Yinlin took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something, then nodded firmly at Lucian.
The next second, Lucian shot towards Dollmaker like an arrow loosed from a bow, moving at an astonishing speed.
Lacking combat experience, Dollmaker had no time to react before Lucian's fist struck his mask.
The reason Lucian didn't go for a killing blow was simple—he needed to take this one alive and hand him over to Jinzhou.
As the mask shattered, Dollmaker's hideous face was finally exposed.
It turned out that Dollmaker's collaboration with the Fractsidus had begun far earlier than Yinlin had imagined.
He had long used the Fractsidus' technology to modify his own body.
Now, clutching his injured face, Dollmaker let out a cry of extreme agony.
It was at this moment that he finally realized—these two had been secretly working together all along!
Still, he couldn't accept the fact that Yinlin had betrayed him. He demanded, "Yinlin! What are you doing?!"
Yinlin's voice was icy. "Dollmaker, give up. There's no escape for you now."
Lucian smacked the back of Dollmaker's head—he'd grown fond of the sensation.
With a smirk, he said, "Hey, Dolly, give it up. The place is swarming with patrol officers."
Dollmaker seethed with hatred. "Yinlin… you betrayed me… you traitor!"
Yinlin's expression remained impassive. "Just like my parents, I've always been a patrol officer of Jinzhou's Security Bureau… I never forgot my identity or my duty."
"They fought against evil until their last breath… trying to protect the innocent and the kind."
Dollmaker roared, "Everything I did was for Master and Mistress!"
Yinlin shook her head in disappointment. "No… you did it for yourself. To relive the fleeting warmth you once felt."
"But they're gone now. Just like everyone else's families… It's time we all woke up from the dream you forced upon us."
Dollmaker's face twisted with loathing. "I won't let you do this."
With that, he slammed a button on the control panel.
At that moment, a massive object descended slowly from the ceiling in the center of the room, suspended by mechanical claws.
Then, the claws abruptly released it—straight toward Yinlin below.
"Watch out!"
Lucian immediately activated his skill [Running in Style], pushing his speed to the limit, but it still seemed a fraction too slow.
Seeing that Yinlin wouldn't be able to dodge in time, Lucian's heart raced. Without hesitation, he unleashed [Echoing Orchestra].
A dazzling golden orb swiftly enveloped the enormous object, freezing it in a brief stasis.
It was only thanks to this momentary pause that Lucian managed to pull Yinlin out of harm's way.
Holding her delicate form tightly, Lucian shielded her as they tumbled to safety.
Behind them, the [Echoing Orchestra] detonated—but it didn't do much damage to the hulking machine.
The mechanical monstrosity crashed heavily onto the ground, shaking the entire factory and kicking up a cloud of dust.
Even with his [Shape-Shifting Garment], Lucian could feel the shockwave rattling his organs, leaving him in pain.
Gazing down at the unharmed Yinlin, Lucian asked softly, "You okay?"
Yinlin met his concerned eyes, then reached up to gently wipe away a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. "I'm fine… Thank you."
Lucian grinned mischievously. "No need to thank me. Just repay me with your hand in marriage."
This guy… Yinlin slowly closed her eyes. Even at a time like this, he's still trying to take advantage.
But considering he had just saved her, she decided to let him gloat for a bit…
Soon, the two stood up and faced the colossal machine before them.
The behemoth had no lower body—instead, a long tail of tangled wires dragged behind it, seemingly fused with its frame, twitching and writhing with every movement in a grotesque, unsettling manner.
Its right arm was a massive drill, gleaming coldly, its surface layered with thick, unyielding metal.
Its left arm, meanwhile, was a violet laser emitter.
Most striking of all was its oversized, orange-yellow head—far larger than a human's—with a single red light replacing its eyes, flickering ominously, casting a harsh, unsettling glow.
Lucian scoffed. "Damn, this hunk of junk is ugly. Just like Dollmaker."
Dollmaker snapped, "It's not a 'hunk of junk'! It's a Mech Abomination!"
Lucian picked at his ear. "A what now?"
Dollmaker: "Mech Abomination!"
Lucian: "Mech-what?"
Dollmaker (raising his voice): "Mech Abomination!"
Lucian: "Mech-a-who?"
Dollmaker took a deep breath, refusing to engage further with this infuriating brat. If he kept this up, Jinzhou's patrol officers would storm in any second.
Yinlin stared coldly at Dollmaker. "You were hiding something like this… Did the Fractsidus give it to you? As payment for using you."
Dollmaker snorted. "Using them? I was the one using them."
By now, Dollmaker had descended into madness. Though Yinlin had only ever been one of his pawns, as someone he'd raised himself, he'd never imagined she would betray him.
Furious, he leapt into the Mech Abomination's cockpit, ready to pilot the monstrosity and reduce everything to rubble.
Lucian charged forward, brandishing the Yamato, while Yinlin swiftly followed, attacking with her wire threads.
Lucian unleashed a barrage of skills on the Mech Abomination, though he held back from using [Chixiao: Shadowless]. After all, even his [Echoing Orchestra] had barely scratched it—proof of its insane durability. This was going to be a drawn-out battle.
The clash between the two warriors and the machine grew increasingly fierce, each exchange sending shockwaves rippling through the air.
Under the relentless assault of the Yamato, cracks began to spiderweb across the Mech Abomination's armored shell, unsettling the Dollmaker.
He knew that if this continued, the machine would be destroyed.
Driven to greater desperation, he pushed the Mech Abomination to its limits, trying to overwhelm Lucian and Yinlin with sheer brute force.
Yet, at this critical moment, Lucian's sharp eyes pinpointed the machine's weak spot—its oversized head.
That was its core. A direct hit there could cripple it.
Lucian watched its movements closely, waiting for the perfect opening.
Finally, as the Mech Abomination brought both arms crashing down, the opportunity arrived!
Seizing the moment, Lucian summoned all his strength and delivered a devastating slash.
The Yamato struck the machine's head with brutal force—and immediately after, Lucian activated [Echoing Orchestra] once more.
With a deafening explosion, the Mech Abomination blew apart, scattering countless broken components in all directions.
Dollmaker was caught in the blast, his body hurled through the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
Lying there, his eyes brimmed with despair and resentment.
He hadn't expected the Fractsidus' prized creation to be defeated so easily.
Gritting his teeth, he tried to rise, but his injuries were too severe.
Yinlin panted, the battle having taken its toll on her as well.
She looked down at the fallen Dollmaker. "Dollmaker… it's over. Surrender."
Dollmaker let out a furious, unwilling roar. "Grr… ah… YINLIN!!"
"WHY DID YOU BETRAY ME?!"
"This place… was the home I built! Everyone who came here was saved and transformed by my puppets! I was their savior!"
"You too! You could've been reunited with your family! WHY DID YOU STOP ME?!"
Lucian stepped forward and sneered.
"Dollmaker, you made so many puppets. But to me, you're the puppet—a puppet shackled by the past."