Yun Che closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, his spiritual awareness expanding outward like an invisible storm.
The instant his spirit force merged with haki, the world came alive. Every ripple of movement, every flicker of life, every disturbance in the wind resonated through his mind like ripples across still water. His Observation Instinct — now empowered beyond ordinary Kenbunshoku Haki — stretched for miles in every direction.
The entire landscape unfolded in his perception. The whisper of the wind through the trees. The faint hum of insects. The sluggish pulse of the unconscious. He could feel everything.
"Tch…" he muttered, brows furrowing.
Among the sea of fading life signatures, three stood out — steady, familiar, and unmistakable.
Retsu.
Cang Yue.
Kon.
But something was off.
"Hold on… Kon's energy?"
Yun Che's eyes snapped open. He could sense the plushy's spiritual essence — but it was fused with another source, faintly human and profoundly ordinary. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together.
"Don't tell me that guy possessed someone again…" he sighed. "What the hell happened out there?"
Then another disturbance — faint, fragile, and flickering like a candle in the wind. It was Cang Yue. Her spiritual flow was irregular, tangled with conflicting emotions. Yun Che's sharpened instincts told him it wasn't an injury — it was inner turmoil.
"Cang Yue… what's going on with you?"
He could feel the rest of the energy signatures scattered across the area — dozens of them, all unconscious but alive. Whatever battle had taken place, it was brutal but not fatal. Still, the sense of unease drove him forward.
Without wasting a breath, he burst into motion. His form blurred as he shot through the winding tunnels of the Azure Dragon's cave. With the divine barrier gone and the dragon's aura faded, the oppressive pressure had vanished entirely. The once-mystical cave now felt hollow — just stone and silence.
As he neared the surface, a beam of orange light spilled into the cavern. The sun was sinking low — a sunset glow pouring through the mouth of the cave like molten gold.
"Looks like I was in there longer than I thought," he muttered, shielding his eyes from the light. "A few days at least… damn, the flow of time must've been different inside that realm."
Stepping outside, Yun Che was immediately greeted by the aftermath of chaos.
Bodies — dozens of them — lay strewn across the rocky terrain, unconscious but breathing. The air smelled faintly of scorched earth and blood. Despite the devastation, he could tell no one had died.
His sharp eyes scanned the battlefield, and he crouched beside one of the fallen men, checking for wounds. The injuries were shallow, the strikes precise. Whoever fought here held back deliberately.
"What happened here…?" he murmured.
Then a familiar voice broke through the dying wind.
"Yuu-kun? You're back already?"
He turned toward the sound — and there she was.
Cang Yue stood by a small bonfire, her long braided hair shimmering in the amber light, eyes soft but tired. Her gentle smile carried a quiet relief that made his heart clench.
Beside her, sitting cross-legged and chewing on a piece of grilled meat, was Kon — though not in his usual plush form. He was currently inhabiting some poor man's body, probably one of the thugs lying unconscious nearby.
Kon raised a lazy hand in greeting, smirking.
"Yo! Looks like the big brute's back. Damn, nice outfit — you joining a Quincy cosplay competition or something?"
Yun Che blinked, then chuckled.
"Yeah, I missed you too, you asshat. Looks like I was away for a few days. Sorry, you two. Guess I didn't make it back before the day ended, huh?" Yun Che sighed, scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin as he looked at his fiancée across the flickering bonfire.
Retsu and Kon exchanged a quick glance.
Kon shrugged, gesturing lazily with the stick of roasted meat in his hand.
"What are you talking about? You've been gone for, like, seven hours, tops. You walked in there and came right back out. I almost thought you failed or something."
Yun Che froze mid-blink.
"Seven hours?! Are you serious?"
The disbelief in his tone made Kon chuckle.
"Dead serious. Sun barely moved."
Yun Che exhaled and leaned back, rubbing his temples.
"Seven hours, huh…? Felt like days in there. Figures — that trial must've had its own time flow."
