"It...it's over..."
Watching the small knife deeply embedded in the throat of the Apprentice Death God, Meng Nan collapsed onto the ground, her bloodshot eyes filled with the look of someone who had narrowly escaped death.
She lifted her head joyfully, wanting to say something to Yun You, but saw the girl loosen her hand, which had turned purple from gripping the dagger too tightly. Staggering, she let out a "wah" and coughed up a mouthful of dark blood.
"You..."
Meng Nan was stunned.
Immediately, she noticed the horrific wound on the girl's waist and saw the white bandage soaked in blood.
Meng Nan dared not imagine how painful that must be... If such a wound were on her, she probably would have passed out from the pain.
Yet this little girl withstood the excruciating pain and did not utter a sound from start to finish.
Meng Nan couldn't fathom why Yun You was so resilient, but she could feel the girl's fury and hatred when she struck...
It was a cold hatred hidden beneath a smile, burning fiercely in those blood-red eyes...
For some reason, Meng Nan suddenly felt a surge of curiosity and sympathy, wondering what had happened to Yun You that turned this girl, who should have been enjoying her childhood in the arms of her parents, into her current manic state.
Though she knew she wasn't as strong as Yun You, perhaps out of the motherly instinct of a middle-aged woman, she cautiously asked, "Are you alright... miss?"
"..."
Yun You was silent for a moment, then gently shook her head.
"It's nothing, it's not a big deal."
She was plainly talking nonsense; even Yun You found herself scoffing at her own words.
Having taken a desperate blow to the waist from the Apprentice Death God as he died, nearly shattering her liver—how could she be alright?
She simply didn't want to lose, didn't want to admit defeat, that's all.
As for why she was holding on now, it was naturally because she didn't want to show weakness in front of Meng Nan and the long-haired child, fearing they might harbor ill intentions.
She didn't wish to doubt others, but in Nest City—a place filled with lies and violence—trust is always a luxury.
"Pfft."
Yun You, clutching her waist, silently withdrew the steel pipe embedded in the forehead of the Apprentice Death God, looking toward the distant suit-wearing robot.
She knew this was the robot's final stand.
An entity from the Death Domain, whose existence was dedicated to killing, ultimately chose to help humans and kill the "hero" trying to conquer the Death Domain—a rather ironic twist.
But Yun You never cared about such "status" things; if someone helped her, she would thank them in person, even if they weren't human...
It was just a pity that she no longer had the chance to thank him in person.
The robot's body had long turned to ash, leaving only a dim white crystal lying quietly in the ash, emitting a pure white faint glow.
"Anyway, thank you..."
Yun You thanked him in her heart, then grasped the small knife in the Apprentice Death God's neck, applying light pressure—
"Clang~"
The small knife suddenly broke.
Its blade tip was stuck in the throat of the Apprentice Death God, while the handle fell into Yun You's hand.
Since she hadn't stood steadily when pulling the knife, at the moment the blade tip broke, Yun You was pulled backward by her own strength.
Seeing this, Meng Nan instinctively reached out, trying to catch the girl, but the long-haired child stepped forward first, staggering as he supported Yun You.
At that moment, the girl could also see his appearance clearly.
The child was quite delicate-looking, with long black hair fluttering in the wind, appearing quite smooth, though the roots were slightly white—whether dyed or natural, it wasn't clear...
His eyes were exceptionally rare white, without highlights or any emotional fluctuations, calm as water, even a bit unnaturally so.
As for his other features, they were also quite attractive, looking like an innocent young girl.
No, to be precise, she was a girl just over her teens because Yun You accidentally saw a vaccination mark on her arm—a vaccine used to prevent congenital heart disease, a condition that only affects underage girls.
Yun You intended to observe the girl further, but she quickly noticed something amiss...
For some reason, the white-eyed girl's hand was frighteningly cold; Yun You felt as if she were leaning against a block of ice.
The piercing cold jolted her heart, making her stand upright immediately, instinctively distancing herself from the girl...
How could a person's body temperature be this cold?
Yun You couldn't understand.
Nevertheless, out of courtesy, she still whispered a "thank you."
"No...thanks..."
The girl slowly shook her head, her every move a step behind everyone else, looking silly and not very smart...
Watching her, Yun You realized she probably wouldn't get any answers from her.
So, the girl could only silently shake her head and look once more at the Mad Spirit beneath her feet.
Frankly, the supernatural life force of the Apprentice Death God never ceased to amaze.
Even after a grenade explosion, having his neck pierced, and a hole opened in his temple, the Mad Spirit, who wasn't even a full-fledged "intern" Apprentice Death God, still hadn't completely died.
His blood was pouring out, like a fountain, soaking his beautiful black robe.
At this moment, he neither begged for mercy nor tried to get someone to spare or save him.
His ingrained arrogance kept him defiantly insolent even in his final moments.
"Heh heh... A bunch of lowlifes... daring to do this... to me..."
"Cough... Have you... ever thought... of the consequences...?"
Upon hearing the word "consequences," Meng Nan's face changed, and her previously joyful smile froze.
She knew exactly what consequences the Mad Spirit was referring to.
[Nest City Decree No. 5: No civilian may, for any reason or excuse, take action against an Apprentice Death God, damage an Apprentice Death God's interests, or destroy an Apprentice Death God's property.]
[Any violation of the above regulations will result in the Nest Capital Special Police Team and the Apprentice Death God Organization arresting the offenders according to law. The handling of the case will be at the full discretion of the Apprentice Death God Organization, with no upper limit on punishment, and any means used during the arrest will be considered—legal.]
Just the phrase "no upper limit on punishment" was enough to show the weight of the word "consequences."
Once, there was a notorious underground gang in the lower levels of Nest City called the [Ghost Gang].
Their members were spread across several streets, and they even had military-level hot weapons, making them a regional hegemon. Even the police station in the Bottom District didn't want to offend them.
But later, this gang was completely eradicated just for accidentally damaging an Apprentice Death God's car.
All the members were slaughtered, even the chickens kept by the gang and the rats in the sewers were exterminated.
Such is the fate of mortals daring to "kill a god."