"I just want to protect those I love."
Those words reached Shi Yun Lan's ears, making him raise his eyebrows in surprise. He then asked,
"Shion Lan, you possess a great art. Don't you think you should bear the responsibility of protecting those around you?"
When Shion heard this, he couldn't stop himself from laughing. Shi Yun Lan grew displeased and said,
"Is there something funny about what I said?"
"Yes," Shion replied. "You objected to it just moments ago, and now you're asking such a question. And also…"
He looked at him playfully and continued,
"Who exactly am I supposed to protect? Am I protecting Shilte, who specializes in defense and is already at the fourth level? Or Beliza Sano and Rona Flair, the two great talents among the best of the fifth level? Or do you mean the commanders who are at the seventh level? Didn't you see the master lighting up the sky of the arena with his devastating strike? Or do you mean protecting my brother or the First Prince? And despite all that—protect them from whom? From the Dark Crow Army that was manipulated under the command of that mad bastard?"
Shi Yun Lan felt a trace of bitterness that he can't explain and wanted to strike Shion, but instead he asked,
"Then why did you fight with all your strength?"
Shion looked upward, as if gazing at the sky, and said,
"I just didn't want to carry feelings of guilt with me."
He remembered everything he wanted to protect—his new life, his mother, his friends, the neighborhood he lived in, and his students—and then said firmly,
"And I also wanted to see the best of what I have and prove to myself that I changed. A great art? I didn't change because of the art, nor because of being expelled. I changed because of you."
Shi Yun Lan looked at him in shock as Shion continued,
"I saw your life—it was like death every single day. No, I didn't just see it; I lived it, I am living it, and I will live it. Every time I see you outside those memories, I see behind that mask of indifference a deep sorrow and profound regret. So I will live my life the way I want, until I'm satisfied and feel no regret afterward."
Then he remembered something and mocked himself,
"I forgot—I'm already dead."
"But even so, won't you use your power for such a great purpose?"
"And who decides that it's great? That's only me."
Their eyes met—his silver eyes facing the other's black ones—as he said,
"If you had ink, would you write everything—ugly, vile, praising, and good—or would you choose to write only what you want, even if it were just one word that satisfies you?"
"What does that have to do with this?"
"Didn't we train in martial arts? Was it to make a great name for ourselves, to protect those we want, or to seek revenge? I train to protect those I care about. I'm not obligated to anything else, because I'm not the king here."
Shi Yun Lan pondered Shion's words for a moment.
"Are you saying that your goal determines your path, not your talents? That even if you were a great river, you might have only one small outlet benefiting a single person, if that were your goal? And that a commoner could become a king if he pursued his dream—and whether he succeeds or not is left to fate? But a great talent without a goal to strengthen it isn't necessarily a waste…"
Shi Yun Lan began muttering words—some Shion understood, others he didn't—but he didn't care either way. Then Shi Yun Lan turned to him and asked,
"So what is your goal?"
"Before I die? To be satisfied with my life, man—and to be able to do whatever I please with my own effort."
"Very well, then you have two choices."
Shion looked at him like an idiot as Shi Yun Lan continued,
"First: after the battle ends, you return to your body. In that case, you won't be able to help anyone because you'll recover slowly but you will be safe. Second: you stand up now and leave control of your body to me. But since I don't belong to this world, your soul will be severely affected. However, there are many benefits you'll gain, and this is exclusive to you. What do you think?"
Shion tried to process it, then asked,
"You idiot—aren't we already dead?"
"You ignorant fool! No one in your world is qualified to fight me unless they're at the tenth level, which I doubt even exists! Even your director—if he wanted to kill you, he'd die before doing so! You're speaking to the master of the Art of Annihilation!"
Shion smiled and said,
"Then I'll choose the second option!"
Shi Yun Lan was startled.
"Do you want to protect them now?"
"I want to benefit from those advantages you talked about. I was supposed to die a long time ago anyway—so let's do it!"
He thought briefly, 'Honestly, I'm not sure what he'll do, but I trust his skills.'
Shi Yun Lan extended his hand, and Shion did the same…
...
The claws of the Dark Crow were driven into Shion's body. Shilte tried to push the crow away, but he was too weak. The crow looked at him mockingly. The other ravens felt a sense of relief after killing Shion, as if they had fulfilled their duty.
When the crow lifted its claws from Shion, it suddenly sensed something ominous emerging from the body that was supposed to be dead. It looked—and saw deep, pitch-black eyes, darker than the bottom of a well on the darkest night. Along with those terrifying eyes, a perfect smile formed on his face.
The crow instinctively stepped back. It saw its opponent stand up. The bleeding stopped, and white points appeared in his dark eyes, shining with silvery light like stars trying to illuminate a dark night. Black strands began to emerge among Shion's white hair. The appearance was unnatural.