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. The important part was that he'd made it back — and stronger than ever.
"Anyway, no, I didn't fail, you dolt. Quite the opposite." He smirked faintly. "Let's just say I came out with more than I bargained for."
He sank down beside the fire, the warmth soaking pleasantly into his skin after the chilling aura of the dragon's realm.
Retsu, who had been quietly tending to the pot beside the flames, set it down and turned toward him. Her lips curved into a knowing smile as her amethyst eyes softened.
"Seven hours or seven days…" she said with a lilting giggle, "I still missed you, Yuu-kun."
Before he could reply, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his.
The world seemed to pause for that brief, gentle moment — the crackle of fire, the whisper of wind, the faint heartbeat between them. She drew back slowly, resting her forehead against his chest, her arms slipping around him in a warm embrace.
"Welcome back," she murmured softly.
Yun Che's smile was faint but genuine as he patted her head affectionately.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I'm back."
Kon groaned dramatically, rolling his eyes.
"Cheee… every time you two start that mushy stuff, I swear my soul leaves my body."
Yun Che ignored him, chuckling under his breath. For the first time since leaving the trial, he finally felt grounded. But the peace lasted only a moment before an odd sense tugged at him — something missing.
He opened his eyes, scanning the area.
"By the way… where's Cang Yue? Didn't see her with you two."
Retsu hesitated before pulling away slightly. Her expression grew serious as she turned toward him.
"Sister Yue…" she began, her tone gentle but thoughtful, "is dealing with something. She's behind that big rock over there — said she wanted to be alone."
Yun Che followed her finger. Through his Observation Instinct, he could feel her aura — faint, flickering with emotional turbulence. She hadn't even noticed his return.
Retsu continued, "Something changed in her during the fight earlier. I'm not sure what it was, but it's affecting her deeply. I thought about talking to her, but she looked… lost. So I decided to give her space until you came back. Maybe hearing your voice will help."
Yun Che's brows furrowed slightly as he glanced toward the unconscious bodies scattered nearby. The air still smelled faintly of smoke and blood. He could piece together the aftermath of a battle, but not what had shaken Cang Yue so badly.
"Conflict?" he echoed quietly. "What exactly happened to her?"
Retsu took a slow breath, her eyes briefly flicking toward the horizon before returning to his.
"Well," she said softly, her tone turning grave, "a few hours ago…"
================
Three Hours Ago — Outside the Dragon God Trial Cave
================
The battlefield was chaos. Smoke and blood filled the air, screams echoing across the scorched ground.
One soldier — battered, desperate, eyes wild with fear — launched himself toward Cang Yue. His broken spear gleamed under the sun, the tip aimed straight for her heart.
Cang Yue froze.
Her body stiffened, her mind flooded with flashes of instinct and terror.
"Sister Yue!!!"
"Nee-san!!!"
Both Retsu and Kon shouted at once, their voices echoing through the din as they dashed toward her — too far, too late.
STAB!
The sound split the air.
But neither woman nor soldier moved at first. Then Retsu and Kon halted mid-step, their eyes widening in disbelief.
The one impaled… was not Cang Yue.
The soldier's body jerked once, the blade he held barely grazing her side as he lunged past. Cang Yue had turned — too fast to think, purely on reflex — her sword already drawn, her wrist steady.
The steel pierced his throat cleanly.
The man's eyes went wide. He gagged, blood bubbling from his lips, the momentum of his charge driving the blade deeper until the hilt pressed against his neck.
Cang Yue's hands trembled, her sword still raised.
She could feel the warmth — the wet, metallic heat of his blood running down the blade and dripping onto her wrist. The soldier staggered, eyes dimming, before his body slid off her sword and crumpled to the ground.
For a long moment, the world was silent. The clash of battle, the cries, even the wind — everything faded into a void.
All Cang Yue could see was the lifeless face staring up at her.
A face she recognized.
