High above in the sky, on the shattered platform, Mo Yan and the others had already exhausted every ounce of their strength. Ozrel loomed before them, wings stretched, ready to unleash one final, devastating blow.
But then—suddenly—the pitch-black moon began to glow once more.
"Hey! Look up—the moon's lighting up again!" Kaelin shouted in astonishment, pointing skyward.
"For real?! What's going on?"
Everyone turned to look. Mo Yan's eyes widened as he locked onto a figure bathed in moonlight.
"Tianlang… It's Tianlang! He's alive!"
"Let me see—whoa! That guy actually made it!" Kaelin exclaimed in disbelief.
Ozrel paused mid-attack, slowly turning its head toward the sky. There, floating beneath the now-radiant moon, was Yue Tianlang—wielding his seven-foot scythe, his presence cold and majestic like the god of death himself. And yet, under that holy light, he shone brighter than ever, divine and untainted.
"With the cursed moon hung high and the sacred realm alight—
I, the Moon Saint, shall shine upon this world for eternity!"
Moonlight cascaded down like a waterfall, sweeping across the land. Every shadow and trace of corruption was laid bare—banished under its sacred luminance.
Ozrel's black feathers began to fade beneath the moon's glow, their darkness peeling away like dead skin. But even so, the purification was agonizing. Ozrel let out a wailing cry, wings flaring wide, and shot upward—gathering one final surge of power for a last stand.
"Oh no, it's charging a mega attack!" Kaelin panicked.
"There's no need to fear," Tianlang called out from above, voice resolute. "Leave this to me! I'll take the brunt of Ozrel's final assault!"
He dived down and landed in front of the others, scythe raised. Moonlight surged around him, forming a luminous barrier.
Ozrel's screech split the air. Then—thousands of dark feathers rained from the sky like arrows. Each one struck with a suicidal fury, determined to bring everything down with it.
The platform cracked and shattered under the onslaught. Bit by bit, the levitating altar began to crumble—until finally, it lost all lift.
"Aaaahh!" Kaelin screamed as they plunged into the abyss.
With no balance and intense pressure crashing around them, consciousness began to fade. Tianlang used the last of his strength to stabilize the descent, but the effort was futile.
A falling rock struck him, sending his body spinning midair. As he tumbled, he reached toward the blinding moon above—so close, yet impossibly far.
"So this is how it ends…? Even after all this, I'm still just a half-baked Moon Saint…"
Screeeech—!
Suddenly, a cry pierced the void.
Tianlang's eyes shot open. He wasn't falling anymore—the sky was moving beneath him. And beneath him… was a glowing, moon-colored body carrying him gently through the air.
"Ozrel!" Tianlang gasped, his voice shaking with emotion.
Looking behind, he saw Mo Yan and the others resting peacefully on Ozrel's back, unharmed and asleep.
"Your body… You've recovered?"
Ozrel gave a slow nod, its voice laced with sorrow and warmth. "Yes. Thank you, Tianlang. As thanks… let me take it from here."
With that, the great skyhawk soared upward, ferrying the party back into the night sky. Under the cleansing light of the moon, it danced across the heavens.
The dark clouds dispersed.
Moonlight returned, driving back the shadow of Lightloss Syndrome. Hope bloomed across the land. In the distance, lanterns flickered back to life in Xuan Yue Town. The Moon Festival—at last—had been completed.
——
No one knew how long had passed before Mo Yan slowly awoke.
When he opened his eyes, the full moon above was bright and resplendent. He couldn't help but stare.
"The moon… it's back?"
"Mhm. Beautiful, isn't it?" Tianlang stood beside him on the balcony, smiling.
Mo Yan blinked. "The Moon Festival… it's over?"
"Yeah. And it's all thanks to you guys." Tianlang turned to gaze at the town below, where people bathed in moonlight with peaceful, joyous expressions. "Things didn't go as planned, but… the ending turned out just fine, didn't it?"