Shi Yun Lan looked at Shilte and said in Shion's voice, now deep and heavy,
"Do you have a sword? Mine broke under the weight of that bird."
Shilte instinctively stepped back, unable to believe what he was seeing. The other didn't bother and picked up a worn sword from the ground.
"I think this will suffice."
The crow began attacking, rushing forward to crush his head with its beak. Shi Yun Lan released his technique, (Aura of Death). Being at the fourth level, he reinforced this ominous aura, forcing the crow to retreat instantly.
Shi Yun Lan thought, 'I have four stars and four circles. Combined with that boy's power, it would be six stars and six circles. But I can't use power beyond the fourth level… still, I think—'
He spoke in a barely audible voice,
"Shion Lan, are you conscious?"
"Yes, but I feel like I'm being drained."
"I'll finish this quickly. Cooperate with me—it'll benefit you to use the fourth level."
"Alright."
Shi Yun Lan charged with his dark aura toward the crow, which assumed a defensive stance. He swung his sword, releasing a powerful aura from the blade itself. Shilte gasped,
"Fourth level?!!"
Fire merged with water within the aura, though it was faint. As the attack continued, Shi Yun Lan thought, 'My art disregards laws, emotions, and foundations. None of that matters after death anyway, but—'
"Shion, now!"
Shion focused, and silvery beams shot from the white points in his black eyes. The aura bloomed with immense force. The sword became both cold and hot.
Shi Yun Lan said,
"I only forced the elements to merge. Now you create a link between them—even a weak one—and I'll use all my power to defeat this bird."
"Alright."
Shi Yun Lan ended the display and began real combat. He used (Blood of the Dead) to accelerate the blood flow in his body, embedding some of it into his sword to compensate for its durability. He mobilized his circles, stars, and techniques, successfully fighting the raven without exposing Shion's secret.
The crow tried to overcome its fear and attacked, but Shi Yun Lan struck its head with his fist, injecting a single drop of his blood into its left eye. He clenched his fist and unleashed the modern spell (Paths of Fire) in its complete form, empowered by his understanding.
The attack flared with intense heat and struck the crow's head. Though it didn't harm it directly, that wasn't Shi Yun Lan's goal—it was merely a distraction. He subtly moved his finger, turning the raven's left eye red before it burst.
Shi Yun Lan shifted to the left side as the crow struggled to adapt. He felt that Shion had noticed something about the change in the aura around the sword and was shocked. 'That selfish bastard genius!'
Shi Yun Lan smiled and heard Shion's voice:
"(Stellar Summet: Path of the Stellar River)."
Shi Yun Lan couldn't use that technique—he preferred to analyze it first, and he didn't have that luxury now. He surged forward with powerful aura, striking with various techniques—(Raindrops) and (Cutting Flames)—using his combat experience and personal art. He became like a reaper demanding the life of the Dark Crow, whether through his aura or his blood destroying it from within.
Shilte felt awe at the sight but remembered Violet Night, who was fighting another crow, and went to help her. The rear lines were in chaos, but everyone noticed a sudden change—the sunlight pierced the crows' domain, signaling their defeat at last. The crows' power diminished to its lowest point, and the complete extermination of the Dark Crows began.
Shi Yun Lan had held the upper hand from the beginning; his victory was now only a matter of time. But a fiery aura surged from the side, attempting to strike the crow, accompanied by light spheres supporting the attacker—it was Shun Ranus.
Shi Yun Lan frowned as the First Prince, Jaiden Joul, appeared beside him.
"Shion, you can retreat now and receive treatment. We'll handle things from here."
His tone was commanding. Shi Yun Lan sneered, withdrew his aura, deactivated the blood harming the raven, and stepped back to observe. Events concluded quickly; he didn't bother watching and went for treatment.
He returned after ensuring everything was fine—except for his brother and the prince. Shilte and Violet, clearly impressed, welcomed him. Shi Yun Lan asked,
"Are you both alright?"
"Yes. Rona Flair recovered part of her strength and used spells rapidly while we distracted the crow. She killed it after the domain shattered."
Violet asked worriedly,
"What happened to you?"
Shi Yun Lan smiled and said,
"This is a forbidden technique. My soul is in chaos now, and I'm thinking of getting treatment."
Shi Yun Lan's presence faded, his hair returning to normal. Shion, now back in control of his body, suddenly felt weak. He heard a caw behind him—it was the crow being restrained by the prince and his brother.
Shion thought, 'To think they're this worthless… I really overestimated them.'
The Dark Raven rushed toward him, but before anything happened, a light arrow like a spear shot from afar, piercing its head. The Star Master descended, Ryan Shine, looking at Shion with a more-than-satisfied smile.
Aiten, the regional chief, declared,
"The battle is over—this is our victory!"