A face that once smiled at her back in the palace courtyard — a soldier who used to spar with other soldiers during her early training days.
Her breath caught.
"I… I—"
Her sword fell from her hand with a dull clang.
Her knees hit the ground next. She couldn't tear her gaze away from the crimson pooling beneath him — spreading wider, staining the earth, her reflection flickering in the blood.
Her lips quivered as her vision blurred.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, unchecked, as the truth sank in like a blade twisting in her chest.
She had killed.
Her first kill.
She had taken a human life.
And no amount of justification — no words of duty or survival — could change the image seared into her soul.
The man's dying eyes burned into her mind, his silent question echoing through her heart: Why?
Retsu and Kon finally reached her, but neither spoke. They could only watch as Cang Yue sat trembling in the blood-soaked dirt, her expression blank, her soul shattering under the weight of what she'd done.
She had always wanted strength to protect — to maintain peace without shedding blood.
But the world, cruel and unrelenting, had just shown her the truth.
That was the moment Cang Yue's innocence ended.
The moment her heart began to change.The moment the girl who sought peace… took her first step toward understanding what it meant to live — and fight — in a world ruled by power.
Cang Yue remained dazed, her knees still buried in the earth and blood, when the men who'd been beaten by her earlier started to stir. Their faces hardened as they advanced — not to finish her, but to humiliate and cripple.
Cang Shuo's grin split his face. He spat the words out like a curse. "Hmph. Looks like the little girl finally found some courage. Don't kill her — cripple her. I want to know how my own sister tastes." He licked his lips as if savoring the thought.
Feng JueCheng snorted. "You really are disgusting. Fine. Make sure she suffers. We can't let her ruin our reputation."
The men closed in. Cang Yue could only stare, still trembling, unable to gather a single coherent thought. Those who had grown up with her now moved to cut her down.
Retsu had no time for words. She planted her feet, focused her haki — and the world answered.
Her pupils pinched to thin slits. Then, as if something snapped, a white, roaring aura detonated from her body and fanned out through the trees. It rolled across the clearing like a tidal wave of light and pressure. The air itself vibrated — a low hum that dug into bone and blood.
The effect was immediate and brutal. The lowest cultivators — the Earth Profound Realm men — collapsed first, bodies crumpling to the soil as if pulled by invisible hands. They were not slain; they were rendered senseless, their consciousness snuffed out at once.
Those stronger — the Sky Profound Realm fighters — did not fall physically, but their knees buckled. One by one they dropped to their knees, faces drained, trembling under an absolute, overwhelming dread. The aura had not struck them dead, but it had stolen their will: an all-consuming terror rising from deep inside, paralyzing them utterly.
Cang Shuo and Feng JueCheng, who had been taunting from the flanks, were ripped from their mounts as the shockwave swept past. They hit the ground hard, stunned — not because Retsu targeted them, but because the display proved how utterly helpless any attacker would be against her protection. Retsu had been careful: she'd spared the two leaders enough to watch the consequence of their cruelty unfold.
All around Cang Yue and Kon, the battlefield fell into a stunned silence. Men who had moments before been snarling and ready to maim now lay unconscious or cowered, shivering with dread.
"Ara...."
Retsu's voice cut through the heavy air, calm and cold as steel. The message was clear: anyone who raised a hand against her sister would pay — not necessarily with death, but with a humiliation and helplessness far worse. She'd made the point without spilling another drop of blood.
"What… hap…pened?" Cang Shuo gasped, collapsing onto his rear. His voice trembled as his eyes darted across the fallen men. "At first those women were struggling, and suddenly all of our men—just—collapsed…"His words died off as he realized the horrifying truth: every single cultivator they brought lay unconscious, unmoving.
Feng JueCheng's jaw clenched. "Who—who's interfering?!" he barked, scanning the treeline, his voice breaking halfway through the sentence.
Then it hit them.
A crushing pressure filled the air, an invisible weight that made their legs quiver. Their vision dimmed, and every breath felt heavier than the last.
