"Made it in time..." Gently holding Chu Lian in his arms, the white-clad youth showed a faint, relieved smile. He used his own body to shield the girl within his embrace, protecting her tightly.
"You didn't have to..." Chu Lian smiled weakly. She knew who he was—but now, she no longer had the strength to resist. Forget it, she thought. Let him take advantage of this one last time. After all, neither of them were likely to survive.
Zzz... The beam of light engulfed them both completely. The spiritual power forming the protective barrier around the white-clad youth's body was being rapidly consumed.
When half of his spiritual power had already been drained, he smiled again—and released the energy protecting himself, pouring it all into Chu Lian instead, letting his body take the brunt of the beam.
"So this is the end, then?" Everything fell silent. There was no fear, no terror—only stillness. Like a monk who had seen through the world's illusions, her final thought was to ask herself: if she could do it all over again, what would she choose?
"Of course I'd do the same. I'm someone upon whom countless hopes rest—someone who, even in death, would never run from her duty. I'm not one who fails." Closing her eyes, she ignored everything else, calmly awaiting the end.
"My Lord..." Suddenly, a faint tremor came from beneath her, followed by a familiar voice beside her. Her lashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes.
Before her was still the youth holding her—but the black beam had already been pushed far away. She smiled faintly. "They must have sent you... and you just followed your own will to come, didn't you?"
"I'm sorry, my Lord. But I would rather die than see harm come to you. This was my choice—it has nothing to do with them." Water Lord's voice was steady. It did not care whether Chu Lian would punish it. As long as she remained safe, that was enough.
"What a bunch of hopeless fools..." Chu Lian whispered softly. But wasn't that just as much about herself?
"Are you all right? Hang on—we'll make it through this." Suddenly, her expression changed. She turned toward the youth holding her and called out urgently.
His heart had stopped beating. Chu Lian could feel it—he didn't have much time left. Soon, he would be truly gone, beyond saving.
Ayase had just barely managed to send her a surge of spiritual power earlier to sustain the technique Divine Spirit that had activated on its own, but that remaining energy was still locked in battle against the system's enemies.
They always struck at the worst possible time—during that deadly moment of emptiness—launching their assault when Ayase could not protect her.
Now, even if she wanted to use Resurrection of the Dead, there weren't enough points to purchase it. Ayase's unique ability couldn't be used again, and the crystal coffin used to save Cai Ya could only be activated during a Dedication. That meant—if he died, it would truly be permanent.
She might not know his true identity, but Chu Lian already knew that throughout their journey across America, this youth had been protecting them in secret. Many dangers that should have required their intervention had been quietly dealt with by him.
This time too—if he hadn't drawn the dragon away, she likely wouldn't have even been able to stand here now.
Even now, he had risked his life to save her. She couldn't bear to let him die—not before she could repay him.
Before long, Water Lord carried them back to the platform where they had first departed. The girls were waiting for her there.
"Big Sis..." Chu Chu's hoarse voice trembled as it reached her. Chu Lian turned her head and smiled gently at the tear-streaked girl. "Chu Chu, wasn't your big sister amazing? I didn't let you down, did I?"
At this moment, she finally had the confidence to say that she was a worthy elder sister—someone who could proudly accept Chu Chu's title of "Big Sis."
Before, she had always feared she wasn't perfect enough—always worried that she'd fail to live up to the flawless image of "Big Sis" that Chu Chu held in her heart. That fear made her avoid getting too close, made her keep her distance.
She had wanted to wait—until she had proven herself worthy of that title, until she could lift her head high and tell her with pride that she had done it.
Now, she could finally say it with confidence—she had become exactly the "Big Sis" Chu Chu had always dreamed of. From this moment on, she could face her little sister without hesitation.
"Big Sis..." Chu Chu cried as she nodded, tears streaming down her face. She wanted so badly to tell her that in her heart, her big sister had never once fallen short of that name.
"Be good, Chu Chu. Stay here and watch—don't let anyone else come over." Chu Lian reached out and gently wiped away the tears on Chu Chu's face, then turned toward Inori, who was quietly walking over. "Inori, help me down."
"Satsuki, help me move him—I'm going to save him." With Inori's support, Chu Lian's trembling body managed to stand. She called out to Kurosaki Satsuki to help lift the white-clad youth.
The white-haired girl said nothing. She stepped forward lightly, carried the youth over, and placed him on a clean stretch of ground.
"Yanran, Xiu'er—come and help me." Chu Lian lifted her gaze toward Li Xiu'er and Liu Yanran.
"Nana, take care of Lux—and thank you." She turned next to Ruriko Nana, who hesitated for a moment.
Of course, she had noticed the protective barrier Lux Lyle had placed on her. Among all the girls, only Lux had the ability to perform such a feat.
And given Lux's current strength, for her to create a shield of such intensity—one that had reached mid-Earth tier—she must have paid a heavy price. After all, she was only a Beginner Spirit-tier girl.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. If they delayed any longer, the white-clad youth would die.
"Listen carefully. When I tell you, help me with chest compressions." Chu Lian tucked the strands of hair beside her ear behind her head, then knelt down, pried open the youth's lips, took a deep breath, and pressed her lips to his (her), beginning mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Perhaps because she had already reached mid-Earth tier, her body was far sturdier than most materials. So despite having dropped his defense for less than a second in that beam of light, his body bore no visible external wounds.