Mo Yan nodded. "And Ozrel…?"
"He's gone. But before he left, he asked me to pass on his thanks—and his apology."
Tianlang smiled again, then added, "Oh, by the way, you're the last one to wake up. Miss Kaelin dragged Mr. Zhao Heng and Miss Zixuan off into town the moment she got up. Right now, they're probably celebrating with everyone else."
"Wait… they were awake before me?"
"Yup. I didn't mean to leave you up here catching cold, honest." Tianlang scratched his cheek sheepishly. "I'm… not really good at carrying people, and I figured you wouldn't want to be dragged down the stairs like a sack of trash."
Mo Yan laughed. "It's fine. I don't mind."
He walked over and stood beside Tianlang, leaning on the railing as they both looked out over the town. Unlike before, the glow of firelight from the streets now gently outshone even the moon itself. Yet the people didn't seem to notice—they laughed, danced, and sang in blissful celebration.
Down below, several familiar figures were waving up at them.
It was Kaelin—even from afar, Mo Yan could see how happy she looked. She had been the one most anxious about Lightloss Syndrome. The one most devastated by its consequences. And now, as everything turned toward hope, her smile was brighter than ever.
"They're back," Tianlang said with a smirk. "So? Are we going down to hear the 'victory speech?'"
Mo Yan straightened, smiling. "Yeah. Let's go."
By the time they reached the castle's front gates, Kaelin had already burst through.
"Yo! Mo Yan, you're up!"
"Looks like someone's in a good mood," Mo Yan teased with a grin.
"Duh! We saved an entire town! Sure, Tianlang did the heavy lifting at the end, but hey—seeing everyone back to normal makes it all worth it."
Zixuan chuckled. "It really is a satisfying outcome. Though… not everyone's thrilled."
She gave Kaelin a side glance. "Someone here nearly started a riot in the alleyways because of what people were wishing for."
Zhao Heng nodded. "Yup. If we hadn't stopped her, Kaelin probably would've pulled a gun on someone."
"…What?" Mo Yan and Tianlang blinked.
Kaelin huffed. "Okay, but you heard what those people were wishing for! The undertaker down East Alley wished for more people to die so his business would boom! His neighbor's son hoped the inn next door would go bankrupt! And some random guy wished to wake up in a bathtub full of gold! Seriously?! What kind of wishes are those?!"
She rattled off a list of greedy, selfish desires. Most involved someone else's ruin for personal gain.
Mo Yan was stunned speechless.
"Miss Kaelin, please calm down," Tianlang said with a helpless smile. "No matter where you go, people like that exist. Try not to let it get to you."
Kaelin sighed. "Yeah, yeah… I guess I am happy. But hearing those wishes left a bad taste."
Just then, Tianlang clutched his head, his expression suddenly pained.
"Tianlang?" Mo Yan stepped forward.
"I'm fine… just a little dizzy. Strange, I don't usually feel like th—"
Before he could finish, he collapsed.
"Tianlang!" The group rushed to his side in alarm.
Servants quickly arrived and carried him into his quarters. The four of them waited anxiously outside until a maid finally emerged.
"Well? Is he alright?" Kaelin asked anxiously.
"Don't worry," the maid smiled. "Lord Tianlang just overexerted himself. With a few days of rest, he'll be perfectly fine."
Relieved, the group finally relaxed.
"Jeez, he scared the life outta us," Kaelin muttered, arms crossed.
The maid added with a bow, "Lord Tianlang also asked me to thank you all again—for everything you've done for Xuan Yue. He said you should rest well, now that it's over."
"Rest, huh? Sounds like a plan." Kaelin yawned and stretched. "We've been going nonstop for three days. This time I'm sleeping three days straight, no interruptions! If anyone wakes me up before I do it naturally, I swear—!"
(May moonlight guide your path, and shield you from sorrow.)
(Contract Mission — Chapter One: Moonlight Arc — Complete.)
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