The night wind blows, cold and dry, carrying the increasingly strong fishy smell of blood.
The muscular man stands bowed there, amid the Hilichurl corpses. His face is hidden, obscured by his dull, disheveled hair. His broad shoulders tremble.
The sun has fully set on the western horizon, swallowing the last remnants of light. Pitch darkness fills the place.
At that moment, you—frozen in silence, still feeling the lingering pain in your neck—hear the sound.
In the distance, just meters from you, the muscular man roars.
"GRAAAAAAAH!"
The sound is not human. It's the roar of a gravely wounded beast. A sound filled with chest-tearing grief and boundless rage.
The newly risen full moon illuminates his face as he looks up.
You see that face. A face wet with tears. Tears streaming down, soaking his rough cheeks. And then, instantly, his entire body becomes shrouded in terrifying energy. The same purple aura you last saw plunging into the open ocean from a suddenly torn sky now explodes from within him. The aura appears thick, swirling like living poisonous smoke.
His muscles swell, veins bulging and glowing purple beneath his skin.
It makes the hairs on your neck stand on end. "Wait!" you try to speak, raising your trembling hand. "I can explain! The sword moved on its own!"
But unfortunately your voice is drowned out.
He only growls low—a rumbling snarl that vibrates in your breastbone. The terrifying energy enveloping him grows denser and stronger, condensing into armor of hatred.
Even being near him, you feel his deepest emotions flooding you. Not through the sword, but through soul resonance. Pure rage. The desire to destroy everything. To destroy you. To destroy the sword. To destroy the moon bearing witness.
But strangely, because of the pain you're enduring now—the pain of a severed neck, a bisected body—you withstand the mental pressure. Your physical agony becomes an anchor holding your sanity.
You hurriedly turn. Your survival instinct screams. RUN! You force your unsteady legs to move.
You know you won't survive this man this time!
He's clearly far stronger and more terrifying than the thug you met in the alley before. He's no longer human. He's the essence of vengeance, hatred, and rage in this world. One punch from him could kill you outright, shattering your skull like an egg.
Of course the thought of striking first crosses your mind. Kill him before he kills you.
But you don't know what the sword would do then. You don't want to kill a human! Killing monsters is one thing. But killing a human? The muscular man, though a bastard, is still human.
You don't want to become a murderer!
The muscular man begins moving slowly. He doesn't run. He walks toward you steadily, each step heavy, leaving scorched prints in the sand.
You, struggling to run with all your strength, stumbling in the sand, glance back and feel terror grip you.
Behind that purple aura, you see his eyes. Eyes empty. No pupils, only glowing purple light.
You look away and force your legs faster despite the excruciating pain, as if walking on nails.
The muscular man gradually quickens his pace. From walking to jogging. Faster and faster. Like a runaway train.
Then he launches himself. Whoosh! He leaps!
The leap is inhuman, covering dozens of meters in an instant.
The next second, you feel scorching heat at your back. He lands right behind you!
At that moment, as he raises his purple-shrouded fist, about to strike your head and end it… Clang! The massive sword hovering around you, The Blade of Insatiable Ego, shoots forward. It protects you!
The sword blocks the Boss's fist with its flat side. The impact creates a shockwave. The man is flung slightly backward, landing braced, feet dragging through sand. Then he charges again. Roaring like a beast.
The greatsword and the man clash. The sword slashes, striking his legs and arms. Spraying blood into the sand several times. But only grazing him.
The Boss's skin is as hard as coral!
And he seems to care nothing for pain.
The man, on the other hand, fights like a madman. He punches the blade, parries it, kicks it. Battering the massive sword as if it's a plastic toy. Each blow grows stronger and stronger. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of fists striking metal rings like death knells.
He batters it several times, sending the sword spinning wildly in the air, losing balance.
At that moment, the atmosphere suddenly shifts—he pauses. He envelops his fist in surrounding energy. He draws in all the purple aura, compressing it into his hand until it blazes blindingly.
Then he unleashes the punch on the sword. BOOM! A direct hit!
The sword is flung far. Tumbling uncontrollably through the air, then stabbing into the sandy ground dozens of meters from you.
