, Feili slumped limply to the floor. Turning her head, she spotted a hand protruding from beneath a pile of rubble, blood slowly seeping out from under it. She stared blankly at the sight, then slowly looked around. As if drained of all strength, she leaned back against the small ruby mountain, looking up through the shattered skylight to gaze at the familiar starry sky.
"It's finally over," Feili murmured.
When the final drop of golden rain fell into their golden holy chalices, it produced a touch-of-gold transformation, transmuting the nectar inside into distinct colors. Yaxiu's and Niya's were both sword-colored; Weixi's was a spectral soul-blue; Feili's was a luminous astral-blue. The golden rain ceased, and the distant pillars of colored light dissolved. The angel hunt was drawing to a close, and now was the time to celebrate claiming their spoils.
Yet for some reason, not one of the four felt any joy. Even Weixi lacked her usual thrill. Perhaps, she thought, it was because she knew all the spoils would be looted by Yaxiu anyway.
Composing her feelings, Weixi picked up her chalice and said calmly, "Drink up quickly. Who knows if there's a time limit? If the chalices vanish, I don't want to hear any of you whining about what you should have done if you'd only known."
"Let's make a toast," Yaxiu said suddenly.
Weixi glanced sidelong at him. Avoiding her gaze, Yaxiu said, "We faced mortal peril several times, but each time we gritted our teeth and held on until a turning point appeared, supporting each other and refusing to give up. That's why we were able to survive together to the very end. Shouldn't we celebrate that?"
He paused, met Weixi's gaze, and offered his chalice forward. "We didn't do half bad, did we?"
For some reason, Weixi felt an odd mix of amusement, exasperation, and helplessness. Raising her chalice to clink it against Yaxiu's, she let out a huff. "Naturally."
Feili's mood instantly brightened, and she raised her chalice to join in. "To finally being able to fight side by side with you!"
After a moment's hesitation, Niya joined the toast as well. "To our survival."
Weixi declared with fierce vigor, "To me breaking these chains in a moment, butchering Yaxiu, and ascending to the pinnacle to wield the supreme scepter!"
Yaxiu chuckled, looked down at the spent cartridges scattered across the floor, and said, "To overcoming a formidable adversary."
Beside the small ruby mountain, the four tipped their heads back and drained the nectar from their golden holy chalices. Every injury healed in an instant; their depleted sorcery mana replenished in a flash; their physical forms and souls experienced rapid growth.
They did not fall unconscious, instead feeling the transformations in their bodies with crystalline clarity. But just as Niya and Feili were reveling in their burgeoning improvements, Yaxiu's face suddenly turned deathly pale.
"Looks like you've noticed," Weixi said, reaching out to touch Yaxiu's back. "This is the consequence of having witnessed Hell.
"The power you've always relied upon will become your most terrifying curse.
"Miss Feili, Miss Cervi, turn around."
Feili pointed at herself. "Me too? But aren't I a demon?"
"Could you bear to let Miss Cervi be left out by the three of us?" Weixi asked.
Feili thought about it and found that reasonable, stepping over to link arms with Niya. Just dozens of minutes earlier, the two had loathed each other, but after their shared ordeal in the fire escape, their bond had deepened by leaps and bounds. Though Niya was somewhat reluctant about Feili's closeness, she did not pull away.
Once they turned their backs, Yaxiu spread his void wings and turned toward the small ruby mountain beside him.
Through the reflection on its crystalline surface, he saw that in addition to his continuously growing Seventh Imaginary Wing and his half-condensed Fourth Void Wing, three feathers had sprouted from his Silver Void Wing—the very wing that should have been completely severed by the mysterious chains.
Even as he watched, Yaxiu saw a fourth silver feather grow right before his eyes.
The void wings were growing on their own.
Chapter 887