Chapter 107: Do We Have to Fight Just Because We Aren't Buddies?
March 7th drew her longbow, her fingers releasing a crisp thrum as three ice-blue arrows streaked through the air in rapid succession, arcing straight for Blade's exposed flank and back.
Kafka remained where she stood, her hand raising her submachine gun almost casually. She didn't aim for the Trailblazers, but for the stone slab beneath Star and March 7th's feet. A burst of gunfire ripped into the ground, a staccato roar that sent a spray of pulverized gravel flying in all directions. The unexpected attack forced Star and March 7th to abandon their assault and leap back.
"This won't do," Kafka said, a faint, chiding smile playing on her lips. "This is a grudge that belongs to the two of them. Others really shouldn't interfere."
Rekka, however, had other plans. He pulled a silver, cube-shaped device from his pocket—a Stabilizing Anchor—and lobbed it in a high arc toward Blade.
Even before it began its descent, the cube was already emitting an invisible field of energy, a subtle ripple in the air that only the most sensitive could perceive. Rekka's objective was simple: he had to get Blade out of this battlefield. If he didn't, the entire script was in danger of being derailed.
Kafka's smile vanished. With a light tap of her feet, her entire body sprang backward in a fluid, impossibly fast leap, carrying her just outside the anchor's projected landing zone. The moment she was clear, she fired a single, precise shot. The bullet struck the Stabilizing Anchor mid-air, knocking it completely off course. A Stabilizing Anchor could suppress Imaginary energy, but it couldn't do a thing against the raw kinetic force of a bullet.
Seeing Rekka now exposed, Star immediately changed direction, planting her feet and raising her massive greatsword to shield him, placing herself directly between her friend and the Stellaron Hunter.
Blade, however, remained utterly oblivious to the chaos erupting around him. His world had narrowed to a single point of focus: Dan Heng. The Shard Sword screamed through the air, its chipped and broken edge aimed straight for Dan Heng's abdomen.
"Very good, very good, that's it!" Blade's voice was a low, guttural snarl. "Imbibitor Lunae, you will never see your friends again!"
Dan Heng gripped the shaft of his Cloud-Piercer spear with both hands, wrenching the weapon horizontal to block the incoming strike. The Shard Sword crashed against the spear's shaft with a deafening, metallic CLANG. The impact sent a bone-jarring shockwave up Dan Heng's arms, his palms going numb from the sheer force.
Rekka grimaced. His own raw power might be higher, but his actual combat proficiency was leagues below a seasoned fighter like Kafka. It was a frustrating truth: while his stats were high, they weren't high enough. If your numbers are big enough, any problem can be solved. If it can't be solved, it just means your numbers aren't big enough yet.
"Star! March! Cover me!"
Rekka dropped his combat stance, plunging both hands into his seemingly bottomless pockets. He pulled them out a moment later, not with two cubes, but with two entire handfuls.
With a great heave, he flung the mass of silver cubes into the air. As they tumbled, they began to activate, their surfaces flickering with halos of different colors. Like an awakened swarm of mechanical hornets, they hovered for a split second, automatically locking onto their target.
At that same moment, Blade's Shard Sword was still locked against Dan Heng's Cloud-Piercer. He broke the stalemate with a vicious kick to Dan Heng's lower abdomen, forcing the Vidyadhara to stumble back to disperse the force. It was the only opening the cubes needed. Six of them instantly zipped forward, latching onto Blade's back, waist, and arms.
The cubes erupted in a blinding flash of light. Blade's entire body faltered, the violent Imaginary energy raging within him forcibly slammed with a pause button. The crimson madness of the Mara-Struck state receded from his eyes, but with his last ounce of baleful energy, he drove the Shard Sword forward, burying it half an inch into Dan Heng's shoulder.
"There are so many," Kafka murmured, her eyes wide with a flicker of genuine surprise. "Just how many interesting things do you have in those pockets?"
An invisible suppression field unfolded instantly, the effects of the dozen-plus anchors overlapping and amplifying in mid-air. The restless Imaginary energy in the surrounding atmosphere felt like a sponge being wrung dry, shriveling up with astonishing speed. The ice arrows March 7th had fired earlier showed clear signs of melting within the field, and the residual heat radiating from Star's greatsword also cooled significantly.
