"This is why I don't fear you. Because to me, all of you are nothing but insects."
Xi hovered high above as she pronounced her verdict on Sora and the Xianzhou humans.
Everyone here—without exception—was nothing more than a bug she could crush between her fingers.
Moments ago, she simply hadn't fought seriously.
But now, with the sky collapsing, the power she'd inherited from Futian could finally be released without restraint.
Within the ink-black fissure overhead, a massive figure sat cross-legged in meditation, hands forming a mudra.
Sora recognized it instantly. Those platinum-blazing arms were unforgettable.
He'd wondered why he hadn't seen this thing once since entering the Cangyan.
So the truth was that it had always been waiting just outside.
Now that the sky was collapsing, its true form finally revealed itself.
A towering colossus—one that shattered the will of anyone who looked upon it.
"T-that… what is that?!"
"It's General Futian's… Flame Lord."
"No way. How could the Flame Lord end up under Xi's control?!"
Even from such distance, the Xianzhou recognized that shape immediately.
Some of the newer residents might not know, but many still remembered:
FLAME-WIELDING
FIRE-PURIFYING
SPIRIT-CRUSHING LORD.
The very Fire Lord that once helped General Futian earn glory across the cosmos.
Enemies had once fled in terror at its appearance.
And now—it stood behind Xi, their enemy.
Unbelievable.
Unacceptable.
They had come so close—so close—to sealing Xi, yet now she revealed she'd been hiding this trump card the entire time.
A trump card capable of wiping them out instantly.
Had she really viewed them as insects all along? Watching them scurry and struggle for her amusement?
The Xianzhou forces nearly lost all fighting spirit in that instant.
The ally they once relied upon… had become their enemy's weapon.
That they remained standing at all was already impressive.
Now, only three figures remained upright on the battlefield:
Xi in the sky.
Sora.
And the young commander of the Xianzhou.
The commander's fists trembled.
The Flame Lord was the symbol of the HUNT—the emblem of the Xianzhou.
Whenever that golden giant with the great blade appeared, all who saw it knew:
The Xianzhou had arrived.
But now, the symbol of their Hunt stood on Xi's side instead.
A direct blow to his dignity.
Xi didn't spare him a glance. She didn't care about his inner turmoil.
Her attention was fixed solely on Sora, amusement flickering in her eyes.
"Well? Now that you've seen this, are you still planning to ask me to 'give you respect'?"
Sora had demanded respect—
And Xi had indeed "answered" him.
By revealing her true trump card.
Until now, everyone in the Cangyan only knew she was the leader of the Heliobi.
But after today—
They would know she also commanded a Flame Lord.
She had placed all her cards on the table. Now she wanted to see:
What would Sora do?
Did he still dare insist on "respect"?
All eyes turned to Sora.
To the Xianzhou, he was their last hope.
With the Flame Lord obeying Xi, they had no idea how to fight back.
But Sora had shown overwhelming power earlier.
Maybe—just maybe—he truly had a plan.
"Don't just stand there silently. I don't have time," Xi called, impatient.
"Either move aside and I'll deal with you later… or we settle it now."
Sora's choice was simple.
He didn't step aside.
The light of Saikou shimmered in his hand.
"I'm keeping what I said. The most important thing now is fixing the sky."
The young commander froze in disbelief.
Xi's eyes widened—
Then curved slowly, spreading into a grin.
"Hmph—hahaha!"
Her laughter rang out wild, delighted, echoing through the air.
"As expected, humans really are fascinating!"
She had revealed every trump card she possessed.
Yet even with the threat of the Flame Lord—a full Emanator of the HUNT—Sora still chose to stand and fight.
It genuinely surprised her.
Genuinely amused her.
"I've decided I'll preserve the Cangyan after all. Otherwise I'd miss far too many interesting things."
Sora exhaled in relief for an instant—
But her next words made his nerves snap taut again.
"But I'll deal with you first! Show me what makes you think you can talk like that!"
She rushed at him in a streak of fire, and the Flame Lord stretched out a blazing hand at the same time.
Their target—
Sora.
But Sora was no pushover. Reclaiming his body had boosted his strength tremendously.
Feeling his heartbeat—feeling power surge through his limbs—
Sora met Xi and the Flame Lord head-on.
Light collided with fire.
BOOOOOOM!
A shockwave burst open the sky.
A figure shot backward like a meteor—
Xi!
She had lost the clash.
A tremor of shock ran through her chest.
"W-what… what is this power?!"
The moment they collided, she felt an indescribable force erupt from Sora.
This was many times stronger than any of their previous clashes.
Before, she had overwhelmed him in almost every direct confrontation.
If Sora hadn't tricked her and kicked her out of the Heliobus fusion, she might have killed him already.
But now—after he reclaimed his body—
She was the one who lost.
The only difference…
was Sora's real body.
Yes. That alone.
His human body...
"No. Don't joke with me!"
Xi roared and charged again, blazing arms surging forward.
Sora blocked—and with a thunderous bang, he too was blasted backward.
"That's more like it," Xi grinned, exhilarated.
But the truth remained—earlier, she had been overpowered.
Even the Flame Lord couldn't erase that fact.
