novelraw Chapter 145: The Gods’ Love-or-Death Battle
Chapter 145: The Gods’ Love-or-Death Battle
"Wait, wait a second, slow down, slow down..."
"We really can't take it anymore..."
"Please have mercy on us...."
On the boundless prairie, Jiang Si led Mu, who was using An Shiyu's body.
They had just done a hundred-kilometer sprint as a warm-up.
Even though she had already been allowed to transform into a Magical Girl, running a hundred kilometers still nearly killed her.
By the end she couldn't run, couldn't fly.
She simply lay down on the grass and refused to move.
"I, I really can't do this. My mana was already low, and we still had to run so far. A date, and running on a date — this is totally wrong, right?"
Jiang Si twisted his neck; he hadn't even felt sweat.Running across such a huge grassland was kind of exhilarating. Looking at Mu sprawled on the ground refusing to move, he shook his head. "If you can't stand a little hardship, what if you're late for the date?"
"Minus ten points."
Mu was stunned that Jiang Si actually docked points, "Wait, I didn't hear there was a points system. Can we change it to an addition system?"
"Minus another ten."
"...Can I ask how many points in total?"
"One hundred."
Jiang Si's mind quickly recalled the dating rules Qinghua had given them, "Running slow means you'll be late for the date, being late proves you don't take it seriously, not taking it seriously leads to deductions, and when your lover gets angry and tries to bargain, that also costs points."
"Th-that sounds like girls' demands on boys..."
"It's the same."
Hearing An Shiyu in her head repeatedly agreeing with Jiang Si, Mu felt her worldview shaken.
She had never dated, but she'd seen people in relationships.
Even girls pursuing boys, on a date the girl should hold some initiative, act spoiled and throw little tantrums, right?
But here the three of them all thought the current approach was correct.
As an old-school veteran who had been trapped in the Heart Image Remnant for many years, Mu felt a little insecure.
Maybe dating customs had really changed over the years...
Could it be there are fewer boys now, so girls are all desperate for romance?
From An Shiyu's memories, that possibility looked high...
Looks like I must help An Shiyu win over Jiang Si here! By any dirty trick if necessary!
Pumped up, Mu climbed up, lay on the grass, and loudly asked, "Is there any way to gain points? I want more points!"
"Fight."
"Ahahaha, I'm saying An Shiyu's stamina is bad, you must be hearing things, what did you just say..."
"Fight. If you win you get points, and the loser must grant the winner one request," Jiang Si said matter-of-factly.
"Love is a battle."
For a moment Mu wanted to kneel and kowtow to him.
Please, give us something human-understandable about love!
Training running because you might be late for a date, fine, barely makes sense; fighting — what the heck is that?!
What era's romance requires fighting? In just a few decades the world evolved into this crazy state where everyone is a berserker, stare for three seconds and duel, even love decided by combat...
Mu said hoarsely, "Even if you truly like someone, fighting will hurt the other person, right? Isn't that a problem?"
"The Game Realm Grandmaster once said," Jiang Si pointed skyward, "Do you like this person? If you do, treat everything as battle, not play-fighting."
"B-but what if someone flies into a rage? Relationships break easily then."
"Then it means you're not compatible. Early breakups are good."
Mu felt suffocated, borderline airless.
Especially with An Shiyu still asking in confusion if Mu had really never dated, which deeply dented Mu's confidence.
It's not about whether I'm your younger sister; this has nothing to do with whether I've dated.
From the ancient Beihai, centuries-old tactics for romance had been passed down; my arsenal of strategies was legendary and unbeatable,
but the countless maneuverings always targeted — ultimately — humans!
Only bipedal, reasoning opponents!
The premise of these tactics is that the other party is human. How do you court a beast that only has the instinct to fight...
Many times Mu wanted to give up and let An Shiyu go for it herself.
But carrying the hopes of so many Magical Girl romances from the past, she could not retreat now!
Don't underestimate me, junior!
It's just a monster! Even if it's a beast, it's male; every male has a flaw!
Since you love by beast instinct, let me, love master Mu, break your reason and defense!
"Ahem."
After steadying herself, Mu slowly got up and watched Jiang Si still doing handstand-like fingertip lifts on the ground as a warm-up.
She made up her mind.
"Jiang Si."
Suppressing her awkward embarrassment, Mu tugged at her short skirt and gave a mature, seductive smile. "Want to see what girls wear underneath..."
Then Mu saw Jiang Si pull out a Miracle Seed.
A flash of purple light, and Shion lifted her skirt, showing the safety shorts underneath.
"What's the point?"
Mu was out of options.
He was invulnerable!
...