From between the drifting dust and leaves, she appeared.
The black-and-white beauty, her pale skin glinting under the sun, stepped forward with a slow, steady rhythm. Every footfall echoed like a heartbeat.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her blood-red energy blade shimmered faintly at her side, humming with killing intent.
Retsu's gaze was calm—too calm. No anger. No pity. Just that silent, terrifying composure that screamed predator.
Cang Shuo and Feng JueCheng's faces drained of color. They stumbled backward once, then turned tail and ran with everything they had.
But could they ever hope to escape the former Kenpachi herself?
"Bakudō #4—Hainawa," Retsu murmured, her voice a whisper carried by the wind.
In the next instant, twin bands of glowing white energy shot from her fingers, streaking through the air like serpents of light.
WHAM!
The ropes struck their targets square in the back, wrapping around their torsos in a blinding flash before slamming both men against a massive tree. The impact cracked bark and bone alike. They struggled, but the luminous binds constricted tighter, glowing with spiritual heat.
"Arrghh!! What is this?!" Cang Shuo writhed, trying to break free, his face twisting in panic. "Why can't I move?!"
"Who is this woman…?" Feng JueCheng wheezed. "Why is she stronger than anyone we brought?!"
Their fear grew as Retsu advanced—each step slow, deliberate, soundless yet deafening in their ears. Her spiritual pressure pressed harder with every pace, forcing sweat to bead on their foreheads.
"Senior, please!!" Cang Shuo's voice cracked as he dropped to his knees, head lowered in terror. "We didn't mean to offend you! Please, let us go! We'll do anything!"
Retsu stopped in front of them, eyes half-lidded, her expression unreadable. The red energy along her blade flared softly, illuminating her face in crimson light.
Feng JueCheng swallowed hard, forcing his trembling voice to sound steady. "Y-you can kill us, but listen well! My body bears a profound treasure that alerts my father if I die. You might destroy us, but can you escape the wrath of my clan?"
He tried to glare, but the fear in his eyes betrayed him completely.
For a moment, silence filled the forest. Only the hum of her blade remained.
Then Retsu tilted her head ever so slightly, her voice soft and sweet—but each word dripped with quiet, murderous finality.
"Please shut your mouth," Retsu said quietly, each word a blade. "Do you think I give a damn about your clan? I can slaughter every last one of them if they threaten my sister. And I can do the same to you."
Her voice left no room for argument. It wasn't a threat wrapped in bravado — it was an absolute. The color drained from Feng JueCheng's face; Cang Shuo's bravado cracked like thin ice.
"You… you're bluffing!" Feng JueCheng spat, trying to force courage into his voice.
Retsu didn't answer. She raised her hand and focused haki into the air. A concentrated pulse of energy sprang from her palm and slammed into the nearby forest. The blast was compact, surgical — but its force reduced trees to splinters and sent wildlife fleeing.
BOOM!
The explosion echoed like a decree. For a heartbeat both men felt something raw and simple: the world itself could end at her whim. Their forced bravado evaporated into pure, animal fear.
"Senior—please!" Feng JueCheng dropped to all fours, crawling forward in a rush of panic, pleading with hands pressed to the dirt. "I— I was only joking. Please, spare me!"
Retsu's face was unreadable, but her smile arrived like a blade slipping from a sheath. It was small, and it carried a message infinitely colder than her blast had been.
"You were joking?" she repeated softly. "Then let me be clear — I am not joking about killing you."
Her fingers tightened on the hilt of her blood-red sword. Energy coiled around the blade as she prepared a single, monstrous strike — a cut meant to end everything in one clean motion. The pressure in the clearing rose like a tide; even the wind stilled, as if the world held its breath.
"Can you please die?" she murmured, the words almost amused.
Then, without warning, both men went still. Their bodies shuddered; foam bubbled at their mouths. Eyes glazing over, they collapsed, unconscious before Retsu's sword could fall. The charge of reaitsu in the air dissipated as if nothing had happened.
