The Return of the Dawn!

His hand was empty, yet everyone felt as if Gu Chu was holding a sword.

But what was its shape? Its size? Was it sharp?

No one knew, not even Gu Chu himself.

But he could define it, define every aspect of the blade as he wished.

For this sword was born from his heart, and so it would naturally become whatever he envisioned.

Perhaps his Sword God was even stronger than most? After all, the state of mind of most people was unchanging. How many people in this world could alter their mental state at will as he could?

Perhaps there wasn't a single person in this world who could even quiet their mind enough to reach the preceding states.

At this thought, Gu Chu's gaze toward Bianka held a hint of pity, and a hint of anticipation.

Could such a chaotic consciousness truly learn a technique like Taixu Sword God?

If it were anyone else, Gu Chu would say no. But this was Bianka. Gu Chu could only say that he didn't know.

He hoped, more than anything, that Bianka could create a miracle.

Bianka let out a roar and charged at Gu Chu again.

Gu Chu raised his hand, the formless longsword in his grasp swinging with a light flick.

Like a physical instinct, the most appropriate sword form was released. Every move in that moment was born from the heart. Which move was most suitable? That was left to his subconscious to decide.

And a battle-hardened subconscious strikes at the weak points more directly than any carefully considered strategy.

A straight line of blood appeared in the air. Not even Bianka could react to the strike.

It was too natural, as effortless as breathing, giving no hint of its coming.

With a violent twist, Bianka struggled free of Gu Chu's attack range. Like a startled beast, she quickly retreated to a safe distance, guarding her wound as she warily watched him.

Gu Chu still held his sword with one hand. His footing, his stance, had not changed in the slightest. His relaxed, easy-going demeanor was a stark contrast to Bianka's current state.

The gap between them had materialized. A low growl rumbled in Bianka's throat, the sound of a creature facing its natural predator.

It was a sound that often symbolized weakness.

"What, not going to continue?" Gu Chu chuckled, beginning to walk toward Bianka with the pace of a casual stroll.

Bianka's body trembled violently, and she began to back away, almost in sync with his steps.

But she only took one step back before the distance between them vanished.

Gu Chu's face was no more than ten centimeters from Bianka's. He wore a triumphant smile, his eyes fixed on the deep confusion in hers.

He looked like he was smiling, but after seeing the profound bewilderment in Bianka's eyes, an unavoidable look of disappointment crossed his face.

Just as he thought, Bianka's mind was too chaotic. The lake of her heart, which should have been calm, was being battered by a storm. How could it possibly settle and become a mirror to reflect herself?

No... wait...

Gu Chu narrowed his eyes at the same moment Bianka bristled. He raised a hand to block her sudden attack, then let her retreat into the distance.

There is no mirror... or rather, the mirror in Bianka's heart that could reflect herself has been shattered beyond repair.

Her self-perception was in a state of extreme confusion.

Was I wrong? Can someone with no clear sense of self learn these martial arts, and even grasp their profound meanings?

To have such enlightenment with such a state of mind...

Could it be... it's not enlightenment?!

Gu Chu suddenly looked up, undisguised shock flashing in his eyes for the first time.

Is it bodily instinct?!

Relying purely on the body's instincts, without needing to know why, only how...

Gu Chu had thought she was like him, or perhaps even stronger.

But now, it seemed their paths were polar opposites!

Bianka grasped first, then understood. He understood first, then grasped...

The extremes of innate talent and hard-earned effort!

In that moment, a flicker of fear appeared in Gu Chu's eyes as he looked at Bianka.

Fear of her... a one-of-a-kind existence in this world.

If she could also possess the same level of enlightenment as him, what heights could she reach?

Would a second one of him appear?

Gu Chu subconsciously raised a hand to his chest. He could clearly feel a core beating there in place of his heart.

This core had filled all of his congenital deficiencies, allowing him to become who he was now.

But it was ultimately an external force. Only his enlightenment was his own.

But Bianka... this person before him was different! If her consciousness returned to clarity, she could also possess the same enlightenment as him!

As long as her consciousness was clear...

As long as...

The edge of the night had been swept away by the light. The sun was dispelling all the oppression of the darkness.

Gu Chu stood in the morning light, raised his sword, and aimed it at the distant Bianka.

This is great... He had never been so glad to have learned a technique.

Taixu Sword God, a sword born from the heart. Naturally, it could also attack the heart.

Bianka didn't need the beast within, that Honkai Beast consciousness that muddled her awareness and enlightenment...

It must die!

The formless Sword God passed through Bianka's body in an instant. It was still too fast to react to, still an unavoidable strike.

But in that instant, both Bianka and Gu Chu froze.

Not just Bianka and Gu Chu, but Himeko, everyone rushing to the scene, Otto in the base with his disheveled hair, everyone waiting for news—they all froze.

Everyone subconsciously looked to the north of the world, to that land covered in ice and snow.

The sky... had brightened.

Lost memories returned like a flood tide, surging up from the deepest parts of their souls. Everyone's consciousness plunged into a moment of chaos from the contradictions and conflicts. Even the Sword God in Gu Chu's hand dissipated in his moment of distraction.

The dying consciousness of Parvati let out a wail of post-disaster relief in Bianka's mindscape, then turned and burrowed deep into her consciousness to hide.

Frozen in place, Bianka, now back in control of her body, stared blankly at the figure that had returned to her memories.

That person who burned like a flame...

"Shu!!!" The sound that suddenly erupted from Gu Chu was filled with undisguised excitement, exhilaration, and an irrepressible impulse.

A master... an undisputed master! Stronger than him, so much stronger!!

How could he have forgotten such a master!!

Who was Fu Hua? Who was Bianka? What was Taixu Sword God? What was enlightenment and talent?!

None of it was needed, none of it!!

All he needed was Shu!