Chapter 216: Rozaliya: Oh No, He's Mutated! (Great Shock)
Jing Yuan's reflexes were lightning-fast. "Back to you."
With a flick of his wrist, the Arbiter-General tossed the two squirming cockroaches right back at Rekka. Still caught mid-laugh, Rekka barely had time to register the incoming projectiles before the six-legged terrors landed on his sleeve, immediately scurrying up his arm and making a beeline for his face.
"Hey, I—"
Pure, unadulterated instinct took over. Rekka flailed, slapping the bugs away. The roaches sailed through the air and landed squarely on the face of the bound Dragon Master. Tao Ran groaned, his eyelids fluttering open groggily. He smacked his dry lips a couple of times, his brow furrowing as a distinctly fuzzy, bitter taste registered on his tongue.
It was the universal nightmare of waking up in the dead of night to find a pest crawling across one's lips.
"Ptu! Ptu! Blegh—!"
Tao Ran's eyes bulged out of their sockets. He let out a blood-curdling, high-pitched howl that threatened to shatter the tranquil atmosphere of the Seat of Divine Foresight. The dignified Vidyadhara elder thrashed wildly, rolling back and forth on the polished floorboards like a beached fish gasping for air. It was a thoroughly undignified, utterly ridiculous spectacle.
Jing Yuan pressed a fist to his mouth, his shoulders trembling slightly as he fought to suppress a smile. It was finally his turn to enjoy the show.
"Gwah! He is mutating!" Rozaliya shrieked, the color draining from her face as she watched the elder writhe on the floor.
Panic overriding logic, the pink-haired twin reached behind her back and instantly whipped out her massive greatsword, Sleeping Beauty. With a resounding thump, she brought the flat of the heavy blade down right against the back of the Dragon Master's skull. Tao Ran's eyes rolled back, and he went limp, knocked out cold in a single blow.
As if on cue, the second cockroach executed a flawless, Olympic-level super jump, landing squarely inside the unconscious elder's gaping mouth. A forced protein supplement, courtesy of the universe's chaotic timing.
Tao Ran usually paraded around the Luofu, throwing his weight and age around to demand respect. Seeing the haughty elder reduced to a roach-eating punching bag was a prime example of a wicked man finally meeting a far more wicked tormentor. Jing Yuan casually strolled over to Rekka's side, taking full advantage of the chaotic distraction to stealthily deliver a few extra, highly deliberate stomps to the sack containing the elder's accomplices.
If Dan Feng were still around to witness this, the former High Elder probably would have joined in, unleashing a high-octane barrage of kicks just for the sheer thrill of it. Jing Yuan could almost hear his old friend's voice dryly complaining that the soles of his shoes were feeling a bit itchy. A fleeting tinge of melancholy washed over the General at the sudden memory of the High Cloud Quintet.
"However, despite possessing conclusive evidence of their treason, we must still petition the Marshal and convene a formal trial before the Six Charioteers." The General sighed, shaking his head slowly.
The Vidyadhara Dragon Masters occupied a highly unique, politically sensitive position within the Xianzhou. While technically subordinate to the Alliance, they operated as an autonomous, self-governing body. To put it bluntly, their entrenched status meant Jing Yuan's hands were tied. He could not simply execute a Dragon Master on the spot unless he was prepared to strip off his general's uniform and resign his post entirely.
"Forget it. We will leave the matter in the hands of the law. Jing Yuan thanks you all for your assistance." He offered a polite, genuine nod.
Although the General mentally braced himself for a headache every single time Rekka appeared on the Luofu, a quiet part of him knew that if the chaotic Trailblazer ever stopped visiting, he would actually start to worry. It was genuinely refreshing to have someone so capable lending a hand to shoulder the burden of the Xianzhou's endless crises. Even if that helper was an absolute, unpredictable handful.
Leaving the Seat of Divine Foresight behind, the group handled the bustling streets of the Luofu, eventually arriving at a makeshift medical area near the tournament grounds. A familiar, grating voice was currently shrieking from one of the cots.
