The moon tonight was not as bright as Li Yue had imagined, failing to illuminate her path home. She had originally planned to wander along the coastline for a while longer, but under the pitch-black shroud of night, she felt it lacked the right atmosphere.
“Those magic beasts must be certain now that I’ll be participating. What’s next? Will they launch an attack?” Li Yue rested her chin in her hand, thinking deeply. In the far distance, the pitch-black wall was slowly expanding until it occupied her entire field of vision.
This wall was built upon the foundation of Blizzard’s ice, covered in a layer of alchemy—a mixture of obsidian and rare metals that possessed far greater hardness and ductility than obsidian alone.
Several rows of patrolling Mages walked slowly along the wall. From a distance, they felt Li Yue’s presence. It was a sensation of utterly pure death, carrying a hint of dread and helplessness. Consequently, even though the girl was truly beautiful, few dared to look her in the eye.
It was not majesty, but rather the instinctive fear living things felt toward death. Only creatures that did not fear death would dare to face it head-on.
A blood crystal appeared in her hand, glowing with a dark red yet piercing light, as if displayed specifically for the magic users on the battlements. In the next instant, she appeared atop the wall. With a slight squeeze of her hands, the blood crystal crumbled into a pile of fragments.
The moonlight was dim, but Clo, standing in the distance, was like a small blue sun—at least in Li Yue’s eyes. She couldn’t quite name the emotion, but if not for Clo, she likely wouldn’t have bothered helping the so-called humans at all.
She never associated with other beings. Destruction counted as half a companion, and Fate could not be considered a living thing. The only one was Clo.
“A Yue, what took you so long?” Clo ran over with her cheeks slightly puffed out. “I’ve been waiting for ages, standing here for over an hour.”
“I went to see a...” Li Yue thought about how to describe her encounter. “I went to see a creature and chatted for a bit.”
“A creature?” Clo leaned in closer, looking at Li Yue with some unease. She covered her mouth and whispered, “Was it a magic beast? A Yue, you aren’t planning to defect to the enemy, are you?”
“They wanted me to join them. Or rather, they said as long as I don’t interfere, I’d be the first to help carve up their future territories,” Li Yue said, telling the truth.
“You wouldn’t really defect, would you... Or... how about being a spy?” Clo said cautiously.
“...” Li Yue was momentarily speechless. “You should stop reading those mystery novels from the Royal Court...”
“Ugh... A Yue, you absolutely have to help us humans.”
“I killed it while I was at it.” Li Yue paused, no longer joking with Clo. “I didn’t leave a corpse. Or rather, I killed it completely.”
“What does ‘completely’ mean?” Clo grew interested. Her curiosity was as sharp as a kitten’s when it came to unfamiliar descriptions.
“I took a look at the River of the Dead and saw its soul inside. Only then did I feel at ease enough to come back,” Li Yue reflected. “At that exact moment, five creatures died simultaneously.”
“You scared me! I thought you were really going to defect.” Clo let out a small sigh of relief. Seeing Li Yue’s somewhat helpless gaze, she playfully stuck out her tongue.
“I only stated my position. I haven’t sided with anyone; I simply want to see them all dead,” Li Yue said flatly. Then, as if a sudden thought struck her, she asked, “If one day I stood on the opposite side and wanted to kill everyone you care about, would you kill me?”
“You’re talking as if you’re setting a flag... I... I don’t know... I wouldn’t...”
“I have no intention of doing such things, and I’ll try my best to avoid it... Forget it, just take it as a joke.” Li Yue smiled and patted Clo’s head, her expression exceptionally relaxed.
“By the way, have you ever met those ‘Kings’?” Li Yue took Clo’s hand as they walked back toward the academy. The scenery here was lovely. Although the black wall blocked some of the light, a few fireflies created a romantic atmosphere.
“I saw them during the negotiations. They’re a bunch of fellows who don’t like to restrain their pressure. Why do you ask?” Clo thought back to the meeting she had presided over on an island not far from the Western Continent.
“I also have a few words I want to exchange with those guys. It’s nothing important, just catching up on old times,” Li Yue said casually.
“A Yue, are you really planning to defect?” Clo turned her head and asked half-jokingly.
“That’s right. I’m going to have a chat with the one among them who controls fate. We’ll discuss how to deal with the academy and the Five Staves, then occupy the Southern Continent, integrate the Royal Court, and take over the East and North,” Li Yue glanced at Clo. “Finally, I’ll conquer the entire world, ascend to godhood, and don the Crown of Chaos and Disorder.”
“...” Clo was stunned into silence. Looking at the expressionless Li Yue, she was momentarily paralyzed, even forgetting to breathe for a second.
“Eh?” Li Yue looked at the stunned Clo with a surprised expression. “Was that joke not funny? Your standards are so high; I thought you’d laugh.”
“You scared the life out of me...” Clo let out a long breath, her face twisting into a look of slight anger. “Was it really a joke?”
“Yes. I won’t do it again.” Li Yue mimicked Clo’s usual playful tongue-poke. Clo puffed out her cheeks and, as if in a huff, swung their tightly joined hands.
Li Yue smiled helplessly. A pitch-black figure gripped her shoulder. Her shadow seemed to come alive as a version of Li Yue (Jormungandr) with dark red eyes leaned its head against her shoulder.
“Are you really... not planning to do it? I could make you the eternal king of this world...”
Li Yue’s body paused. She didn’t speak, but her mouth moved as she addressed the empty air. Judging by her lip movements, she seemed to say:
“Get lost.”
“What’s wrong?” Clo looked at Li Yue in confusion.
“Nothing. A fly just flew into my mouth.” Li Yue poked at the dark surroundings. In the pitch-black environment ahead, such small creatures were impossible to see without using magic.
“I want to eat the wontons you make,” Clo said suddenly.
“I’ll cook them for you when we get back,” Li Yue smiled. “Let’s go home.”
Rate on N.U.
