"My, how sharp-tongued you are. We've only just met, and already you're being so hostile. I'm deeply hurt," Kurumi said, placing a hand over her chest and feigning a wounded expression.
Tianqi Sanluo's face remained expressionless. Inside her, there was nothing but anger and hatred. The traits and instincts from her former life as a man had almost completely faded away.
"If you keep this up, there'll be nothing for us to talk about."
Seeing that, Tokisaki Kurumi compared their difference in power and could only reluctantly restore her usual smile, pretending nothing had happened.
"Well then, if I may speak frankly, Miss Genie (Shura)…"
As Kurumi spoke, Tianqi Sanluo could clearly sense something stirring in the surroundings.
"I've come to ask for a favor, that's all."
"A favor, huh? And what do you plan to offer in return?"
Having already sensed the trickery in Kurumi's actions, Tianqi Sanluo naturally didn't believe a word she said. Still, for the sake of playing along, she replied with a cold expression.
"Then I'll start with my request. Miss Genie (Shura), I want to borrow your spiritual energy."
"Spiritual energy? How much do you intend to borrow?"
The moment Kurumi said the word borrow, Tianqi Sanluo already understood what she was after.
"All of it—however much you have, I want it all."
Kurumi kept her smile, but Tianqi Sanluo felt the sense of danger around them intensifying.
"Ah, in that case, you could have just said so—"
Before finishing her sentence, Tianqi Sanluo swung Burning Immortal Flame. In an instant, flames of over a thousand degrees surrounded the two of them, incinerating every Kurumi clone peeking from the shadows into charcoal.
"You wanted my life."
"Ah la~ ah la~, looks like we have nothing left to discuss."
A murderous gleam flashed across the clock-like eye of Tokisaki Kurumi.
"Bring out your real body. These clones are boring."
Judging from the faint level of spiritual energy coming from the one in front of her, Tianqi Sanluo estimated there must be at least a hundred Kurumi clones scattered about. She had no interest in wasting her precious manifestation time dealing with mere copies.
"Miss Genie (Shura), I have no intention of throwing my life away."
Kurumi drew from beneath her skirt two flintlock pistols—one long, one short—and aimed them at Tianqi Sanluo.
"So what then? Planning to hide like a turtle and waste my time?"
Tianqi Sanluo casually slashed, splitting her opponent in half again. As a new Kurumi emerged from the ground's shadows, Sanluo raised her blade once more.
"All right, all right—"
Before Kurumi could even finish her sentence, she was cleaved apart again. The scene was grotesquely bloody.
"Then, let's compromise. I'd like to make friends with you, Miss Genie (Shura). Is that acceptable?"
"There's a problem. What will you pay for it?"
Tianqi Sanluo sliced the newly appeared clone cleanly at the waist.
"I can teach Miss Genie (Shura) how to manifest without causing a spatial quake, and—"
Another slash. Apparently, Tianqi Sanluo wasn't fully convinced yet.
"—and I can tell you everything I know about Spirits."
Finally, Tianqi Sanluo's Burning Immortal Flame stopped just short of Kurumi's forehead—mere inches away from cutting her down.
"Everything you know?"
"Yes. Everything."
Kurumi exhaled quietly in relief. Though she wasn't overly afraid of being instantly killed, she was worried about wasting too much of her spiritual energy.
Creating clones consumed spirit power, and for the sake of her great wish, Kurumi couldn't afford to waste any.
She was fully aware she wasn't Genie (Shura)'s match. The only reason she had risked provoking her this far was to buy a chance to negotiate.
As Lu Xun once said:
> "The temperament of the Chinese people always tends toward compromise.
For instance, if you say, 'This room is too dark; let's open a window here,'
no one will agree.
But if you insist on tearing off the roof, they'll compromise—and agree to open a window."
This principle didn't just apply to China—it applied everywhere in the world.
(Though Tokisaki Kurumi probably had no idea who Lu Xun even was.)
"Very well—deal."