"Ouch! Ouch! My arm, my head, my hand, my leg, my kneecap!"
"Hold him down! How am I supposed to treat his injuries if he keeps thrashing around like a wild boar?"
With an annoyed huff and a swift, practiced flick of her draconic tail, Bailu delivered a sharp strike to the back of the screaming man's neck. The man in the small sunglasses instantly went limp. A perfect application of physical anesthesia.
"Hey, it's Bailu!" March 7th called out, jogging over with the rest of the group.
Stelle blinked, staring down at the unconscious patient. "What is Scott doing here?"
"Do not even mention it," Bailu grumbled, resting one hand on her hip while using the other to expertly channel healing energy into Scott's bruised body. "I have no idea what is going on with this Martial Arts Ceremony, but the casualty rate is ridiculous. I just snuck out of the Alchemy Commission to help treat the wounded."
The little High Elder paused, her bright eyes darting toward Rekka. "Oh, right. Do you still happen to have any more of that... special potion? The one that can make me grow taller?"
Rekka offered a helpless shrug, spreading his hands empty.
"What a shame," Bailu sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "But I suppose it is for the best. After I drank that experimental concoction you gave me the other day, my entire head sprouted a thick canopy of ginkgo leaves..."
The visual of the tiny dragon girl walking around looking like a potted plant was entirely too easy to imagine.
"By the way, when did you get to know Stelle, March, and the rest of the Express crew?" Rekka asked, tilting his head.
"Just a while ago over in Aurum Alley," Bailu explained casually. "And I am quite familiar with Rozaliya and Liliya, too." The little healer offered a cheerful wave to the pink and blue twins. "A couple of days ago, those two actually helped me sneak out of the Alchemy Commission when the preceptors were not looking."
"...Ah. I see," Rekka replied, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.
"Because that day, Bailu said she wanted to go outside and play, but all those stuffy adults at the Alchemy Commission refused to let her leave," Rozaliya stated matter-of-factly, crossing her arms. "So, we just took her out through the back door."
"Rozaliya picked the heavy lock on the back gate using her tail," Liliya added in her usual deadpan tone.
The two sisters exchanged a highly coordinated, knowing look, clearly proud of their successful jailbreak.
Seeing Bailu trapped inside the Alchemy Commission, staring longingly at the outside world through a narrow window, had struck a deep chord with the twins. It mirrored Liliya's past perfectly. Back in their original world, a failed surgery had left Liliya entirely bedridden, relying on machines just to maintain her basic vital signs.
But Liliya had been incredibly lucky. She and her sister had met Rekka. Using his absurd, reality-defying abilities, Rekka had practically resurrected Liliya from the brink of death. He gave her the strength to run, to jump, to fight fiercely alongside her sister, and to play as freely as she desired. It meant Liliya no longer had to waste away on a sterile hospital bed, staring blankly at a white wall while agonizing over Rozaliya risking her life alone on the front lines.
"Good job, you two." Rekka smiled warmly, reaching out to affectionately ruffle the pink and blue hair of the twin sisters.
"Enough chatting for now," Bailu interrupted, gesturing down at the unconscious IPC manager. "This guy was babbling absolute nonsense before I knocked him out. He kept ranting about showing someone what's what, screaming that he would be back, and other villainous clichés."
Rekka chuckled, crouching down and leaning his face dangerously close to Scott's bruised visage. "Lone Wolf of the Universe, open your eyes. I am Zoffy."
A thoroughly speechless Bailu rolled her eyes and delivered a sharp slap to Scott's chest, forcing his respiratory system to jolt him awake. Scott gasped, his eyelids fluttering open.
"You're awake," Rekka whispered, grinning widely.
The very first thing Scott saw upon regaining consciousness was Rekka's large, menacingly cheerful face looming mere inches from his nose. The IPC manager let out a strangled squeak. His eyes rolled back into his skull, and he promptly fainted all over again.
