Inside the Fyxestroll Garden, the group was still discussing how to deal with the Tayzzyronth Furyflame.
"Furyflame may be immensely powerful, but if we can somehow split it into several fragments, there's hope of subduing it."
Cirrus couldn't out-stubborn Bertnis any longer. If she dragged this out, her flawless plan might get exposed! Business first!
"The judges really know how to play the long game. Since the mood's all set, allow me to offer a strategy. Let's head to an open area first… like that Yanle Pavilion over there."
Once they reached the pavilion Cirrus mentioned, she cleared her throat.
"Everyone knows the story of how the great Tayzzyronth Blazeheart fought the general—it was the result of countless Tayzzyronth merging into one."
"But we Tayzzyronth each carry the emotions and desires we picked up from our hosts, and we despise each other for it. None of us wants to fuse with anyone else—like having multiple personalities in one head that keep fighting."
Cirrus glanced at the perfectly innocent-looking Stelle. "Take her, for example. While I was inside her, I saw all sorts of bizarre things."
"A scorching golden sun, a cup of milk tea with a straw, a mask with no visible expression… and a flaming lance."
"So I conclude this sis has at least three—no, four—separate personalities!"
Stelle gave Cirrus a big thumbs-up. You've gotta hand it to Tayzzyronth—they can slander someone's reputation with a straight face and make it sound completely logical. She almost believed it herself!
"A powerful Tayzzyronth might swallow weaker ones and force temporary unity—like Blazeheart did. But the moment external pressure hits, that balance collapses easily."
"And look, after its big fight with the general, Blazeheart turned into… well, us."
"Triggering Furyflame to collapse… that plan might work. While it's split and weakened, the Ten-Lords Commission can seal each fragment one by one with your ritual implements."
Xueyi approved of Cirrus's strategy, but she didn't understand. "Why betray your own kind? Why help the Xianzhou that cages your kin?"
"Reason? Do Tayzzyronth always need a reason? Maybe I don't want Furyflame swallowing me. Maybe I just think that muscle-headed brute is pathetic. Maybe I want to fight the general myself…"
"Or maybe I want to trade with the Ten-Lords Commission for a promise to let me go?"
The moment the words left her, Cirrus felt two burning gazes lock onto her.
One from Bertnis, one from Stelle.
"Ten-Lords judges never make empty promises. If this crisis is resolved, I will report to the Ten Lords and return your freedom. But the outcome… I cannot guarantee."
"Ouch~" Cirrus wobbled. Why did this automaton judge sound like she was dangling a pie in the sky?
"Fine, you stubborn puppet. Guess I'll have to eat the loss today and do this COD style. Puppet, you'd better keep your word."
As the saying goes, a judge who breaks promises isn't a good judge. With so many witnesses, Xueyi couldn't back out later, right?
But… once Cirrus's plan succeeded, a mere Ten-Lords judge wouldn't be able to stop her anyway.
"Hehe~ Furyflame and I were cellmates in the furnace—we know each other inside out. It's strong, but its mind is more childish than a toddler's, completely obsessed with winning and losing. Three sentences from me, and it'll fall apart on its own."
Following Cirrus's plan, Stelle climbed to a high spot and shouted toward the opposite mountain:
"Furyflame! Furyflame—!"
A faint response echoed back from afar.
"The duel with the general is still far off. How about you and I settle who's superior first?"
A ball of spirit-flame roughly the same color as Cirrus flew over from the distant peak.
"Cirrus? You little trinket, what makes you think you can challenge me? I've turned this entire garden into my battlefield and made the Ten-Lords dogs into puppets! The moment the general arrives, we restart the war of old. Why fight a fellow Tayzzyronth now?"
Stelle planted her hands on her hips, eyes full of disdain. "Controlling a bunch of rabble doesn't prove anything. They're just small fry—hardly worth the effort."
"I'm different. By sheer luck, I seized an absolutely perfect vessel… one who drove away Phantylia, tanked a Doomsday Beast's ultimate face-first, tamed a planet's creation engine, and even serves milk tea to Aeons!"
"Improvising here. Sis, I admit I was a bit loud earlier."
Cirrus was still inside Stelle. The original plan was for her to speak through Stelle's mouth, but the milk tea and the masked guy inside refused to give her any slack and kept chasing her around.
"Huh? Why is Miss Stelle getting more and more outrageous?" Huohuo whispered from inside the pavilion. She only knew about Lord Ravager Phantylia—the rest was complete gibberish to her.
"Tch tch, according to Furyflame, all the bailiffs outside are wiped out? Useless!" Mr. Tail's concern was squarely on the Ten-Lords Commission.
"Phantylia? Now I remember! I want a vessel that good too!"
"Feel free to send your bailiff puppets after me. If they can defeat the Nameless I've possessed, I'll gladly let you swallow me and lend my strength for your great battle against the general. Deal?"
"Deal!"
The bait was cast. Now they just had to wait for Furyflame to bite.
"See? Easy."
Seeing Xueyi stay silent, Cirrus finally seized the chance to gloat.
"Yo~ Even the automaton still has a heart? Looks like none of you actually want to beat Furyflame, huh?"
"To Tayzzyronth, this is just business. Kin or colleague—doesn't matter. If it helps you win, what's off-limits?"
"Next, I'll need everyone to steel yourselves and fight Furyflame's puppets—your own colleagues."
Unable to stand Cirrus's smug face any longer, Bertnis slapped her twice—hard.
Cirrus: ???
"Why'd you hit me?!"
"Shush. All for Eternity. Take one for the team—your yapping reached HIS ears."
"Hah?!"
Cirrus looked utterly betrayed. This red-haired guy clearly just wanted to hit her! The automaton judge was right there watching—where was the justice?!
"No worries, I'll go easy on those bailiffs."
Stelle yanked off the hourglass necklace. Somehow, this thing had become her personal heliobi vacuum cleaner.
"She's only been a judge a short while and still needs experience. And please show mercy to the bailiffs under Furyflame's control."
"Mr. Tail, we're about to face some very dangerous enemies together. Please lend me your strength!" Huohuo turned and said.
"Oh~ Who knew you could sound so tough… If your legs weren't shaking like that, I might actually believe you!"
Mr. Tail eyed Huohuo's trembling knees and roasted her.
"P-please don't call me out… I only just barely worked up this tiny bit of courage! As a judge, I've been useless this whole trip—just hiding behind Miss Stelle…"
This was Huohuo's last bit of stubborn pride. The girl was finally being brave for once.
"Lady Xueyi said someone possessed by a Tayzzyronth can't be possessed again. Right now, I'm the only one who can help everyone!"
"Hah! This old man feels like a balloon this little coward just inflated! What are we waiting for—let's go!"
A great battle was about to erupt…
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