But that destructive beam—rather than simply destroying—it annihilated all it touched.
Even though he had only endured it for an instant, his body's internal structures had been ravaged. His strong regenerative ability had repaired most of the damage, but his heart had yet to restart.
This wasn't something that could be solved by energy or medicine. The only option now was manual cardiac resuscitation.
"Lian..." The girls gasped. Everyone who had been with her for long knew how deep her dislike toward men ran—she saw them as enemies, despised their very existence.
No one knew why she felt that way, but they had long accepted that Chu Lian would never show physical closeness to any man.
And yet now, they were watching her perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a young man. How could they not be shocked?
"Don't hesitate—press on his heart, quickly." Chu Lian raised her head without explaining, ordering Liu Yanran and Li Xiu'er.
"Yes..." The two girls exchanged glances, then placed their small hands upon his chest. The instant they did, both widened their eyes in shock—they finally understood why Chu Lian was doing this herself.
"Quickly..." Chu Lian urged again, her voice sharp. The two girls nodded and began pressing down rhythmically, their palms rising and falling over his heart.
"Water Lord, Satsuki—go outside. Kill anyone who dares to approach. We cannot afford interruptions right now. Inori, keep watch on the sky. If any fighter jets approach or fire missiles, shoot them down immediately. Those bastards—the dragon isn't even dead yet, and they already want to take us out. Perhaps they want to capture us for research? Over my dead body!" A violet gleam flashed in Chu Lian's eyes—this time, she was truly furious.
If not for her spiritual power being completely drained—and the need to keep performing resuscitation herself—Chu Lian would've already gone out there to destroy them personally. She despised nothing more than those who betrayed the hand that saved them.
"Stop. Wait for my signal before continuing." She turned to the two girls, calling them to pause. Taking another deep breath, she leaned forward again and sealed her lips against the youth's, continuing the life-saving breaths.
"Cough... cough... Nana, is she all right?" Ruriko Nana, who was sitting beside Lux and cradling her in her arms, suddenly felt the girl tremble. Before she could even look down, Lux's weak voice spoke.
"Yes... it seems she's only exhausted. The protection you placed on her is still active." Nana smiled softly, adjusting her position to hold Lux more comfortably, easing her strain.
"That's good... that's good. I was really worried that if something happened to her, we wouldn't know who to turn to for breaking this curse." Even with her face pale and drained of color, Lux Lyle still wore a warm smile.
Under the dim, gray sky, her golden hair shimmered in Nana's eyes, radiant—more dazzling than ever before.
This noble young lady from Britain had truly surprised her this time.
So, all along, her reserved composure had only been a shield to protect herself. But once she met someone she truly cared for, she could unleash such passion—willing to burn away her own life to help her through a crisis.
"Tell me... am I foolish?" Lux's soft voice broke the silence, her azure eyes gazing into Nana's dark ones.
"Yes... you're foolish. Foolish in a way that's adorable. Foolish in a way that makes people like you. Foolish in a way that makes people ache for you." Nana reached out and gently brushed her hand against the girl's fair cheek. Her tone carried a tender affection—genuine concern.
"You've got no right to call me foolish. You were the one kneeling on the ground, bowing over and over again! You knew full well it would act, and you still did it. Isn't that just as foolish?" Lux pouted slightly, pinching Nana's cheek with mock irritation.
"That's because I don't have abilities like yours. I can only do what I'm capable of. What can I say? My family's a martial arts clan—we don't use magic." Ruriko Nana didn't resist her teasing. When Lux tried to pull her hand away, Nana caught it and lifted it to her lips, planting a soft kiss upon it.
"Promise me... don't be that foolish again." Her words made Lux's cheeks flush crimson, but she nodded nonetheless. "I can't even if I wanted to. Until I regain the ten years of life I've lost, I can't act recklessly anymore."
"I believe you'll get them back. But even then, please... don't throw yourself away so easily." Nana said softly, her eyes drifting toward Chu Lian. She knew—Chu Lian would find a way.
"Yes... she always does." Lux smiled faintly. "She's never let anyone down... has she?"
At that very moment, a barrage of missiles suddenly launched from afar, streaking through the air toward their position.
Colonel Harland, aboard the aircraft carrier, stared at the feed showing the group of girls. He knew they weren't American—but such prodigious talents could not have come from ordinary origins. They were exceptional, perhaps even dangerous.
He couldn't let them leave. Otherwise, they might one day pose a great threat to the United States.
So, he ordered Pook to split the missile barrage in two—half aimed at the gravely injured dragon that had lost its protection, and the other half at the group of extraordinary girls—to erase them completely.
As for the consequences? For the sake of the great America, he was willing to pay the price. If responsibility had to be taken, he alone would bear it. The country would only benefit.
"Bye..." he murmured, waving to the screen. It wasn't just farewell to the girls—it was also goodbye to his own military career.
His decision was, in his mind, the right one. Against such a massive volley of missiles, even with Inori, Kurosaki Satsuki, and Water Lord among their ranks, the girls had no chance of resisting.
This time... they were truly in danger.