You're shocked. Eyes wide. But you quickly understand. The sword has been driven away!
Your protector has lost. Now it's just you and the muscular man!
You run again, pure panic overtaking you. But the instant you glance back to check his position, the muscular man is already right in front of you. His face mere inches from yours.
You're terrified. Your legs give out. You step back, tripping over your own feet, and fall flat on your back in the sand.
The muscular man stares down coldly. His eyes shrouded in purple flame, no longer human. Only hatred staring back.
Then he assumes a striking stance. He draws his right hand back, gathering remaining strength for one final blow to shatter your face.
You close your eyes. Awaiting death.
At that moment, as his punch launches, only a millimeter from your nose… Stab! His movement stops abruptly. His body jerks rigid. Suddenly shoved forward slightly, as if hit by an invisible truck.
The man's eyes widen, purple light flickering. He slowly looks down. And in his chest, piercing from back to front, is a familiar sword tip.
A massive black sword. Stabbing him from behind.
It's The Blade of Insatiable Ego!
The sword has returned. Silently. And seized the moment his guard was down!
The sword twists slightly in the wound, ensuring maximum damage. Then, with a rough motion, it withdraws. Schlick! Blood gushes from the hole in the Boss's chest.
The stabbed Boss staggers back. He clutches his gaping chest. He coughs, vomiting thick black blood. The purple energy and aura shrouding him instantly vanish, fading like smoke in wind. His body shrinks, returning to that of an ordinary dying human.
He collapses to his knees, then topples sideways. His breathing ragged, gurgling. With his remaining strength, he turns to you. With dying eyes—eyes slowly losing light yet retaining hatred—he stares.
His lips slowly form words, spoken softly but as deep as darkness, even seeming to transcend death.
"I…" he whispers, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "…will curse you… from within the Abyss!"
Instantly, he closes his eyes. And silence returns. Only the sound of waves and your ragged breathing remain.
You stare at the rigid body. You feel pain in your own chest—an echo of the stab that killed him. But this time, the pain is overshadowed by overwhelming emptiness.
…
Behind thorny wild bushes. There, two Millelith guards, Chen and Wu, hide. Their bodies rigid, breaths caught in dry throats.
Wind blows gently, rustling leaves concealing their pale faces.
They've witnessed everything. From beginning to end. From the deadly dance of the black sword to the brutal death of the muscular man.
They open their mouths, wanting to scream or perhaps just make a sound to confirm they're still alive, but no words emerge. Their tongues numb, frozen by unimaginable terror.
Chen stares at where the young merchant stood. His eyes wide, pupils trembling.
A merchant… his mind screams. He said he was a trinket merchant? In Rex Lapis's name, what kind of merchant controls a flying sword and slaughters monsters like that?
They never expected the merchant to be so powerful! That strength surpasses any Millelith training. It's power usually held only by Vision bearers—or perhaps… something darker.
Then their gazes shift to the muscular man. His corpse lies there, on sand now dark red-black.
They clearly considered the muscular man dangerous while alive—especially shrouded in purple aura. That danger felt suffocating, a threat level usually requiring Adeptus or Qixing intervention.
The energy he emitted made the air heavy and toxic!
But now the threat is over. The man is dead. The gaping hole in his chest is undeniable proof.
Sergeant Wu swallows. His hand grips his spear tightly, knuckles white.
They, as Liyue law enforcers, should step out. They should arrest the merchant. Charge him with murder—even if the victim was a threat, he still killed a human.
But seeing the muscular man's fate, seeing how the black sword moved so fast unnoticed, shrinks their courage. Imagining the sword turning on them, piercing their bodies like paper, chills them to the bone.
They look at each other. In the darkness, their eyes meet. Wordless communication forms.
Sergeant Wu nods slightly. Chen returns the nod.
In silent agreement born of survival instinct, they decide to stay quiet.
Pretend we saw nothing, Wu thinks. Pretend we arrived too late. Anyway, the merchant killed him in self-defense. Otherwise he'd be dead. It was monster against monster.
After that silent confirmation, they peek again. Watching the merchant slowly leave the scene. They see him pause briefly, bowing his head before the small Hilichurl's corpse. Making a hand gesture… a prayer? Or perhaps an apology?
