Morning After the Storm
The sun rose gently over the floating Sky Lotus Pavilion, its petals open wide, catching the morning light. A soft wind drifted through the corridor as Li Wei stepped out of his chamber, blinking against the golden light.
He hadn't slept.
His mind was a warzone — memories returning, feelings surging, and the system whispering constant warnings.
Still… something calmed him today.
It wasn't victory.
It wasn't the power.
It was the message he received last night.
Meet me on the Garden Terrace.
Just us.
— Yue
A Date of Blades and Blossoms
When Li arrived, Yue was already there.
She wasn't in her usual red-and-black battle attire. Instead, she wore a flowing scarlet dress with a lotus pattern, hair unbound, flowing with the wind.
She held two wooden swords in her hands.
He blinked. "I thought this was a… date?"
She smirked. "It is. You fight me. If you win, I'll answer one question truthfully. If I win, you answer one."
"Can't we just talk like normal people?"
"I'm not normal."
"…Fair."
Duel of Questions
They sparred beneath hanging blossoms.
The first clash was explosive — Yue fast and precise, Li wild and reactive.
She struck his shoulder.
"One for me," she said. "What were you thinking when Meiyu kissed your cheek?"
Li blushed. "That I was glad it was just my cheek. Otherwise… the sky might've fallen."
She laughed.
He countered with a feint and tapped her ribs.
"My turn."
She frowned. "Ask."
"Do you… actually want to kill anyone who gets too close to me?"
She hesitated.
Then, quietly: "No. But I want them to know I could."
After the Spar
They sat on the grass, breathless.
"You scare me sometimes," he admitted.
"You should be scared of losing me," she said. "Because I'm all in, Wei. If you die, I will burn this world."
He looked into her eyes.
There was no doubt.
Not madness.
Just devotion, sharpened into something terrifyingly beautiful.
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"I don't care if I win this tournament," she whispered. "I just want to be one of your reasons to fight."
System Reaction
💖 Yue Affection: 91 → 97
🔥 Bond Perk Evolved: Crimson Pact
🔒 Locked until Final Phase
System Alert:
⚠ Bond Capacity 6/6 | Affection Load 96%
⚠ Emotional Pressure Breach Detected
❗ Host is nearing the Heart Collapse Limit
Meanwhile: The Whispering Coffin
In the lower levels of the Pavilion, Scarlet Fang stood before her floating coffin.
No one else was around.
She placed her hand on the obsidian lid.
A whisper rose from within.
"He's not ready. You know this."
"And yet you grow attached."
"I don't care," she muttered. "I chose him."
The coffin pulsed — deep red light leaking from cracks.
"Then you must tell him… what you are."
Scarlet clenched her fists.
"I will."
Later: The Campfire Promise
That night, all six girls — Yue, Lana, Meiyu, Shen Ruo, Lotus, and Scarlet — sat with Li around a crackling campfire on the high terrace.
Laughter filled the air. Old rivalries momentarily forgotten.
Scarlet stood suddenly.
Everyone turned.
"I have something to say."
Li straightened. "What is it?"
Scarlet looked down.
Then back up.
"You think I'm just strange. Dark. Maybe cursed."
She placed a hand on her floating coffin.
"This… is not a weapon. It's me."
Gasps.
"I died. Five years ago. This body is a shell. The coffin holds my true form."
Silence.
Then Lana stood. "And?"
Scarlet blinked. "What?"
"I'm a human bomb reactor, Yue's half-possessed, Meiyu was a spy, and Lotus is from a vanished timeline. You're… honestly the most straightforward."
Even Yue nodded. "You're family now. Freaky or not."
Scarlet sat back down.
Li smiled.
"You're not alone anymore."
She didn't smile.
But she didn't look away either.
System Lock Warning
⚠ Reality Thread Capacity: 99%
Next Bond Event Will Trigger a System Overload
❗ Emergency Protocol Queued: "Reset Memory – Host Death Detected"
The Enemy Stirs
In the shadows beyond the Pavilion, deep in a void chamber, the cloaked figure spoke again.
"He's about to reach the limit. Once he does…"
Another voice responded — not human, not alive.
"Then it's time."
Lightning cracked.
Ending: The Final Matchup Announcement
Overseer Hu's voice echoed across the sky:
"Tomorrow begins the Elimination Grand Final."
"Your matchups will be decided… and the Supreme Disciple crowned."
He raised a scroll.
Names appeared in glowing light.
🌸 Match 1: Shen Ruo vs. Meiyu
🔥 Match 2: Yue Xiaolan vs. Lotus
⚔ Match 3: Lana Qi vs. ??? (Name sealed)
⚫ Match 4: Scarlet Fang vs. ??? (Hidden Enemy Entry)
🧧 Final Challenge: Li Wei vs. The Champion of the Arena
The crowd erupted.
But Li Wei's heart pounded.
Something was wrong.
He felt it in the system… in the sky… in the cracks between memories.
The storm wasn't coming.
It was already here.