Retsu eased the sword down and let the crimson light wink out. She regarded the two men, now motionless on the ground, and shook her head with the faintest hint of disappointment.
"Hmph," she said. "Looks like intimidating them was enough." She turned to face them fully, expression cold as winter. "Your deaths might have amused me… but I suppose it is not mine to decide."
======================
"And I'm back to preparing lunch for everyone," Retsu said casually, brushing imaginary dust from her sleeves. Her tone was cheerful—too cheerful.
Kon, now in his human body, nodded wearily. "Nee-san was really scary at that time. You should've seen when—"
BONK!
He didn't even finish before Retsu's hand came down in a perfect karate chop to his neck, burying him face-first into the ground.
"Ara~ ara~," Retsu murmured with that deceptively innocent smile. "A little bug managed to escape my net. I'll be careful next time, Yuu-kun."
Her tone was soft as silk, but the implication made even the air tense for a second.
Yun Che sweatdropped, staring at Kon's twitching body half-buried in the dirt. Yeah, note to self — never talk about a woman's temper in front of her. Especially this one.
Still, he couldn't deny it — Retsu's intervention was flawless. He had read enough about this world to know how things should have gone. In the original timeline, both Cang Shuo and Fen JueCheng would play critical roles later. Killing them now would derail too much. Retsu's instinct not to finish them off wasn't just mercy; it was fate aligning itself perfectly.
He exhaled and said, "You're scary when you're angry, you know that?"
Retsu turned to him, tilting her head, the same gentle smile blooming on her face. "Giggle~ But I'd never get angry at you, Yuu-kun."
He couldn't help but grin back, scratching his cheek. "Let's keep it that way. I'd rather not get on your bad side."
Her laughter was melodic and light, but behind it was a quiet warmth that made him soften. He reached out and gently patted her head, fingers brushing through her silky hair.
"Well," he said, glancing toward the massive rock where Cang Yue sat hidden, "it's time we check on Cang Yue. First kills… they never leave you the same. Intentional or not."
Retsu's expression sobered immediately. "Hai. Both of us carry memories from another world. We've already accepted blood and battle. But her… she's just starting down that path."
"Exactly." He squeezed her hand gently as they stood. "If we don't help her now, she might drown in guilt."
Retsu nodded softly, her eyes reflecting both compassion and understanding. "Let's go, Yuu-kun. It's time she learns that even in blood… there's still a way forward."
Hand in hand, the two walked toward the quiet figure behind the rock — ready to face not an enemy, but a fragile heart shaken by its first taste of reality.
"Ohh, let me join you two as well," Kon suddenly said, springing upright as if Retsu's earlier chop hadn't nearly killed him.
Both Yun Che and Retsu blinked at him. His human body was wobbling, bruised, and clearly about to collapse.
"But not like that, man," Yun Che said, pointing a fist at him. "Eject yourself before I eject you myself."
"Grr… hai, hai…" Kon grumbled, resigned. A golden light flashed over him before he shot out of the host body like a bullet, returning to his familiar plushy lion form.
The body he'd possessed slumped instantly to the ground, unconscious. Yun Che stared for a second, deadpan. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we don't possess strangers."
Retsu covered her mouth, hiding a laugh. "At least he listens when threatened with violence, Yuu-kun."
"Yeah, fear's a good motivator." Yun Che smirked, then turned serious. "Let's go. She's not doing well."
They moved quietly around the rock, the sound of their steps fading into the forest's whisper.
There, in the shallow shade, sat Cang Yue.
Her body was curled tightly, knees pulled to her chest, face buried against them. Tear stains marred her cheeks. She looked small—fragile in a way neither Yun Che nor Retsu had ever seen before.
Her sword lay discarded beside her, the blade still glistening faintly with blood. Her hands trembled, as if she could still feel the warmth of the man she'd killed.
