The sky was clear for a thousand miles, a vast, crystalline azure.
Although autumn had officially begun, the sun was still scorching, casting down waves of blistering heat.
Ji Lin stood atop the bell tower of St. Freya Academy, her robes fluttering in the wind as she gazed at the distant Mount Taixuan, half-hidden in the clouds.
Cangxuan and Danzhu were there now. She truly felt she didn't have the face to meet them.
At least, not anytime soon.
Ji Lin knew that Cangxuan was exceptionally observant.
A single moment of distraction, and Cangxuan might see through her facade.
Her social life would be over then, wouldn't it?
Ji Lin was starting to have some regrets. Would it have been better if they had just discovered her in that bizarre "naked with a stocking over her head" disguise?
After all, everyone was destined to be together in the end anyway.
No, wait...
A jolt of alarm shot through Ji Lin.
Why do I think that so matter-of-factly?
While she was certain that Cangxuan and Danzhu couldn't escape the Master's grasp, still... accepting it so calmly was different from accepting it after "raising a sword of rebellion against the heavens."
Ji Lin let out a soft sigh and averted her gaze.
"Hm? What's that..."
Just then, a graceful figure appeared—as pure and beautiful as the moon, as ethereal and transcendent as an immortal.
She wore a black blindfold and carried a greatsword that seemed condensed from moonlight itself as she approached with measured steps.
Her elegant yet awe-inspiring aura made even Ji Lin's heart, that of another woman, skip a beat.
But then another thought followed: since this woman had come to this world, she would surely be unable to escape the Master's demonic clutches.
The thought of such a cool, aloof swordswoman, as pristine and pure as the moon, about to be defiled by the Master, stirred a strange feeling in Ji Lin's heart.
As the woman drew closer, the elf could see her more clearly. Her attire was both ethereal and alluring.
Ancient-style robes, white stockings, and high-heeled shoes.
But... the skirt at the back, over her rear, was slightly raised, which seemed a little incongruous.
However, Ji Lin had no more attention to spare for such details. As Jingliu approached, she brought with her a palpable killing intent.
It boiled around her, so thick it was almost tangible.
Jingliu's sword shot out. There was no visible wind-up; one moment it was at her side, the next, its tip was pointed directly at Ji Lin's nose.
The icy glint of the blade was mesmerizing.
The blade's frigid sharpness felt as if it were tearing at her skin, but Ji Lin remained completely unfazed.
This was a state of mind she would have found difficult to achieve in the past.
Ji Lin was just a little curious: Wait, she's coming for me?
"...?"
"Ye Feng?" Jingliu asked softly, her voice laced with uncertainty.
"Umm..."
Ji Lin understood.
This was another girl who had been ravaged by the Master, not a newcomer.
But... why would she mistake me for the Master?
"It seems not."
While Ji Lin was still confused, Jingliu muttered this to herself.
Eh? How did she confirm that?
Could it be that she's intimately familiar with the Master's aura?
Even now, if Ye Feng were to change his appearance, Ji Lin couldn't guarantee she would be able to recognize him.
Then, she heard Jingliu murmur, "Another heart demon, then?" and the flash of the blade descended upon her.
"—?"
Ji Lin watched, wide-eyed, as the sword fell. It felt slow, yet she found herself utterly unable to dodge.
Her sword was truly like the pouring moonlight, filling the entire space.
The pressure from this single strike, like the bright moon falling from the sky, was even more immense than what she had faced from Chiyou.
"Ah Lin, dodge—"
A familiar voice suddenly cried out. It was Kiana.
The Bug appeared out of nowhere.
Just as she had shielded Mei from a Honkai Beast's attack in Nagazora, she now tried to push Ji Lin out of the way.
It was useless.
The Bug was just throwing her life away.
The sword light fell, and both of them were sent flying.
Ji Lin, holding Kiana, was blasted away like a cannonball, smashing through the wall of a school building and kicking up a massive cloud of dust and smoke.
"Hm?"
Jingliu frowned slightly, tightening her grip on the azure, ice-crystal greatsword.
There was no sensation of cutting through flesh?
Swoosh—
A nimble figure shot out from the dust cloud like a cheetah.
She was airborne, high above Jingliu, her right leg raised high, forming a nearly perfect straight line with her taut, slender body—a standard aerial split! It was one of Ye Feng's frequently used poses.
But this time, it was for battle!
"NICE KICK!!"
The raised right leg slammed down viciously. At the same time, a gigantic, white, silica-based leg emerged from a hole in the void, striking at Jingliu in tandem with Kiana's.
Seeing this, Jingliu simply raised her sword slightly to block. Kiana, the attacker, was sent flying by the impact.
The Bug landed hard on her butt, feeling like she was about to be split in two.
"...Dammit!"
She stood up, rubbing her backside.
Jingliu stood alone, greatsword in hand, aloof and silent.
She calmly faced Kiana and swung her sword again.
A thread-like strand of azure sword energy shot forward. This single sliver of energy was enough to cleave mountains and split seas, but it could not cut the Bug's waist.
Kiana was sent flying again. She scrambled up from the rubble and yelled up at Jingliu in a fit of powerless rage.
"What the hell is wrong with you, attacking people out of nowhere!"
Getting beaten up for no reason.
And slashed twice! Anyone would be pissed off.
"Oh, Bug. I told you not to raise your leg so high when you're fighting an enemy."
Ye Feng appeared.
He was squatting on a broken wall next to Kiana, poking her in the waist.
"Hiss~~ That hurts!"
The pain made Kiana suck in a sharp breath.
"Of course it hurts. If it weren't for my [Lock Health] buff, you would have died twice already."
"[Lock Health]?"
Only then did Kiana notice that her body was covered in a glossy, skin-tight suit.
The black, latex-like material was perfectly smooth, clinging to her skin and flawlessly outlining the seductive curves of her figure.
At first glance, the outfit resembled something from Undercover Female Investigator, but on closer inspection, it was more like the combat suits from Gantz: O.
Though speaking of skin-tight suits, one couldn't help but think of EVA, but Ye Feng still felt those weren't quite lewd enough.
Kiana said blankly, "...Thanks."
"Don't mention it. What's between you and me?"
"Oh, right! Where's Ah Lin?"
"Her? I moved her to a safe place. Don't worry."
With Ye Feng's reassurance, Kiana naturally felt at ease.
Then, Kiana felt something was off. She looked at Jingliu in the distance. The swordswoman was standing there with her sword, motionless, like a figurine.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Oh, it's dialogue time right now. As is tradition, she's not allowed to attack until we're finished talking."
"Huh?"
"Haven't you ever watched anime? Villains are always like this."
"Hmm... that seems to make sense."
The Bug nodded, a dazed look in her eyes.
"Alright, go on. With this suit, maybe you can actually beat her."
"Yeah!"
Hearing Ye Feng's encouragement, Kiana nodded emphatically.
A fierce battle spirit surged in her azure eyes. When she turned her head, traces of light seemed to streak from the corners of her eyes.
Kiana clenched her fists and charged toward Jingliu.
And then, Kiana was defeated again.