Still—!
So what?
Whoosh!
Xi launched herself forward again, a streak of brilliance slicing across the sky.
Was she supposed to stop just because she'd been pushed back?
Absolutely not.
She was the leader who had sworn to ensure the Heliobi would never again be imprisoned or exploited.
Even if her opponent grew stronger, she would still charge straight into the fight.
Drawing a blazing arc across the air, she caught up to the retreating Sora in an instant.
Though the Flame Lord's burning fist had just struck him, it only left him slightly winded.
And as his breath tightened, his heartbeat thundered even stronger.
Perfect.
He'd use Xi to re-hone this body he'd been separated from for too long.
"Bring it!" Adjusting his stance, Sora faced Xi head-on.
But this time, it wasn't just Xi rushing at him—the Flame Lord's burning hand followed right behind her, moving with her intent.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their blades and blows collided again and again, the ringing metal and booming impacts echoing through the sky.
The clouds scattered instantly, ripped apart by the force of their battle, leaving the heavens clearer than ever.
And above them, the dark fissure stretching across the sky grew wider.
On the ground, the Xianzhou slowly pushed themselves upright, leaning on each other. Watching the clash overhead, they didn't know what to feel.
Should they be grateful?
At least they weren't the ones facing Xi. If they had been, they would've been crushed long before she even revealed her true strength.
And Sora—he had no reason to help them. That fact alone filled them with guilt.
Worse, the Flame Lord that once protected them was now being controlled by their enemy.
Their hearts churned with conflicting emotions until one simple thought took root:
"If we survive this, we must thank that man properly."
"Yes. He fights for us without hesitation, and he values every life here. Calling him 'sir' isn't enough."
"I don't care—after today, he's my big brother!"
But Sora had no idea what they were thinking. His entire focus was locked on Xi's relentless assault.
Now that she could command the Flame Lord's hand, her attacks had become bizarrely unpredictable.
The Flame Lord's hand had overwhelming destructive power, capable of smashing through his guard—and Xi herself, while less refined, was still a real threat.
Sometimes they alternated without warning.
Sometimes Xi took the lead while the Flame Lord suppressed him.
Other times Xi was merely a decoy, letting the Flame Lord strike the killing blow.
There was no rhythm—only raw instinct and experience allowed Sora to evade and counter.
Suddenly Xi leapt high, her blazing spear crashing downward. The sheer weight behind it threw Sora slightly off-balance.
Under normal circumstances, Xi's power alone was no longer enough to shake him.
His Idealistic Power—evolved in his reclaimed body after merging with the previous Hazard Level—was already far beyond her solo strength.
But Xi wasn't alone anymore.
Right after her strike landed, the flaming hand followed with perfect timing.
Anyone else would've died dozens of times already.
Which was why the Xianzhou watching below could only feel infinite gratitude.
Had they tried to fight Xi themselves, they wouldn't even leave behind corpses.
But even with the relentless double assault, unfortunately for Xi—
She was fighting Sora.
A blow that could crush others into ash was trivial to him.
With only the Kougouken Saikou, he defended against everything.
A faint glow drifted from Sora's lips, closing the small cuts along his arms. Then he exhaled softly and spoke:
"We've been fighting long enough. Can we talk now?"
"You bastard…" Xi's brows knit tightly. Sora's swordsmanship had far exceeded anything she'd imagined.
She never dreamed a single man and his sword would last this long against her.
At this level, even the Sword Champion of the Xianzhou wouldn't stand a chance.
Thinking that far, she suddenly recalled the man who once stood beside General Futian.
Back then, that Sword Master had witnessed the signing of their contract. After centuries, if he hadn't fallen into the abyss, he'd be ancient by now.
"You remind me of something unpleasant," Xi muttered, shaking away the memory as she glared at Sora.
"If you can handle one hand, how about two?"
From within the black void above, another massive hand reached down into the Cangyan.
Two hands—one Heliobus leader.
"Let's see if you can still keep up."
Clenching her teeth, Xi charged forward. She refused to believe he could survive this.
"You think I can't?"
The Kougouken shone brightly—and in Sora's other hand appeared a blade glowing with deep violet darkness.
Two streaks of sword-light flashed past Xi with such speed she froze midair.
She felt it clearly—the two Flame Lord hands she'd been controlling simply… vanished.
W-what… what was that?!
Stunned, she stared at Sora now holding twin blades.
"What… what is that sword?"
THE SWORD OF DARKNESS
ANKOKUKEN KURAYAMI
"You didn't want to listen when I spoke nicely. So now I'll make you understand by force."
Sora spun both blades with ease, his voice shedding the last trace of politeness.
"How dare you!"
When had anyone ever spoken to her like that?
Not even General Futian had shown such audacity.
In the darkness above, the Flame Lord prepared to reach down again.
But this time, twin sword-lights—one radiant, one dark—shot upward and twisted together, stopping the expansion of the abyss.
A seal—
The sky's collapse was temporarily halted!
"This is the original power of the holy swords. Think you're ready for it?"
Sora stepped forward, closing the distance.
Xi clenched her jaw, gripping her spear as she hurled herself at him once more—!
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T/N: WOAHHHHHHHH