"Why is he such a coward?" Rekka muttered, disappointed by the lack of banter.
"Stop causing trouble in my medical ward and go away," Bailu scolded disdainfully, physically shoving Rekka aside so she could check the man's pulse.
Rekka rubbed his nose sheepishly, stepping back to give the healer room to work.
"This guy has been completely delusional ever since they carried him off the stretcher," Bailu continued, dusting off her small hands. "One moment he is swearing vengeance and saying he will show someone the true power of the IPC, the next he is giggling like a madman about promotions and raises, and then he goes right back to calling himself a lone wolf..."
"His mental state is certainly... colorful," March 7th commented, leaning over to poke Scott's limp shoulder with her bow.
"Maybe the sheer wind pressure from Clara's punch completely rattled his brain," Stelle analyzed, rubbing her chin with absolute seriousness. "After all, the shockwave from that strike was strong enough to punch a clean hole through a reinforced wall. Suffering a severe concussion from the air displacement alone is perfectly reasonable."
"Then he is surprisingly resilient," Rekka noted dryly. "To maintain such a firm grip on his corporate promotion dreams even while suffering from major brain trauma requires true dedication."
Leaving the medical area behind, the group made their way back to the bustling spectator stands. By the time they found their seats, Hook's scheduled match was already over. To be entirely precise, Hook's opponent had taken one look at the situation and immediately forfeited.
"The Great Hook just casually used a tiny, insignificant skill, and the bad guy jumped right off the stage as fast as their legs could carry them!" Hook declared loudly.
The little boss of the Moles stood proudly atop a bench, her hands planted firmly on her hips and her nose pointed triumphantly toward the sky.
"Oh? Which skill did Hook use to scare them so badly?" March asked, playing along with a bright smile.
"The brand-new one Hook just had installed!" The little girl beamed, miming the motion of slamming a heavy lever. "With just one press of the big red button, Diggertron makes a suuuuuper loud, scary noise! The opponent got so frightened they practically flew off the arena! The Great Hook had not even finished her warm-up stretches yet!"
"Maybe they just assume everyone hailing from Belobog is an absolute monster in the ring," Stelle muttered, recalling Clara's earlier display of overwhelming force.
"Anyway, I won!" Hook cheered, completely unconcerned with the technical details of her victory.
Sitting nearby, Natasha merely let out a long, weary sigh and facepalmed.
The massive holographic display hovering above the central arena suddenly flickered, updating the tournament bracket with a loud, electronic chime.
[Stellaron Hunter: Sam] vs [Boom-Boom Overlord: Clara]
"What?!" Stelle gasped, her eyes widening in sheer outrage as she read the glowing text. "Clara's opponent for this round is that knock-off Fi... I mean, that knock-off Sam?!" The amnesiac Trailblazer dramatically beat her chest in utter frustration. "Damn it! Why couldn't the brackets match that imposter up against me and Hook?"
"Do not worry about it," Rekka said, stepping forward with a confident grin. "Clara and I will gladly help vent some of that frustration on your behalf."
He extended a closed fist toward the barefoot girl. Clara looked down at Rekka's knuckles, hesitating for a brief moment. A soft, determined smile touched her lips as she cautiously reached out, gently bumping her small fist against his.
"This is the bond between us!" Rekka declared dramatically.
"Um, actually..." Clara murmured, her voice dropping to a slightly nervous register. "Mr. Svarog and Big Brother Luka have also teamed up for this competition."
"Really?" March blinked in surprise.
"Really," Clara nodded earnestly. "They registered together under the team name 'Iron Arm Duo'..."
The young girl looked down at her own hands, a deep frown creasing her forehead. "It's just... if we keep winning... is Clara going to have to use this power to beat up Big Brother Luka and Mr. Svarog?"
Clara hesitated, the moral weight of potentially pummeling her own family members finally dawning on her.
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