The sky was covered by an eerie shade of violet, casting a pall of unease over the entirety of Inazuma City.
People ran past Shao Yun in panic, fleeing toward the outskirts of the city.
Shao Yun had just left the Naganohara Fireworks Shop and made his way along Hanamizaka, eventually arriving at the commercial district of the town.
As he reached the front of the Adventurers' Guild, the scene before him brought him to a halt.
Kujou Sara stood firmly in the middle of the road, the Hamayumi bow in her left hand, and in her right—a grotesque, blood-drenched human head.
Her face looked slightly haggard, and the blood on her clothing told Shao Yun she'd just come through a fierce battle.
Yet her eyes gleamed with unwavering resolve, and her posture remained upright and unshaken, exuding the dignity and presence of a general of the Shogunate.
Shao Yun furrowed his brows and asked, puzzled, "Kujou Sara? What the hell is going on?"
Kujou Sara didn't speak. She silently tossed the severed head in her right hand toward Shao Yun.
The head arced through the air, trailing blood, and landed heavily at Shao Yun's feet.
He looked down at it—the face was smeared with so much blood it was impossible to recognize who it belonged to.
He looked back up at Kujou Sara, confusion thick in his voice.
"Why are you throwing a severed head at me?"
Without a change in expression, Kujou Sara wiped the blood from her hands, gave a small nod, and replied calmly, "This is the head of Kujou Takayuki, head of the Kujou Clan."
"Through my investigation, I've confirmed he colluded with the Fatui, deceived the Shogun, and brought turmoil to Inazuma. Therefore, I stand here—"
Shao Yun couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration rise within him at her words.
In the original story, even after Kujou Takayuki admitted to using the Fatui, Kujou Sara had still not gone so far as to kill him.
But now, she had shown no hesitation in executing him—it was truly admirable.
Shao Yun applauded her in appreciation, then stepped forward and said, "Well done. Now, step aside. I'm going to see Baal—Beelzebul."
Noticing the Vision hanging at Shao Yun's waist, Kujou Sara mistakenly believed all of this was for the sake of abolishing the Vision Hunt Decree.
"I've already eliminated the treacherous elements around the Shogun. The Vision Hunt Decree will soon be rescinded by her own will. That should be enough to satisfy you."
But Shao Yun let out a cold laugh and responded, "When did I ever say I came to abolish the Vision Hunt Decree? My one and only goal is to take the life of the Raiden Shogun!"
Everything Shao Yun had done up to this point was for the purpose of killing that wretched Archon—not for the sake of some damn decree.
A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Kujou Sara's lips. Seeing the resolute look on Shao Yun's face, she knew there was no stopping him.
She took a deep breath, steeled herself, and spread her arms, stepping into his path with unwavering resolve, shouting,
"So that's how it is... then I will not yield! Protecting the Shogun is my duty!"
Seeing that Kujou Sara was prepared to die for Beelzebul, Shao Yun sighed inwardly. He made one final attempt to reason with her.
"Don't squander the last bit of mercy I have left!"
But she remained unmoved. Slowly lowering her arms, she drew an arrow from somewhere unseen, nocked it to her bow, and said coldly, "Enough talk."
Shao Yun gripped his revolver tightly, eyes sharp and icy, standing off against Kujou Sara with her Hamayumi bow.
For a moment, time itself seemed to freeze. The battle was about to begin.
The Vision at Kujou Sara's waist flickered with violet light, instantly forming a deadly arrow of pure lightning, which shot toward Shao Yun like a bolt of thunder.
He didn't dodge.
Instead, he took the hit straight to his left shoulder.
The Electro-charged arrow seared through him, sending a wave of searing pain through his body.
Clenching his teeth, he endured it.
Gritting his teeth, he gripped the arrow embedded in his shoulder and yanked it out, a spray of blood following in its wake.
He flashed a savage grin and shouted at Kujou Sara, "You should've aimed for the heart, damn it!"
With those words, he activated his Deadeye.