After the Heart Image Remnant vanished, the area around the small city of Anyang quickly returned to its former calm.
Anyang had never had many Disaster Beasts. Previously a Witch Association member named Zhang Ling had inexplicably turned himself in to the Disaster Control Bureau and exposed the Witch Association's network and member details in Anyang, causing massive losses for the witches.
As a result, the Central Bureau pulled many of the Magical Girls stationed in Anyang back after a few days; most of them had been stationed across other East China cities.
Thanks also to Azure Cloud Sect launching operations across East China against the Witch Association earlier, the frequency of Disaster Beasts in those cities dropped sharply. Blooming-ranked Magical Girls were freed up to assist Anyang without drawing too many reinforcements from outside East China.
In that respect, Azure Cloud Sect had contributed significantly to the Heart Image Remnant operation.
Including the terrifying waterspout and the purple sun seen that day; even people driven far away in Anyang could see the sky turn briefly as bright as day.
Now the city's interest in Azure Cloud Sect — the free Magical Girl organization they did not fully understand — reached unprecedented heights.
When Bai Mei once again left Anyang and walked to the seashore, she saw Winter still standing on the sea, graceful as ever.
Several days had passed since the Heart Image Remnant disappeared. At first they thought their master had gone elsewhere, but now they couldn't find any trace of her.
During these days Bai Mei and Winter searched Anyang and surrounding areas but found no sign of their master.
Most importantly, with the Heart Image Remnant's disappearance, the soul lamp left in the Illusory Moon Cavern Dwelling went out.
That meant the world could no longer sense their master's mana; she was no longer in this world.
The soul lamp had been crafted personally by their master and only she could link to it; as long as her power could connect, the lamp would never extinguish.
Now it was out...
When Bai Mei drew closer, the girl slightly turned her head.
Under the moonlight, her eyes were so cold they held no warmth, and her beautiful face seemed coated in a layer of solid ice, almost lifeless.
Like a frozen statue drained of vitality.
Is this how Lady Winter looks after losing their master?
Unlike their master, whose coldness was mere indifference, Lady Winter carried a hostile "keep out" aura.
That piercing chill kept others at bay.
Even Bai Mei had to stop and called softly, "Lady Winter."
"Ah, it's Bai Mei."
The voice sounded a shade warmer but still made one shiver.
"We've searched everywhere nearby."
Winter, standing on the sea, said no more. The two of them remained standing in silence.
Moonlight reflected on the water, rippling with the waves.
Then cold crept across soundlessly; snowflakes froze the sea, seizing the stars and moon, imprisoning them.
The ocean fell eerily silent.
"No one can threaten Shion."
"No one."
Like the sound of ice cracking and grinding, Bai Mei could feel shards of frost in the air, hard and crisp.
"She must have just gotten lost."
"Mm."
That was the only possibility.
Winter finally took a step toward shore; with every step her mana thickened.
Her icy-blue hair fluttered in the sea breeze. When she reached the beach, not only the water but sand, trees, and rocks were all covered in a thick layer of frost.
As if she had frozen the entire world.
"The college entrance exam is coming soon," Winter muttered, "If she misses it, he'll be angry. She'd have to wait a whole year."
Though the cold ahead bit like knives, a sword cultivator had no reason to retreat.
Bai Mei spoke plainly, "Master might not be able to come back..."
The chill instantly swallowed her sword aura.
Her sword intent, before this overwhelming cold, had no edge left.
All sharpness submerged in ice and snow, fragile and defenseless.
Bai Mei slowly opened one eye.
The biting wind made her close it again.
Peak Blooming rank...
"Twins said the Witch Association has deep cooperation with the Mirror Kingdom. This time the Prince of the Mirror Kingdom even entered the Heart Image Remnant. Maybe the Witch Association colluded with the Mirror Kingdom and led her astray. We should have the remaining true-transmission disciples and inner disciples all mobilize."
"Dig three feet down if needed, we must bring Jiang Si back."
Bai Mei sighed.
No one could stop Lady Winter now, unless their master returned.
But could the master really come back?
Another gust of wind passed.
No moisture, only pure freezing air that combed through hair like a comb.
The umbrella in Winter's hand was blown away.
It tumbled across the ice.
Bai Mei instinctively stepped forward, "Lady Winter, the umbrella..."
Winter slightly turned, smoothing her fluttering hair with her hand. Her snow-like eyes guided their gaze to Bai Mei.
The once-ever-present umbrella was abandoned.
"Don't bother."
So Bai Mei finally didn't stop it.
Until it rolled to the ice edge and plunged into the sea.
"It's no longer needed."
.....
"Senior Mu said she already, she already can't face people anymore."
