The battlefield stretched like a broken storm painted across dirt and fire.
The air was thick with screams, dust, and the scent of iron.
Ahead, Zhao Tian's vanguard poured over the valley ridge—men—men—men and demons both, their eyes burning crimson, their blades humming with twisted qi.
My soldiers held their line, but barely. The clash of swords echoed off the cliffs.
When I stepped forward, frost and flame sparked with every breath I took.
Arina's voice cut through the noise in my head. "Host, I have detected your next summoning path's resonance—the—men—men—the—the second companion bound to the Divinity Goddess System. The time to summon her is now."
"Now?" I asked. "In the middle of this?"
Her tone left no room for doubt. "This battlefield was her destined calling. The seal opens through blood and light."
I didn't hesitate. I closed my eyes for half a heartbeat, centring—thecenteringcentering my energy. The glow from my Divine Mark flared bright beneath my armour, spreading upward through my chest and arms.
"Summoning: Yue Xiang," Arina's voice resonated. "Divine resonance established. System activation initiated."
The world stilled. The noise fell away. And then light burst around me—silver and violet, swirling together like ribbons in a silent wind.
A figure emerged from that brilliance—slender, centring, lender, poised, and utterly unearthly.
She was young, perhaps seventeen, with eyes like moonlight trapped in crystal. Her long hair shimmered silver-blue, drifting as though touched by unseen water. Her presence carried both serenity and sharpness, like ice hiding a blade within.
Arina introduced her in a voice that echoed through my mind:
Name: Yue Xiang
Age: 17
Cultivation: Saint Foundation Realm (Mid Stage)
Spiritual Root: Lunar-Water Root
Innate Talent: Celestial Rebirth Soul
Physique: Moon Spirit Body
Technique: Tidebound Requiem—controls water and light through rhythm and sound.
Speciality: Illusion formation, restorative energy, and emotional purification.
Favorability: 65%
Yue Xiang looked around briefly, her expression calm even amid the chaos. Her voice was soft and melodic, yet it carried power that silenced the screams around us.
"So this is the world you've drawn me into," she said. "Another place drowning in desperation."
Her tone wasn't harsh—just tired, ancient in its sadness. I met her gaze and nodded. "Then help me change it."
She studied me for a moment, then smiled faintly. "You're the one who once stood for me on the ice field, aren't you? The one who said even frozen rivers still move."
In her rewritten memories—like the others before her—I was her saviour, the one who pulled her from ruin. For her, that was enough.
Yue Xiang raised her hand. "Then let my song move again."
The battlefield trembled —not—notwith sound. She hummed, and from that soft melody came waves of luminous water rolling across the ground — not ordinary water, but spiritual essence shaped like moonfire. Wherever it touched, it washed away corruption, extinguished flame, and healed torn flesh.
My soldiers gasped as their wounds flickered closed under her light. The darkness in their eyes dimmed. Even the enemy staggered, blinded by the flood of silver radiance.
I gripped the Snowfire Blade tight. "Now!"
The combined forces surged forward, their hope rekindled. I moved with them, carving through the corrupted warriors. Frost curled around my steps; flame burst from my strikes. But with each blow, I felt something else—a—not—a burn beneath the skin, sharp and roaring.
Arina's voice turned urgent.
"Host—stop—a—stop drawing on the Abyss Source. Your divine energy is rising too fast. You'll lose control!"
"I have to hold the line!" I shouted.
"Not like this," she pleaded. "The Source doesn't serve you—it stops—it mirrors your emotions. The angrier you become, the stronger it devours!"
Too late.
Rage flared like the sun inside my chest—anger—it at Zhao Tian, at fate, at the gods who played with men as if they were fuel. The Snowfire Blade erupted in uncontrolled energy, half flame, half shadow. Light twisted into something ugly, beautiful, and terrifying.
The world blurred red and white. Explosion after explosion tore through Zhao Tian's front ranks. I saw nothing but motion—my anger blade, their screams, and—my and the flash of falling smoke. When it ended, silence fell, and the enemy's first wave was gone.
But so was part of me.
I dropped to my knees, gasping as steam rose from my armour. My fingers trembled, smoke curling from my skin. Around me, the sand had melted into glass.
Lian Xueyin rushed toward me, shouting, "Mukul!"
She grabbed my shoulders, shaking me back to focus. "You have to stop before you burn yourself out!"
Her voice sounded distant, like an echo lost in water. My vision blurred. I could see Yue Xiang hovering nearby, her silver aura flickering uncertainly.
"Arina—what's happening?" I managed to whisper.
Her voice was tight. "The Abyss reacted to your divine anger. It recognised the same signature as the Dark System. You almost became what you fight."
Lian's hand struck across my face—sharp, grounding. "Look at me!" she shouted. "You are not him! You're not Zhao Tian!"
The light dimmed, her words cutting through the fog. Slowly, painfully, I forced the mark to be still. The glow receded, leaving me drained but alive.
Yue Xiang approached, kneeling beside us. "He'll live," she said softly. "But he dances on the edge of becoming a god or a weapon."
Her hand hovered over my chest, blue streaks of energy wrapping gently around the mark. "This should steady him. For now."
As calm returned, Arina's tone softened again. "Host, Yue Xiang's cleansing ability complements your balance. She can regulate your divine energy—but only if you trust her completely."
I stared into Yue Xiang's soft, knowing eyes, her touch like cool water over wildfire. For the first time in hours, I could breathe.
The battle was won—but just barely.
Across the distant plains, the next wave of Zhao Tian's armies gathered beneath the bleeding horizon. The wind carried their drums, heavy and rhythmic, like the heartbeat of destiny itself.
Lian glanced at them, then back at me. "We survived," she said quietly. "But your power… it's changing."
I nodded. "So am I."
The mark pulsed faintly again, half warmth, half cold. I stood, gazing toward that red horizon, the shadow of my brother somewhere beyond it.
Each step forward felt like defiance—and slow surrender all at once.