To her, it didn't matter that it was self-defense. It didn't matter that the one she killed had been trying to end her life.
All she could hear was the echo of that man's last breath.
All she could see was his eyes—wide, disbelieving—as the light left them.
Her voice broke softly through the silence. "I… killed him."
Neither of them answered. Yun Che exchanged a glance with Retsu before slowly stepping closer.
"First time killing is hard," Yun Che said quietly from beside her. His voice was gentle—steady enough that she could anchor on it.
Cang Yue lifted her head. For a moment the world narrowed to the man before her: the one she loved, the one she had defied everything for. Tears welled, threatening to spill. "Yun Che…" she breathed.
He sat down next to her; Retsu settled on the other side. Kon, sensible for once, hopped onto Yun Che's shoulder and watched in silence. The awkward, sharp edges of the moment softened with their presence.
"I promised," Cang Yue said, voice raw, "that as a princess I would never take a life. I promised I would not become a murderer—but I just killed a man." Her hands trembled as she looked at the blade at her side.
Yun Che reached out and laid a steadying hand on her head, fingers gentle against her hair. "You did what you had to do," he murmured. "You took a life to save your own. To save your future. That's not the same as murder for pleasure."
Retsu's hand came to Cang Yue's back in a firm, calming pat. "Killing is never a light thing," she said in a voice that was both soft and uncompromising. "But this world… it doesn't always give us choices. Sometimes survival forces a hand you never wanted to play. Those men who raised you—some of them chose cruelty. They followed Cang Shuo. They came to hurt you."
Cang Yue opened her mouth, but Yun Che put a finger to her lips, silencing the protest not unkindly.
"The world spins on strength," he continued quietly. "People with power decide who lives and who dies. Mercy is a virtue—until it becomes your chain. If you spare people who mean you harm, they will return that mercy with a knife to your back. Your brother sees you as a tool for his ambition. If you submit to that life—marry Fen JueCheng—he will use you to climb. He won't hesitate to throw innocents away to get what he wants."
Retsu's gaze was level, honest. "When you walk the path of cultivation, Yue, you will see this again and again. People harden themselves so they can carry what must be carried. They do not become cruel because they want to be; they learn to live with the pain so they can keep moving forward."
She leaned closer, her voice soft but piercing. "That weight will always remain. It will sit at the bottom of your chest and sometimes it will make you stagger. But you do not bury it and pretend it is gone. You accept it and use it to become stronger—so you can protect what must be protected."
Yun Che squeezed her shoulder. "As long as your strikes are to stop someone who would kill or enslave the innocent, you hold your humanity. You didn't choose blood for the thrill—you chose life. That matters."
Cang Yue's tears finally spilled, not only from sorrow but from the fierce, painful relief of being understood. She let Yun Che's words settle in, and Retsu's steady presence anchor the tremor in her chest.
Slowly, she breathed in, then out. When she found her voice it was firmer, thinner, but stitched with resolve. "I don't want this—ever again. But I won't let him use me, either."
"Good," Retsu said, the tiniest upturn of approval on her lips. "We'll help you carry it. You don't walk this road alone."
"Stay strong, Cang Yue," Yun Che said, his voice calm yet firm. "Don't hesitate when your life's on the line. We kill only when it's absolutely necessary — when it's them or us."
His words settled like stone in the silence between them. Cang Yue's tears finally began to dry, her trembling slowing.
After a long pause, she whispered, "How do you two live with it?"
The question struck deeper than any blade. She wasn't just asking about killing — she was asking how they still smiled after it. How they carried so much blood and still laughed, still loved, still looked human.
She remembered the first time she saw Yun Che kill — that cold, decisive strike against the New Moon Palace's pride, the disciple everyone thought untouchable. No hesitation. No mercy. Then Elder Wu Nie's grandson, executed for daring to harm Retsu. Each kill was swift, deliberate, and unshaken. And Retsu — she could still recall the explosion that wiped out an entire squad of disciples in one terrible, beautiful burst of light.