Suddenly, thunder cracked in his ears and the ticking of a pocket watch filled his mind. The world before him became both sharper and slower.
He could now see the glowing weak points on Kujou Sara—her heart, abdomen, and brain.
These were the most vulnerable parts of the human body, yet he held onto the last shred of his humanity and didn't aim for the kill zones.
He raised his Micah's Revolver and aimed at her knees. His finger pulled the trigger. Two dull gunshots echoed through the air.
As a double-action revolver, it didn't require cocking the hammer—its firing speed was lightning-fast.
Two bullets slammed into Kujou Sara's knees, the force of impact instantly warping them.
Her leg muscles gave way, and her body crumpled like a puppet with its strings cut.
Blood poured from the wounds in her knees, staining the ground red.
Her face twisted in agony. Clutching her injured knees tightly, she screamed—a high, unrestrained cry of pain that echoed in the air.
Listening to her agonized wails, Shao Yun felt a wave of dizziness. His vision dimmed; a buzzing filled his head.
Then, the voice of the old man rose again in his mind.
...
「"You've lived your whole life in a cycle of evil breeding evil. You should know—goodness begets reward."」
...
Just then, a new system prompt appeared.
[You still have a chance! Turn back now!]
Shao Yun covered his ears and screamed, "Shut the hell up! There's no turning back for me now!"
He slapped himself hard across the face. A red palm print bloomed across his cheek.
The pain helped him snap back to reality a little. Quickly, he reached into his Legend of the East satchel, pulled out a healing potion, and drank it in one go. With heavy steps, he moved slowly toward the Tenshukaku.
As he passed by the fallen Kujou Sara, he looked down at her sweat-covered face, twisted in pain, and gave her a solemn warning.
"I'm giving you one last chance. Don't get in my way again."
Just as he was about to move on, he suddenly felt a tug at his pant leg, forcing him to stop.
Kujou Sara, through sheer will, endured the pain of her shattered knees, gritting her teeth as she reached out and clutched his pants with all her strength.
"If you want to see the Shogun... then you'll have to walk over my dead body!"
He slowly turned his head, seeing her lying there, stubbornly gripping his pants. Her eyes were filled with unshakable resolve.
"You really want to die?" Shao Yun's voice was cold and calm, as if he were discussing something trivial.
Though her face had gone pale from the pain, the fire in Kujou Sara's eyes only burned brighter.
Biting her lip, she cursed through gritted teeth, "You're a madman! If you want to kill the Shogun, then kill me first!"
Without expression, Shao Yun raised Micah's Revolver and pointed it at her head.
"May the Archon forgive my sins."
Kujou Sara's eyes widened. She glared at Shao Yun, her voice full of fury and despair.
"Go to hell!"
Without hesitation, Shao Yun pulled the trigger. A sharp gunshot rang out, and the world seemed to fall utterly silent.
Kujou Sara's body shuddered violently, then her grip on his pant leg loosened.
Her pupils began to fade. Disheveled strands of hair fell over her face, and the Vision at her waist lost its light.
Shao Yun silently watched the blood flow from the back of her head, trickling down through the cracks in the pavement, forming a small stream.
There was no pity or regret in his heart—only a relentless, overwhelming urge to kill.
He didn't know why, but a sudden, uncontrollable fury surged within him. With a snarl, he kicked Kujou Sara's corpse hard.
The kick carried all the rage and pain pent up inside him.
Her body rolled several times before coming to a stop at the side of the road.
Kujou Sara now lay face-up, her hair scattered across her face, hiding the once beautiful and resolute expression she had worn.
Her empty eyes stared upward at the doomsday-like violet sky.
Shao Yun let out a deep, guttural growl, filled with despair and rage. His eyes twisted with madness, as though possessed by a demon.
Then, without hesitation, he stepped forward toward the Tenshukaku once more,
His steps grew faster and faster. As he walked, he howled with all the hatred in his soul, "Beelzebul! I'm coming to kill you, damn it!"