Blade, standing at the very epicenter of the field, was hit the hardest. The red light faded completely from his eyes. The gash on his face, which had been rapidly healing, froze in place, and fresh blood began to well up, dripping down his cheek and onto his collar.
"Imbibitor Lunae!" he roared, gripping his sword with both hands, trying to force the blade deeper. But the field's suppression had completely snuffed out the black sword aura that had previously wreathed his weapon. Having lost that additional power, the force of his strike was drastically reduced.
Dan Heng keenly caught the sudden sluggishness in Blade's movements. With a sharp flick of his wrist, the Cloud-Piercer knocked Blade's hands upward, leaving his chest completely exposed. Without a moment's hesitation, Dan Heng surged forward, ramming his shoulder hard into his foe.
The field's scope was still expanding, and Kafka could feel the flow of Imaginary energy within her own body becoming sluggish and strained.
"This is truly unexpected."
She holstered her submachine gun and reached into her trench coat pocket. Her fingers emerged with a small, black cylindrical object. She pulled the pin and tossed it onto the ground directly between Dan Heng and Blade.
"Let's end it here for today."
A blinding white light erupted, accompanied by a deafening explosion that shook the clearing. Thick, white smoke instantly enveloped the entire area. Star subconsciously raised her greatsword to shield her eyes. Dan Heng, gripping his spear, vigilantly retreated two steps. March 7th reacted just as quickly, condensing a wall of Six-Phased Ice to protect everyone.
After a few short seconds, a cold wind swept through, dispersing the smoke. Kafka and Blade were now standing just outside the suppression field's perimeter, clearly having gained nothing from the encounter.
Dan Heng rested the tip of the Cloud-Piercer on the ground, his chest heaving. Though his own Imaginary power had been suppressed, his fundamental physical fitness and combat skills were still formidable.
"Ah, Blade," Kafka said lightly. "Are you satisfied for now?"
"...Hmph."
Blade's wound had already healed. He could feel, however, that his legendary regenerative ability had become extremely slow under the field's influence. The sensation made him cast another long look at Rekka.
Could that thing... grant him the release he craved?
No, it shouldn't be able to.
Star rested the heavy tip of her greatsword on the ground. "Why do you have to fight?"
"Because we are on different sides," Kafka answered simply.
"Because we aren't buddies," Star retorted.
"Do we have to fight just because we aren't buddies?"
"Don't be impatient, Star," Kafka's voice was gentle, almost soothing. "Everything that happens has its value."
"I don't understand what riddles you're talking about," Star said, shaking her head. "Just tell me directly. What else are you planning to do?"
Kafka reached up, tucking a stray strand of her violet hair behind her ear. "Some things cannot be told in advance. Otherwise, the future will deviate from its original track," she said, tilting her head. "And now, your acquaintances have arrived, too."
As if on cue, two figures appeared, one after the other: Jingliu and Jing Yuan.
"He broke out of prison, so you broke out too?" Jing Yuan asked, his gaze fixed on his former master.
"I came chasing after him," Jingliu stated indifferently. "That is all."
Jing Yuan's gaze swept across the tense scene, finally landing on Rekka. "Those little cubes of yours are quite interesting."
"If the General wants some, I'll give you two."
"Then I won't stand on ceremony." Jing Yuan caught the small cubes Rekka tossed him with a smile, then turned his attention to Kafka. "Stellaron Hunter Kafka. You broke into the Luofu and even kidnapped a prisoner from the Shackling Prison. Shouldn't we settle this score?"
"We helped you draw out the people who needed to come out and solved the matters that needed solving," Kafka replied, a spark of interest in her eyes. "If you really want to settle the score, shouldn't the Luofu be paying us a commission?"
"That's right," Jing Yuan conceded with a slight nod. "Which is why I didn't let the Cloud Knights follow. Now, just act like nothing happened and leave the Luofu."
Kafka seemed unconcerned. "Hmm, it really is time to leave today. Ah, Blade, it's time for us to go back."
Blade stood rooted to the spot, his gaze still locked on Dan Heng.
Dan Heng was looking right back at him.
"Ah, Blade," Kafka called out again, her tone a little more insistent.
Blade finally tore his gaze away and turned to walk toward her.
"Imbibitor Lunae," he said, his voice a low promise. "One day, we will settle things between us."
The two of them dissolved into a shower of digital pixels—the unmistakable signature of Silver Wolf's teleportation.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]