Bou~
Afterward, Medusa gently brushed away her sister's hand from her shoulder, smiling faintly.
"Crystal, why are you so anxious? I was only thanking Mr. Ye~"
"Really?" Crystal asked blankly.
The little princess seemed rather slow on this front.
"It's true."
Ye Li backed her up with a grin.
"I can feel your sister's deep gratitude~"
"Oh..." Crystal muttered. Though still a little suspicious, she didn't press further.
Standing next to Ye Li's overwhelming aura, she couldn't help but feel like the weaker one, her say diminished....
"Let's go find Blackagar. His body seems fine, but mentally... it looks like something's wrong."
The princess pointed toward the dazed figure of Black Bolt.
"No rush."
Ye Li, still entangled by Medusa's silky hair, used the excuse to pull Crystal closer. His lips brushed her cheek again.
"Just a little longer~"
"Eh? Again..."
Crystal barely reacted before her lips were sealed once more.
'Maybe... he really likes me this much...'
Her heart fluttered. Though puzzled by his persistence, she sweetly believed it was out of love.
But Ye Li's eyes slid sideways—toward Medusa.
The queen responded with a teasing smile and tightened her subtle movements in secret....
…..
Eventually, Ye Li exhaled in satisfaction, rubbing both sisters' shoulders.
"Alright. Now we can move."
"Mm~"
Medusa tucked away a few stray locks of her crimson hair, her smile graceful.
…..
Step, step...
The four walked slowly toward Black Bolt.
Crystal saw him kneeling on the ground, hollow-eyed and broken. She hesitated, unsure how to comfort him, and whispered,
"Let's go back to Earth. Attilan is destroyed, no one can live here anymore."
Suddenly Black Bolt jerked his head up—!!
"Ah...!" Crystal squealed, startled.
But Black Bolt's eyes locked onto Medusa, burning like he had glimpsed the last light of hope. His voice cracked open at last.
"Medusa... you're alive! Thank goodness!!"
At that instant, everyone's faces changed drastically—
Wen~!! ——!!
A tidal wave of destructive sound swept forth!!
Luckily, Ye Li had already activated his divine barrier, shielding Crystal, Medusa, and Iridia.
"What are you doing?!" Crystal clutched her pounding chest, pointing at Black Bolt in disbelief.
"You nearly killed us!"
"I'm sorry... I..."
In his panic, Black Bolt spoke again—
Peng~!!
Another sonic blast crashed against the divine barrier, shaking the air.
Behind Ye Li, Iridia shivered, muttering, "You did that on purpose, didn't you..."
But Black Bolt's eyes only filled with confusion.
He had trained his control—how could he lose it so easily?
"It seems the shock was too much. His mind isn't stable..."
Medusa frowned and said to Ye Li, "In this state, bringing him to Earth is too dangerous. Better leave him here and come back later."
"Alright."
Ye Li nodded.
After all, Black Bolt had reached a level where he could absorb ambient particles. He wouldn't starve or suffocate.
[No!]
Black Bolt's hands flew desperately in sign, pleading to Medusa:
[Medusa!! Don't leave with him! Don't abandon me!]
Her eyes chilled with faint disgust. She signed back sharply:
[Sorry, Blackagar. I can't take you to Earth. And if I stay here with you... I'll die.]
Then she turned to Ye Li.
"Let's go quickly. If he loses control again, it will be trouble..."
Her eyes carried an unhidden, intimate gleam—so much so that Ye Li almost laughed at the strange déjà vu.
'It really feels like Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian...'
But thinking it through— he had restored Black Bolt's men, returned him to the moon. That was kindness enough.
The rest was Black Bolt's own undoing.
Had he been more ruthless and ended his brother sooner, Attilan might not have fallen.
'From here on out, it's not my problem…'
Thinking that, Ye Li left with Crystal and the other two, vanishing from the spot.
Seeing Medusa just leave like that.
Black Bolt's signing hands froze…
And then————
"No!!————!!!"
…Rumble!!
In his unstable mental state, he let out an angry roar that leveled distant buildings…
Pain.jpg
"............."
After a long silence.
Blackagar Boltagon staggered to his feet, soulless eyes staring into nothing.
Then, like a ghost, he trudged away—step after lonely step.
"............."
Nothing more was said.