The remnant humanity in the slaughterer confuses them further.
Realizing the man is no longer visible, swallowed by darkness, they finally dare emerge.
They walk cautiously, spears raised, toward the massacre site.
The fishy blood smell pierces their noses. The scent of fresh death.
They examine the Hilichurl corpses one by one. Clean cuts, precise wounds.
Inspecting the Hilichurl bodies takes time. Chen lights his oil lantern. Dim yellow light illuminates the horrific scene, casting long dancing shadows on the sand.
Then they stop. Their steps halt before the muscular man's corpse.
They feel horror. Greater horror than at the Hilichurls.
Though they've seen human death countless times over years as Millelith—bandit victims, mining accidents, monster attacks—they never grow used to humans losing life this way.
The man's eyes remain open, staring blankly at the night sky. His expression frozen in eternal hatred. Black blood pools beneath his back.
"I think we need to report that man to the Captain," Chen whispers, voice trembling. "The merchant… he's no ordinary person. Liyue must know someone with that power is roaming free."
Sergeant Wu nods grimly. "He's extremely dangerous. That sword… clearly not powered by a Vision. It's definitely dark magic!"
"I agree. Let's go."
They turn. Intent on leaving this bloody beach as quickly as possible. Returning to guard post safety, to city lamp light.
At that moment, as their backs just turn from the corpse… Hummm… A low humming sound fills the air. Like static electricity charging the atmosphere.
Instantly, light suddenly shines. Not from Chen's lantern. But from behind them. The light comes from within the wound in the tattooed man's chest. From the hole where his heart should be.
The light shines brightly, blinding, slowly enveloping the rigid body. Deep purple light.
It's the Abyss!
The purple light stretches their shadows long across the sand. They startle slightly, feeling sudden cold prickling their napes. They quickly turn, spears ready.
But instantly, what they see weakens their knees.
Before them, the corpse moves. The Boss's body slowly rises from the ground, pulled by invisible force. Legs straight, arms limp at sides. Head tilted upward, as if pulled by hair.
Purple glow covers his entire body, pulsing like veins filled with poison. The chest wound closes under the light, knitting torn flesh.
Then the Boss's eyelids open. Creak. No white sclera. No black pupils. Only bright purple glow, like two portals to another dimension.
They immediately brace, stepping back.
The Boss drops back to the ground. Not falling like a corpse, but landing. Toes gently touching sand, supporting his weight lightly. He stands upright. Taller, larger, more menacing than before.
Then he lowers his head, staring at the two Millelith with empty yet malevolently aware eyes.
Seeing this, they shudder. Terror instantly grips their hearts!
Why is he still alive?
Is he immortal?
Is he undead?
They want to turn and flee. Run as fast as possible. Run until their lungs burst.
They clearly know they'd never win against this monster! Millelith spears would be useless against a creature rising from death!
But their legs won't move. They're rooted by that purple gaze.
The Boss slowly raises his hand. Palm open toward them.
Instantly, both feel drained. Knees buckle. Weapons fall from powerless hands. Clang. Clang. It feels as if their life is sucked out. Their strength, warmth, souls… drawn through skin pores, flowing into the Boss's palm.
Their vision blurs. The world darkens. Then they collapse into sand. Paralyzed. Still conscious, but helpless. Like puppets with cut strings.
The Boss stares at them. No mercy on his face. Only cold satisfaction. He walks closer. Steps heavy, sand crunching beneath.
He bends, grabbing their collars one in each hand. He lifts them easily, dragging them like rice sacks. Then he turns toward the sea. Toward rolling dark waves. Toward where he was reborn.
Then he walks that way. Dragging the two Millelith toward a fate worse than death. Into the water. Deeper and deeper. Until finally, ocean darkness swallows them all, leaving the silent, bloody beach beneath cold moonlight.
...
A/N: Hm… alright, this week ends with this chapter… honestly I'm starting to struggle writing it because it's nearing the end. Turns out writing a story that's almost finished is really difficult… the same thing happened with my previous fanfic. But I'll still try to end it as best I can. I also need to think about the BNHA fanfic I'm writing, so it's making me lose focus a bit.