An Shiyu nervously pinched at her skirt hem, trying to pull it down — the skirt felt too short.
"She said she's already unmarriageable..."
Jiang Si stretched his arm, "You're worrying about a dead person. So your wish is fulfilled, right? You should have the Mental Landscape reconstructed and handed to me now."
An Shiyu was silent for a moment, likely communicating with Mu, then said, "She, she said no."
Suddenly in Mu's voice, "I don't feel any love at all! So it doesn't work, the Mental Landscape can't form!"
Then back in An Shiyu's voice, "She, that's what she said."
Jiang Si twisted his neck, "Then let her come out and continue."
"I, I feel that at this rate, Miss Mu might never feel love?" An Shiyu spoke softly, "Should we, should we try a different approach?"
"What?"
"The way of dating — something more ordinary might be better."
Jiang Si tilted his head, "What, you think you know better than me?"
An Shiyu shook her head repeatedly, "No, I just think every girl likes different date styles. If you use something ordinary and traditional, Miss Mu might more easily feel the taste of love, and then the wish would be fulfilled and the Mental Landscape easier to produce..."
After a pause, Jiang Si said, "Then tell me what to do."
"Just, a very ordinary walk together, chatting about things you like would be enough."
"Ordinary friends can do that too, right?"
"Lovers are already better friends. Since you're boyfriend and girlfriend, doing ordinary friend things but getting a bit more intimate is fine," An Shiyu said, a little timidly. "That's how I think."
The humble-questioning Jiang Si nodded, "Alright."
So the two walked side by side on the prairie. Although this independent space's exact location was unknown, sun and moon still moved as usual; now it was near dusk.
It felt like the world contained only the two of them. An Shiyu followed in front of Mu, mustering courage, and grabbed one of Mu's fingers.
Jiang Si didn't mind and walked while thinking of topics.
"Can I hold hands?"
An Shiyu tilted her head and looked at him; her eyes flickered with hopeful anticipation.
Jiang Si didn't answer and simply held her hand.
"So this is what a boy's hand feels like."
She made a slightly odd remark, "Much rougher than a girl's hand."
"If you can't stand it, let go."
"I never said I didn't like it..."
An Shiyu swung Jiang Si's arm like a child, happily skipping beside him.
"Jiang Si, Jiang Si, you confessed to An Shiyu before, right?"
"When?"
"You asking me?" An Shiyu puffed her cheeks angrily, "When we were little, on the big bus! You made a bet with your father!"
Jiang Si looked up and tried to recall, "Oh, seems something like that happened."
That was a long time ago; Jiang Si didn't remember clearly.
Why did An Shiyu tell him everything?
"Since this is a dating test, a confession should happen too, right?"
An Shiyu's earlobes blushed, and she whispered, "No need to be complicated, just repeat what happened on the bus before."
This chance was hard to grasp.
Although he expected many trials from the start, the trouble exceeded Jiang Si's expectations.
Why wasn't it just a fight or a contest of wisdom...
He dug into his memory and pulled the old words back up.
If he had to repeat it, it needed to be word-for-word.
No wonder the Great Emperor who severed himself with one strike — supreme of the restricted zone — truly knew the hardest tests.
Driven by an extreme desire for spatial power, Jiang Si finally recalled the exact words from back then without missing a single syllable!
In this world, nothing can stop me!
Space's power will be mine!
"Now I will confess to you. I will give you three seconds to prepare. If you don't answer within three seconds, it will automatically be considered a refusal." Tone, words, even the pause lengths — not a hair off.
A perfect replication!
"I like you. Be my girlfriend. One, two, three—"
"I agree."
The latter half of the line was interrupted. An Shiyu's star-lit eyes shone bright, reflecting Jiang Si alone.
The sinking sun expended its remaining heat along the horizon, making dusk warp with sleepiness. The weary sunset rendered the world dreamlike, as if in an unending dream.
The prairie rippled in the wind, making the two seem to stand amid waves.
Their hearts too swelled and churned like the sea.
An Shiyu turned her hand back and gripped Jiang Si's tightly until their fingers interlaced, head bowed as she tucked hair behind her ear.
"Sorry, I said it wrong, it's, I agree."
Even the silence tasted sweet; heat passed from fingertips to palms.
When the wind stopped, Jiang Si nodded, "Congratulations, you learned to answer quickly."
An Shiyu let out a snort-laugh, "What kind of answer was that?"
"Well, my wish is fulfilled, the Mental Landscape will be reconstructed soon..."
While chattering, Jiang Si suddenly asked in confusion, "Are you An Shiyu or Mu?"
The girl blinked, tilted her head, and showed a mischievous little devil smile.
"Guess."