At that moment, while waiting at the crosswalk for the light to change,
Elysia spotted a shop selling cold drinks nearby. She quickly told Kiana she'd be right back and dashed over to grab some beverages.
Kiana tilted her head slightly, watching as Elysia hurried off toward the store not far away. Once she was out of sight, Kiana turned back, holding her shopping bag, and gazed blankly across the street.
She wasn't really looking at anything.
Just lost in thought.
The traffic light wasn't especially long, but it wasn't short either.
A minute or two passed.
Clearly not enough time for Elysia to buy drinks.
So Kiana kept waiting, standing there quietly.
Suddenly—
Right at that moment!
Her heart gave a jolt. Sharp instincts kicked in, and she snapped her gaze to the side. A speeding sports car, rushing to beat the last few seconds of the green light, roared toward the intersection with a high-pitched screech.
From far to near.
It all happened in mere seconds.
Too fast for most people to react.
Since the driver was just trying to zip through the light, and no one was crossing from the other direction, even though the engine's roar was deafening and drew annoyed glances from bystanders, it didn't cause much of a scene.
Except—
Kiana could see the driver clearly: a young guy, probably in his teens, with dyed hair—your typical reckless youth. He looked calm but with a wild edge, and his eyes, intentionally or not, were fixed on her.
So…
This was meant for her?
She felt a flicker of surprise.
But she stood frozen, as if stunned.
Not moving at all, she even tilted her head slightly.
It didn't feel like she was mocking him, but it sure looked that way.
In the blink of an eye, like a white steed flashing past a crack, the sports car suddenly swerved, pulling a sharp drift, and slammed sideways into Kiana like a wrecking ball.
Only then did people react.
Someone screamed instinctively.
Others' legs went weak.
But it was too late.
Everyone near Kiana felt the grip of death closing in—as if they could see the shadowy figures of the underworld smiling right in front of them.
The crashing sports car was like a ferocious beast.
In that instant, human life seemed incredibly fragile.
However!
Thump!
A dull impact echoed.
But all anyone saw was Kiana calmly raising her hand, effortlessly stopping the car right in front of her.
The concrete beneath her feet showed no sign of strain.
She herself hadn't budged an inch from the impact.
Instead, the force of the collision rebounded back through the car.
Not only was the driver instantly crushed and twisted beyond recognition, but the entire sports car crumpled like a tin can, warping and bending into a mangled wreck, faint smoke rising from its ruins.
For a moment, the entire intersection fell dead silent.
Survivors on this side who'd narrowly escaped death, and stunned onlookers on the other, all stared in horror at the scene.
Even those who hadn't witnessed it firsthand could easily imagine what had just happened.
"Mom…"
"Look, that big sister's a superhero!"
"…"
A child's voice perfectly captured what everyone was thinking.
With nothing but her pale, slender hand—a delicate-looking palm—Kiana had nearly smashed the sports car into scrap metal right then and there.
Even so, the car was pretty much totaled.
Kiana acted like it was no big deal, calmly withdrawing her hand.
A small, clear palm print was left embedded in the metal.
As for the driver?
That reckless young guy?
He'd been twisted up like a pretzel.
Especially since the point of impact was the front left door—right where Kiana had pressed her palm.
So, he had no time to react before the reversed force of the door caved in, shattering every bone in his body.
Even if he wasn't dead yet, he was barely breathing, just staring with lifeless eyes through the shattered window at Kiana's calm expression.
That was what Kiana saw now.
"Kiana!" Elysia came running over, abandoning the drinks she'd bought. She grabbed Kiana's hands, looking her up and down, fussing over her anxiously.
Kiana shook her head. "I'm fine."
Then, with a thoughtful glance at the wrecked car beside them, she smiled slightly and said, "Seems like someone out there still wants to see me in trouble."
To be honest, this wasn't all that surprising.
Humans always had a knack for testing their limits.
There'd always be those who thought they could beat the odds, and those willing to risk it all.
The diversity of human nature was something Kiana had long understood.
Because of that, she felt completely unfazed. Even if someone had just died because of her, she didn't feel particularly bothered—no strong emotions stirred in her.
Maybe she was a little colder than she'd thought.
But she didn't dislike this side of herself.
"Let's go!" Elysia noticed the growing crowd of onlookers pointing and whispering. She quickly took Kiana's hand and led her away from the scene.
As for calling the police or waiting for them… that didn't matter.
Someone would handle it.
They didn't need to worry about that.
"Hey… what was that girl's name?"
"I think it was… Kiana?"
"…"
"That's it, right?"
"Yeah, I'm sure I heard it right!"
"…"
Gradually, people began posting on social media, discussing and speculating more intensely.
"Kiana… isn't that the name of the Herrscher of Finality from the sky projections? No way…"
"But those were fake, right?"
"…"
"You still think that was all made up? How naive!"
"…"
Some were amazed, others in disbelief.
"White hair, blue eyes, her face, her features… she looks just like her!"
"And that pink-haired girl with her… could she be Elysia?"
"Yes, absolutely! It has to be Elysia! The Herrscher of Origin… oh my god, I have to tell my wife—I just saw Origin and Finality in person!"
"…"
Thinking about it, if it was just a resemblance, it wouldn't be a big deal.
But the key point was what had just happened—right there, in front of everyone.
Kiana had calmly reached out and stopped a speeding sports car with her bare hand.
Compared to a truck, she'd seemed as delicate as a little rabbit facing down a rhino.
But when the rhino charged, the rabbit didn't flinch. Instead, the rhino was the one left broken and bleeding.
If you hadn't seen it with your own eyes, who would ever believe something like that could happen in this world?
No doubt about it!
She had to be the real protagonist from the sky projections.
But by that same token, it also meant the Skyfall projections were probably real—every bit of them true.
The characters from those stories had appeared right beside them, and her power defied all logic.
No ordinary human could do something like that.
If she wasn't special, then who was?
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.