"What should we do now?" Zhao Heng asked plainly.
"The Moon Festival," Tianlang replied with unwavering determination. "If we want to cleanse Ozrel of its corruption, the Moon Festival is the only way."
Kaelin groaned, clearly frustrated. "Didn't we just try that? You saw it too—he didn't even give you a chance before knocking us out of the sky!"
"We'll need a new strategy then," Mo Yan said thoughtfully, lowering his gaze.
Tianlang sighed. "Let's head back for now. The situation may be dire, but even then—we still need rest."
Back at the castle, Tianlang had a hearty breakfast prepared for everyone. To ease their tension, he even summoned a few servants skilled in music. As soft melodies filled the room, drowsiness began to set in despite the tension hanging in the air.
Kaelin slouched over the table, eyelids drooping. But just as she was about to drift off, she jolted back upright.
"If you're that tired, Miss Kaelin, perhaps you should rest a bit," Tianlang offered kindly.
She sighed. "Sigh… at a time like this, who can even think of sleep? Everything just keeps getting more complicated. If we can't fix this before tomorrow, we're all done for."
"You'll burn yourself out if you push too hard."
"Don't worry about me—hey, you, another coffee over here!" she called to a nearby servant, slumped and grouchy. Tianlang could only sigh.
Mo Yan, sitting nearby, turned his head toward Zixuan, who was staring intently at nothing.
"Zixuan? What's on your mind?"
She blinked, pulled from her thoughts. "Nothing… I was just thinking, if only we had a way to lure that eagle away from you, things would be a lot easier."
"That won't work," Tianlang said immediately. "Ozrel and I are bound by contract. He can sense my presence no matter where I am. Even if you somehow managed to distract him briefly, as long as I'm nearby, he'll always come back."
"So… it's a dead end again?" Kaelin groaned, slumping back into her chair.
But Zhao Heng spoke up. "Then what if… there was another you?"
"…Huh?" Everyone froze. Even Kaelin perked up, instantly alert again.
"Are you kidding, you walking tree?" she shot back. "This really the time to be cracking jokes?"
"I'm serious," Zhao Heng replied, completely unfazed. "We need a decoy. Someone—or something—that matches Tianlang in every detail. That's the only way to mislead Ozrel."
"But how would we get a decoy like that?" Zixuan asked.
"It's not that hard," Zhao Heng said calmly. "We just need a piece of Tianlang's personal clothing and… the token of the Moon Saint."
Everyone gasped.
"I know it's a lot to ask," he continued, turning to Tianlang. "But you said it yourself—Ozrel is linked to you through your bond. Nothing draws his attention more than that token."
Tianlang let out a long sigh. "You're right. As risky as it is… if it's for the people of Xuan Yue Town, I'll entrust the token to you."
He placed a hand over his chest. A gentle light glowed between his fingers, and when he opened his hand again, a crescent-shaped pendant engraved with a star shimmered in the air.
"That's it?" Kaelin gasped.
"Yes," Tianlang nodded. "This is the emblem of the Moon Saint. I'll lend it to you. Please… keep it safe."
Zhao Heng accepted it with a firm nod. "You can count on us. Now I just need a piece of your clothing."
"No problem." Tianlang chuckled, then took off his cloak on the spot. "This one—I've been wearing it for days. It should carry enough of my presence."
"Perfect," Zhao Heng nodded, then looked at Mo Yan. "Tonight, you'll wear this cloak. You and Kaelin will take the token and lead Ozrel away. Zixuan and I will accompany Tianlang to perform the Moon Festival ritual."
"Got it!" Mo Yan pounded his chest. "Leave it to me—"
But before he could finish, Kaelin snatched the token right out of Zhao Heng's hands.
Her eyes lit up with determination. "Right! With me on the job, you guys can relax! I won't let anything happen!"
Zhao Heng gave a small smile. "This is it—our final chance. We can't afford to mess this up."
"Understood!" everyone replied in unison.
Kaelin leaned toward Mo Yan and muttered, "By the way… when did he become team leader?"
Mo Yan just crossed his arms and shook his head.
—
That night, right on schedule, Mo Yan donned Tianlang's cloak. With Kaelin, they boarded their glider again and rose into the skies. Before taking off, Kaelin gave a cheeky wave to those seeing them off.
They pierced the clouds and returned to the familiar night skies. It was just as oppressive as before—dark, silent, and dense. But then, the pendant in Kaelin's hand began to glow faintly.
"Get ready," Mo Yan said, eyes narrowing. "It's coming."
With a sharp cry, Ozrel tore through the clouds once more and appeared before them. The winds surged violently, black clouds spiraling around the beast.
Mo Yan pumped the foot pedals harder, doing his best to maintain control—but the eagle chased them relentlessly.
"It's gaining on us!" Kaelin shouted.
"I'm trying! Hang on!" Mo Yan gritted his teeth and pushed harder, but their glider was already nearing its limits. "Kaelin! You handle cover!"
"Got it!"
Kaelin flicked her left wrist—her ring clicked—and a compact assault rifle appeared in her hand. She took aim and fired a burst at Ozrel.
The bullets barely grazed its feathers.
"Seriously?! That thing's got skin like a tank!" she growled.
"No worries! We're not here to kill it, remember?" Mo Yan called back. "Just buy time for the others!"
"Oh, right! In that case—pedal faster! We've got a shot at winning this!"
"Working on it! Just hold on tight!"
—
Meanwhile, high above, Zhao Heng and Zixuan had ascended in a hot air balloon with Tianlang.
Seeing the full moon rise before them, Tianlang was speechless for a moment.
"Unbelievable… You two even managed to come up with another way to fly besides those gliders."
"Never underestimate human ingenuity," Zhao Heng replied, arms folded as he stared up at the glowing moon. "Time's short. The decoy's still a decoy—we don't know how long they'll hold out."
Tianlang nodded gravely. He reached out once more toward the moon.
This time, the moonlight shone even more brilliantly than before…
—
The moonlight began pouring down upon the land, and the thick clouds slowly started to part. Back in the glider, Mo Yan and Kaelin pushed themselves to the brink.
Mo Yan's breath grew ragged.
"Hurry up already!" Kaelin shouted. "It's right behind us!"
"You try pedaling this thing then!" he snapped back.
She had no comeback for that, sulking as she glanced skyward—and then her eyes widened.
"Hey—look! The moon! It's shining again!"
Mo Yan looked up and smiled. "You're right. The clouds are breaking too… they must be succeeding!"
At that moment, Ozrel stopped.
It hovered in place, wings spread wide, its sharp eyes locking onto the moonlight. With a long, sorrowful cry, it turned its head away from them—then silently flew off into the distance.
The battle… was over.
~~------------------------
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