Cang Yue had admired their strength once. Now she wondered how they bore its weight.
Retsu met Yun Che's eyes, giving a small nod for him to speak first.
"We didn't have a choice," he began quietly. "Back in our world, killing wasn't glory — it was survival. The moment we picked up our blades, we accepted that blood would follow."
He looked at her with a gentleness that cut through the harsh truth. "The first time was hard. We hated it. We told ourselves we'd never do it again. But the world doesn't care about your promises — it only tests if you're willing to protect what you love."
Retsu's voice joined his, serene but laced with melancholy. "We carry more blood than you can imagine, Sister Yue. But each life we took… taught us the value of one we could still save. We don't kill for pleasure. We kill so that others may live — ourselves, our friends, our family."
Their words were heavy, yet there was warmth in them — the warmth of people who had already fallen into darkness and climbed back out together.
"To think you both came from such a dark past…" Cang Yue murmured, eyes widening.
"Yeah," Yun Che said with a faint smile. "But we didn't let it swallow us. We learned from it. We turned every scar, every regret, into strength. When we stopped running from our pain… we found our smiles again."
He tapped her chest gently with a finger. "Don't let guilt turn into chains. Let it forge your will instead."
Cang Yue looked down at her trembling hands. "Learn from the past…" she echoed softly. The words felt right — a quiet mantra that reached deeper than her grief.
She thought of her parents, her brother, her kingdom. If she must stain her hands to protect them… then so be it. As long as those she loved lived on, her heart could endure the crimson on her blade.
Slowly, she lifted her head, her tears replaced with quiet resolve.
"Hnn," she nodded. "With you two — and Kon — around to guide me, I'll be fine."
"I'll train you," Yun Che said quietly. "Not just to fight—but to live with it. To understand it."
He paused mid-sentence.
Then, before Cang Yue could react, he reached forward and pulled her into his arms.
Her soft body pressed against his bare chest, her heartbeat trembling against his skin. The scent of her fuchsia hair brushed his cheek as he held her closer. His expression softened—tender, unguarded—and his voice dropped to a whisper.
"I'm glad you're safe."
That simple phrase shattered the last of her composure.
Cang Yue buried her face in his chest and sobbed—loud, raw, and unrestrained. All the fear, guilt, and pressure that had built within her burst forth: her burden as a princess, the constant weight of Fen JueCheng's pursuit, her father's illness, the fresh horror of taking a life for the first time. She poured everything out, clinging to him as if he were her last anchor.
Retsu moved without a word, wrapping her arms around both of them, her warmth and quiet strength completing the embrace. Between them, Cang Yue wasn't the Blue Moon Princess of the empire anymore—she was simply Cang Yue: a frightened, lonely girl seeking solace in the only people who had ever made her feel safe.
From New Moon Palace until now, Yun Che and Retsu had always been her pillars. They weren't just her companions—they were her light, her family, her safe place in a world that demanded too much.
But as she trembled between them, one thought crystallized in her heart.
She didn't want to be protected forever.
If she wanted them to always stand beside her, she had to be strong enough to stand beside them.
By the time her tears finally slowed, the trembling in her body had faded. She lifted her head, her eyes red and glistening.
"Yun Che…" Her voice was hoarse but resolute. "Whatever happens from now on—please don't leave me alone anymore."
He blinked, caught off guard.
"I don't want to be a princess," she continued, voice shaking but firm. "I don't want to marry a stranger, or be my brother's pawn. I don't care about the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament or the throne. I just want… people I can rely on. Sisters I can trust."
She hesitated, then clenched her trembling hands together and met his eyes.
"But more than that—I want you. I want you to stay with me… so I can always see you."
"Cang Yue…" Yun Che's eyes widened.
She gave a small, tearful smile. "Yue'er. Just Yue'er," she corrected softly.
It was a confession—not grand, not dramatic, but pure and heartfelt.