After roughly comparing the spiritual energy within Kurumi's clone to her own, Tianqi Sanluo concluded that even if Kurumi's main body appeared, she would still be no match. The overwhelming power difference made her confident Kurumi couldn't pull any tricks.
Even so, Tianqi Sanluo didn't lower her weapon. She only dispelled the ring of fire surrounding them, keeping Burning Immortal Flame firmly in hand.
She hadn't known much about Tokisaki Kurumi before, but judging from her behavior just now, this woman's personality was thoroughly malicious—definitely not to be trusted.
Besides, since Kurumi could dive into the shadows at will, the initiative was entirely on her side. If she were to suddenly fire from hiding...
"You're not even putting your Angel away? I'm beginning to doubt Miss Genie (Shura)'s sincerity."
"Cut the crap. With you, I don't need sincerity."
If not for the valuable intel about Spirits, Tianqi Sanluo wouldn't have bothered arguing—she would've just cut her down on the spot.
"Is that so?"
Kurumi gripped both pistols tightly, aiming directly at Tianqi Sanluo.
It was clear—she didn't trust her either.
And so, the two stood in a tense standoff.
Meanwhile, the AST members—originally deployed to suppress Genie (Shura)—had gathered nearby to investigate the situation.
They hadn't seen Genie (Shura) earlier, but now explosions and flames had erupted from the flattened city. After reporting to their superiors and discussing the risks, they cautiously approached with weapons ready—to see what was going on.
What they saw left them stunned.
At the very center of the spatial quake, Genie (Shura) and Nightmare (Kurumi Tokisaki) stood facing each other, weapons drawn, seemingly moments away from fighting.
At that moment, not only the on-site AST units, but even the upper command watching through drone feeds were horrified.
"Genie (Shura) and Nightmare? They're both here?"
The high-ranking officers could at least maintain composure and attempt to analyze the situation—but the front-line AST members were on the verge of panic.
Two Spirits—each notorious for their cruelty and bloodlust—appearing together in the same place? That kind of "luck" was worth buying a lottery ticket for... and then using the winnings to order a coffin and a professional funeral team.
Fortunately, the two Spirits appeared to be enemies. For the time being, the AST units were safe.
In fact, they began to think—if the Spirits fought each other to exhaustion, they could step in afterward and clean up.
Two birds with one stone.
With that naive thought, the AST assumed the role of spectators, preparing to "watch the tigers fight from the mountain."
The problem was—they weren't fishermen. They weren't even birds or clams. They were insects—too weak to even qualify for the metaphor.
"Ah la~ ah la~, it seems we've got some uninvited guests."
Kurumi didn't even need to point it out. Tianqi Sanluo's perception was far sharper—she had noticed the AST long ago.
And rather amusingly, they were actually trying to watch her and Kurumi fight.
"Fools who don't know their own limits."
Tianqi Sanluo and Kurumi exchanged a glance—and in that instant, they both understood.
Just as the AST found a good vantage point, ready to enjoy the show, the two wicked Spirits suddenly turned their weapons toward them.
A blazing arc of flame seared past their heads, and in the next second, both Spirits launched their assault.
The AST members instantly realized how dire the situation was and scrambled to retreat—
But neither Tianqi Sanluo nor Tokisaki Kurumi intended to let them escape.
"We…!"
With Kurumi's shout, countless clones identical to her appeared among the AST troops, cutting off their retreat.
In truth, even without Kurumi, Tianqi Sanluo alone could have annihilated them.
But she was curious—whether this self-proclaimed "friend" of hers, Nightmare (Kurumi Tokisaki), was actually useless or if she truly had value as an ally.
Perhaps out of caution toward Tianqi Sanluo, Kurumi's true body never joined the fray; only her clones fought. Even so, by sheer numbers alone, they inflicted considerable casualties.
"How very cautious of you."
"I can't help it. Facing Miss Genie (Shura), I dare not let my guard down."
In the end, under the combined onslaught of Tianqi Sanluo and Tokisaki Kurumi, the AST was wiped out once again.
Returning to the center of the spatial quake, Tianqi Sanluo glanced at the sky—time was running short.
"Time's limited. Let's exchange information here and now."