Facing the sudden, unannounced appearance of the blonde girl, everyone around clamped their mouths shut.
Their breathing slowed, not daring to make the slightest sound.
Gulp!
The sound of Stelle swallowing was painfully clear in the silence.
Meeting Lumine's... no, Levi's... emotionless eyes, Stelle dropped to her knees without hesitation.
She hugged the thigh of the shorter girl in front of her, smearing tears and snot all over.
Levi's gaze grew colder. "Wipe your nose on my leg again and I won't mind turning you into space junk."
Stelle's body stiffened. She turned her head toward the skirt.
"The skirt counts too."
Kneeling on the ground, eyes brimming with tears, Stelle looked up at Levi. "Big bro, I was wrong... I really was wrong!"
Levi remained unmoved.
"I was wrong, I really... "
"Stelle?"
"…"
"What did I even do wrong?!"
In an instant, the teary-eyed Stelle sprang up, rolled to her feet, and rushed over to Blade and Jingliu.
With a pitiful face, she pointed at Levi in the distance. "It's him! He's the one bullying me!"
Watching her string of actions... and the pair who had suddenly appeared... Levi fell into silence.
Why were these two here?
And how did they even get to know Stelle?
"Line up properly. No causing trouble!"
Levi glanced toward the source of the voice and saw the stall at the end of the queue. The corner of his mouth twitched.
He more or less understood why Jingliu and Blade were both here.
So Bailu was here treating patients.
As for how they got acquainted with Stelle... and judging by it, quite well...
That, Levi had no idea about.
He'd have to ask her after this was over.
Hearing Bailu's voice, Jingliu spoke calmly to the still-complaining Stelle, "This isn't a place to talk. Let's go somewhere else."
Then she raised her head and looked at the "heinous culprit" Stelle had pointed out.
"If you dare, come with me."
Her tone was cold, but there was no malice... she simply wanted a quiet place to talk things through.
"Somewhere else?" Levi twitched his lips, spreading his hands as he looked around. "Don't you think this place is bright and perfect for a conversation?"
"Hey!"
The Cloud Knights rushed over at the commotion. Levi slowly raised his right hand.
"On second thought, you're right. Too many people here."
He withdrew his earlier pretentious line.
Snap!
A crisp snap echoed through the street. By the time the Cloud Knights reached where Levi and the others had been...
There was nothing but an empty road.
———
In an unknown space filled with torii gates, Stelle clutched Jingliu's sleeve, cautiously looking around.
Jingliu had already removed the blindfold from her face, revealing a pair of crimson eyes like red gemstones.
Her thin lips parted slightly.
"For what purpose did you bring us here?"
At some point, an ice-forged longsword had appeared in her hand.
Her gaze remained fixed on Levi.
Levi slowly placed his hand over his chest, fingers curling slightly as electricity crackled to life.
"Words are pointless. Let me see what kind of strength her helper has."
Shing!
A blade radiating a strange glow was drawn from his chest and raised high above his head.
"Of all the arts, this is…"
"Musou no Hitotachi."
Facing the incoming slash, Jingliu was briefly startled. She hadn't expected him to attack without a word.
But as she sensed the power within the strike, the surprise on her face vanished... Replaced by a hint of madness.
"Heh… heh… hehahaha!"
Holding her sword in one hand, she brushed her forehead with the other, her blood-red eyes locking onto the so-called "Musou no Hitotachi."
A madman's laughter spilled from her lips.
"You... "
"I know."
Seeing Jingliu suddenly point her gaze at him, Blade felt faint pain all over his body and wisely shut his mouth.
Jingliu could grant him brief moments of peace, but without prior agreement, the most likely outcome was being tortured to death.
'Not worth it.'
Jingliu turned back, staring at the incoming slash.
There was no such thing as a Mara-struck who wasn't mad.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Under the strain, the ice sword in her hand emitted sounds of breaking. Yet as Jingliu poured more power into it, even colder energy surged forth.
The fractured blade was restored, whole once more.
"Let this round of moonlight…"
Her voice was soft and slow, like a whisper before sleep.
Blade glanced at Stelle, who was still standing beside Jingliu, unsure why she had brought her along.
Looking at her dazed expression, he thought for a moment before speaking.
"If you don't want to die, stay away from her."
Hearing that, Stelle hurriedly moved away from Jingliu, retreating with Blade to a safer distance.
She looked toward Jingliu, who stood not far away.
"Will Sister Jingliu win?"
She should, right?
Compared to Levi's actual strength, he was clearly weakened in this state.
Blade said nothing.
At that moment... A full moon appeared in the sky, its light shining down on Jingliu.
She suddenly raised her head and shouted hoarsely, "Shine upon all rivers!"
Without dodging or evading, she swung directly into the Musou no Hitotachi.
The moment the two slashes collided midair...
A deafening explosion rang out. Feeling her ears sting, Stelle immediately covered them and raised a shield in front of herself.
She casually threw one over Blade too.
"…"
When the explosion faded, Jingliu stood there unharmed.
Levi's lips twitched.
Against a top-tier fighter like Jingliu, this strike still wasn't enough.
She had blocked it with ease... Without even a scratch.
He didn't doubt that if the Raiden Shogun herself had delivered that strike, Jingliu might have handled it even more easily.
Probably wouldn't even need to use her ultimate.
After all, his version had been enhanced... stronger than the original.
Of course, it might also be because he hadn't achieved true "no-thought, no-desire" like the Raiden Shogun.
That could be why Jingliu remained completely unscathed.
"Prepare to die... "
The swing of a sword and Jingliu's voice cut off his thoughts.
He tapped the ground lightly, dodging the blade aimed at him.
Feeling a faint chill brush his neck, Levi smiled. "Keep going."
As he spoke, his eyes flicked toward Stelle, who was peeking over to watch the fight. A mysterious smile curled on his lips.
'Like watching the show?'
'I'll make sure you enjoy it.'
Even with his attention split, his body's powerful combat instincts allowed him to handle Jingliu with ease.
There wasn't much difference between them in terms of raw strength.
The same went for skill.
For a time, the battle fell into a stalemate. They exchanged blows...
Yet neither could gain the upper hand.
———
Meanwhile, in a place no one noticed, behind an unremarkable torii gate, a small head peeked out.
A faint, knowing smile hung on her lips as she stared at Stelle's back.
"Like watching the show?"
"I'll make sure you enjoy it."
"Sister Jingliu… ahh!!"
Just as Stelle was about to cheer Jingliu on, she suddenly let out a piercing scream.
Blade turned his head and saw a blonde girl who had appeared out of nowhere. He immediately drew his Shard Sword.
Before he could act, the girl smiled and waved at him.
The surrounding scene shattered like glass, sharp cracking sounds ringing out.
"!"
The ground beneath his feet suddenly vanished... along with everything else in that space.
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