Before it could recover, the Crimson Dragon had already coiled around it like a serpent. Then its massive head plunged down, jaws wide open!
As its head descended, the dragon's body tightened swiftly.
In an instant, scorching flames devoured everything. Suspended in the air, Anomaly was engulfed in fire, as if trapped within a massive crimson flower bud.
The blaze roared, but Zane didn't stop. With a flick of his hand, a colossal ice sword, over a hundred meters long, began forming in the sky.
Behind him, two small black orbs emerged from the void, silently hovering.
Not far away, the injured scholar—still unable to stand—witnessed the scene unfold. His eyes filled first with shock... and then with obsession.
Such untouchable power. So awe-inspiring. So beautiful...
"Strike!"
Zane gave the command. The massive blade descended, slicing smoothly through the flaming bud before crashing thunderously to the ground.
The impact echoed across the battlefield. But Zane only raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on the blaze, peering through the flames at Anomaly within.
Its figure flickered wildly, like a glitched screen—disappearing, reappearing, unstable. Neither the fire nor the sword had inflicted any real damage.
Zane's brow twitched slightly.
Spatial energy... how troublesome.
Just as he considered studying the technique more closely, a voice rang out from across the field—it was the scholar again.
"You call my words laughable? And what about you?!"
"All this talk of respecting life—what difference does it make? Just empty ideals dressed up pretty..."
The scholar spat the words with contempt, struggling to his feet. His face was flushed, contorted from pain, his monocle long gone.
"Fire Picker! You have such power—why waste it on meaningless restraint? Join us! Wouldn't it be far more satisfying to do something grand?"
He forced an ugly smile.
"If you work with us, fewer people would die. We could save humanity—doesn't that align with your goals?"
"You get what you want. I get what I need."
"You talk big—so go on! Put your life where your mouth is. Make that sacrifice for those innocent people you claim to care about!"
There was temptation in his voice, a mix of persuasion and manipulation. But Zane didn't budge. He kept his eyes on him—he'd already sensed a ripple of power from afar.
It didn't matter.
Whoever came, he'd kill them all.
He chuckled coldly, his crystal-blue eyes unshaken.
"You think I'm just parroting hollow ideals? Tch... It's actually pretty simple."
"You treat human life like garbage—so why should I believe you'd ever use this power to save anyone?"
His voice was sharp and firm. It was a basic truth: having power and choosing to use it for good were worlds apart.
Zane stared him down and didn't hold back.
"You people can't even control yourselves. And I don't dare imagine how many more like you are out there."
"You're rotten to the core."
He shook his head, voice calm but edged with disdain.
"Rather than saving humanity, you're more likely to plunge New Eridu into deeper chaos the moment you gain real power."
"Having the power to save lives—and actually choosing to do it—are not the same."
"You're just parasites, cloaking yourselves in pretty words."
A glint of amusement passed through Zane's eyes as his anger faded. He let out a quiet laugh and continued.
"Let me explain to you what it really means to respect life…"
"Life is fragile, fleeting—like a blossom that lasts but a moment."
"But it can't be discarded just as carelessly."
"There are those who pick petals. Others who snap stems. Some who crush the buds before they bloom. And some—some wait, nurture, let the flower blossom before they pick it."
"But you? You people? You rip the flower up by the roots, run harvesters over the fields—and then tell me you're trying to save withered blooms?"
The scholar's mouth opened—but no words came out. He couldn't argue. Couldn't refute it. Even the pain of his wounds faded in the face of the frustration welling inside him.
How could someone be this powerful and this sharp-tongued? How could an Ethereal think this clearly?
Zane wasn't surprised. He knew his way with words. To this day, no one had bested him in combat or debate.
Well... except Qingyi.
"You're just a pure idiot."
Zane suddenly smirked and dropped the favorite catchphrase of a certain TV reporter, his eyes landing back on the scholar.
This whole exchange felt absurd—especially that he'd even bothered to talk this much. Like two kids trading insults.
Still... he had to admit—it felt good. Deeply satisfying.
"You—!"
Infuriated by the insult, the scholar fumed, but couldn't come up with a retort. That kind of vocabulary simply wasn't in his lexicon.
"I just wanted to figure a few things out. Stay out of the mess. Clean up what needed cleaning. Enjoy a moment of quiet... that's all."
"But now—I've changed my mind."
Zane turned and looked up at Anomaly, still dodging within the flames, unable to escape the reinforced spatial barrier.
It looked like a prisoner enduring a slow, merciless torment.
Zane's voice continued—but this time, it wasn't for the scholar. It was for himself.
He was solidifying his resolve.
"Heh... trying to stay uninvolved... I guess I really can't do that."
"Especially not while people like you still exist."
He laughed softly, helplessly.
Over time, he'd come to understand one thing—emotions weren't something he could keep in check.
Trying to be a solitary drifter untouched by anything?
Too damn hard.
Panta alone had already proven that was a lost cause.
And with so many people around worth trusting, worth protecting...
"Work with you? Save the world with a bunch of beasts? Fairy has a better chance paying her electric bill than that plan working. Can't believe you even said that out loud…"
"Putting the future in your hands doesn't even qualify as a bad option. I'd sooner trust cats to save the world."
Zane lifted his head. His eyes gleamed.
All around him, strange ripples began to rise, warping the air like it was being scorched by invisible flames.
"Great power... often comes with greater responsibility."
"I think I'm starting to understand that now."