Yun Che felt the air leave his lungs. The warmth in her voice, the sincerity in her gaze—it stirred something deep inside him. Butterflies rose in his chest, and for a fleeting moment, the world around them blurred into stillness.
Seeing him frozen, Cang Yue pouted, cheeks burning crimson. "Muuu… I already said it. Do you want me to repeat it? It's embarrassing enough already." She hid her face against Retsu's chest, muffling her voice.
Retsu chuckled softly, brushing a hand through her hair. "Ara… looks like our little princess finally grew up."
Kon, sitting on Yun Che's shoulder, crossed his plushy arms. "Hmph! Another one falls for the bastard. Ore-sama will never gonna get a harem at this rate."
Yun Che laughed softly, shaking his head. Then, with a smile that carried both warmth and certainty, he met Cang Yue's eyes again.
"If you don't mind having me around to take care of you," he said gently, "then I'll stay—as long as you'll have me."
"Ehem…" Retsu puffed her cheeks, pouting adorably, arms crossed beneath her chest.
"Korra!!" Kon barked, slapping his plushy cheek with a stubby paw in mock outrage. "Yue Nee-san might've confessed, but that doesn't mean you get to keep her all to yourself, teme!"
"I mean us," Yun Che said dryly, sweatdropping as both of them gave him a look.
To calm the brewing storm, he leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to Retsu's cheek. The pout melted instantly into a radiant smile that could rival the setting sun.
"Much better," she said with a satisfied giggle, eyes curving into crescents.
Cang Yue couldn't help but laugh softly at their antics. For a moment, it felt like everything heavy inside her heart simply lifted. This—this warmth, this closeness—was the family she wanted. Retsu didn't mind sharing Yun Che with her; if anything, she admired Retsu's confidence and honesty.
In her heart, she whispered, If Retsu accepts me, then I'll walk beside her… as her sister, and as one of his.
Yun Che caught her quiet smile and nodded knowingly. There was no need for words between them. Both he and Retsu could see it—the light returning to her eyes.
Killing may scar the heart, he thought, but it also tempers it.
Cang Yue's gaze no longer wavered with guilt or fear. Instead, it burned with quiet resolve. She had learned what it meant to carry blood on her hands, and more importantly—why it was worth bearing that pain.
If it meant protecting them—the people who gave her strength, laughter, and love—then she would face that burden again and again. She would grow stronger, sharper, unyielding.
Retsu's eyes softened. She knew that look well—the same one Yun Che wore after his first kill, the same spark that came before someone stepped beyond innocence into conviction.
Yun Che rose, brushing the dust off his clothes. "Good. You've found your resolve, Yue'er. But strength without control is a danger to yourself and others. From now on, Retsu and I will train you personally."
Cang Yue's eyes lit up. "Really?"
He nodded. "By the time the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament begins, no one in this empire will dare look down on you again."
Retsu stood as well, resting a hand on her hip. "And anyone foolish enough to try…" Her voice took on a playful, dangerous lilt. "…will regret being born under the same sky as my sister here."
Kon raised his paw dramatically. "And I, the mighty Kon-sama, shall supervise—!"
A flick to the head from Yun Che silenced him instantly.
"Supervise my foot. You'll be cheering on the sidelines like usual," Yun Che smirked.
Kon grumbled something unintelligible, rubbing his head while Retsu and Cang Yue laughed.
As their laughter echoed through the cave, the shadows of the trial world felt distant—like a nightmare fading with the dawn.
Now, only purpose remained.
And as Yun Che's eyes hardened, he turned toward the mouth of the cave, the sunset painting his silhouette in gold.
"…First, though," he muttered, voice low and cold beneath the warmth, "I need to deal with those two bastards who thought they could hurt her."
Retsu smiled knowingly beside him. "Fufufu~ Shall I prepare the knives, Yuu-kun?"
Cang Yue didn't stop her this time—she only stood beside them, the faintest of smiles on her lips.
Whatever came next… they would face it together.