"Though I'm injured and can't pull off any fierce attacks right now,"
"Serval's attacks unleashed through her electric guitar should have the strength you're looking for."
"Wanna give it a try?"
Meeting Leon's sly grin, Stelle gave an awkward chuckle.
① "Well… let's give it a shot!"
② "Nah, I was just joking to lighten the mood…"
"Trying it shouldn't kill me, right?"
Old Bear muttered as he clicked option one.
The screen suddenly went black.
A crackling sound of lightning flashed through.
[You've been zapped by Leon, arcs of electricity surging across your body.]
[A mysterious, powerful force courses through your limbs.]
[Your body tingles, yet you feel invigorated, as if brimming with endless energy.]
[An unfamiliar, wild impulse drives you to do something, and so, you lock onto Cocolia's shadow…]
"Take this, you vile woman—Thunder Crescent Slash!"
A four-panel story comic popped up.
It vividly depicted Stelle leaping into the air, her blazing spear transforming into a lightning spear, then slashing down fiercely at Cocolia's shadow.
The finishing pose revealed Stelle's face, her eyes glowing with purple light, radiating an electrifying intensity.
Pretty… badass!
Many players shared the same thought.
While most were still stunned, another streamer, Ah Xian, seemed to spot some priceless treasure, her eyes glinting like a hungry wolf.
She wasn't the only one zapped by Leon.
Stelle needed to let loose, and Ah Xian was no different.
"Ahhh~~ Hubby's lightning power is electrifying! So good!!"
"Family, who gets it? I finally understand why Kamijou loves getting zapped by Misaka Mikoto~~"
"Hubby, keep zapping me~~ Don't stop! Turn me into Kamijou's Climax face!!"
"I can't take it anymore!"
"I'm touch myself tonight!!!"
[???]
[Yo? Mods, you slacker, get to work already!]
[Mods: Hunt mode activated!]
Yet, after waiting forever, no mod action came.
Forget a red card ban—no yellow card warning either.
WTF?
What's going on?
The mods were crying inside.
She spoke English, I couldn't understand a damn thing!
After consulting someone who could translate, they finally got it—but still couldn't swoop in with a 17-card combo to take her down.
Speaking Chinese directly wouldn't have been an issue…
Shen He's not that yandere, especially during a stream…
But Tomato's Shen? That's another story.
Ah Xian was certain she wouldn't get banned, so she got even bolder, directly taunting her chat.
"What's that? You guys got a problem?"
"I'm watching My Little Pony tonight, so what?"
"I'm gonna dominate mahjong with a self-draw win tonight, and it's not bothering any of you haters, so quit whining!"
Damn!
Hearing the distinctive slang of the Sichuan-Chongqing region, many viewers watching the stream were floored.
Holy crap, we come here daily for big shocks.
Almost forgot the person on camera hails from the land of fierce dragon ladies in Sichuan-Chongqing.
Sympathy for the kids living tough lives there.
Inside the mining district, Cocolia's shadow slowly dissipated.
Serval straightened up, her expression tinged with melancholy.
Stelle had just stowed her spear when she heard that woman's voice again, broken and intermittent.
"Serval… Ser… val… Serval…"
"…Why… do you… always…"
"…get… in… the way…!"
To the Landau siblings, the woman's words were just a grating cacophony of noise.
Gepard gauged the temperature and planted his shield into the ground.
"The temperature's gradually returning to normal. As Mr. Leon said, Cocolia's shadow was indeed the culprit behind this chaos."
"No matter what, this crisis should come to a smooth close."
"Mr. Leon, Miss Stelle, thank you both for your immense help once again."
Leon waved it off with a smile: "Hey, no big deal, no big deal. I'm just a 3.0-rated guy."
Huh?
3.0 rating?
Gepard wanted to scratch his head, utterly confused by the phrase.
Probably some slang from beyond the stars?
Seeing Gepard's baffled look paired with Leon's seemingly nonsensical but hilarious comment, many burst into unrestrained laughter.
Especially the Deer players.
[Soul-piercing question: A 13.0-point ADC slaughtering everything with a 3.0-rated support—does the support count as a freeloader?]
[If the support's a bro, call him a damn freeloader. If it's a girl, you better say, 'Thank you, sister!']
[Real.]
[A 3.0 sister isn't a freeloader? Why the double standard?]
[You don't get it. A sister says, 'You're amazing, big bro,' and your reaction speed and APM shoot up several tiers. Isn't that a god-tier support?]
[Damn, you're so right…]
[So where do I pick up a god-tier sister support?]
"Good thing I don't need a sister. I've got my hubby Leon—he's my god-tier support~~"
"Hubby doesn't need to do anything. Just standing there, he'd bankrupt lube companies…"
"He's Yu the Great, and I'm the flood. Waaah, hubby, come fix my catastrophic deluge!!"
[When Ah Xian opens her mouth, even the top courtesan of Qingshan's plague district would bow down.]
[Her condition's never repetitive—terrifying!]
[If Leon actually zapped her, I can't even imagine…]
Stelle smirked: "Piece of cake. At this level, I could take on ten!"
Gepard laughed heartily: "As expected of Belobog's hero."
Stelle: "You guys don't mind me stealing the kill, right?"
"No way. Without you, we'd probably still be tangled up with that shadow."
Gepard shook his head, then turned his gaze to Serval.
"You okay, sis? How're you feeling?"
"No special feelings, don't worry about me… By the way, that thing was so noisy when it faded. Stelle, did you catch what it said?"
Stelle thought for a moment and decided to be honest.
After hearing it, Serval gave a relieved smile, though it carried a mix of bitterness and loneliness.
"Even in death, you're still dead set on your path, huh, Cocolia…"
Leon's smile softened as he looked toward the distant lights dispelling the shadows.
"Everyone has a dark corner in their heart, and Cocolia…"
"She lost to herself, opening the darkest corner of her heart."
"The shadow you saw was born through the Rift when she sealed off the lower district."
"When you lose the will to fight the darkness, you gradually forget the light that once existed in your heart."
"No need to look back, Serval. Just look forward—look at the light beside you."
As Leon's low voice settled, the bitterness and loneliness on Serval's lips slowly faded.
Her gaze fell on Gepard, standing beside her, his face warm with concern.
Feels like my little brother's glowing.
Serval smiled again, radiant and bright.
"Thank you, Leon."