Chapter 56: Big Sister, You Can't Leave

"A vale... to send you!"

Blade gave Lumina no time to recover from her shock. He instantly maxed out his stacks and unleashed an follow up attack on the spot.

A torrent of black gas erupted from Blade's body, and crimson Red Spider Lilies, symbols of death, bloomed instantly around him.

With a swing of his weapon, a scarlet arc slashed through the air.

The surrounding buildings crumbled into dust, which billowed outward, obscuring the figures of the group.

"Quick! Call the Cloud Knights!"

"Help! Murder! Save me! Save me!"

Blade held nothing back, creating such a commotion that he drew every Cloud Knight in the area to the scene.

"This is getting messy," Kafka muttered, rubbing her temples in frustration.

She glanced at Blade, now completely consumed by his frenzy, and without hesitation, fled the scene.

Blade's script had always called for him to be captured by the Cloud Knights, imprisoned in the Shackling Prison, and remain unkillable—a manageable situation.

But this woman... an anomaly outside the script, had become the sole variable.

As Kafka turned to leave, she cast one last glance at Blade.

She noticed that even under Blade's full-force assault, not a speck of dust had settled on the woman.

Realizing the vast disparity in their combat capabilities, Kafka grew worried about Blade's safety.

But remembering Blade's desire for "liberation," she hesitated for a moment before abandoning him and fleeing the scene.

Kafka's decision to abandon Blade was deliberate and rooted in practical reasons. Primarily, the woman's overwhelming power meant her remaining would serve no purpose.

Another factor was that regardless of the outcome, it seemed like a win-win situation.

If the woman decisively killed Blade, his wish for liberation would be granted.

If the Cloud Knights arrested him, the scripted events could proceed as planned.

"Hmm... I think you might have mistaken me for someone else," Lumina said, emerging from the room without a speck of dust on her clothes. She gazed at the figure radiating dark energy before her with a hint of helplessness.

"Hahaha! Prepare to die!" Blade roared, his face twisted into a bloodthirsty grin, completely ignoring Lumina's words. He raised his Fragmented Sword and charged toward her.

"Sigh..." Lumina sighed softly, her expression hardening.

"I wouldn't mind so much if you attacked me thinking I was Lumina, or even an Abundance Emanator."

"But if you're mistaking me for Shuhu... that really ticks me off."

A faint green light emanated from the tips of Lumina's hair. She extended her palm toward the frenzied Blade and gently flicked her wrist.

A palm wind passed through Blade's body, halting his advance mid-stride. He froze in place, as if time itself had stopped around him.

Crack... Crack!

In an instant, the Fragmented Sword shattered, and Blade, grievously wounded, collapsed to his knees. The red light in his eyes faded, his pupils dilated, and his muscles stiffened. He appeared lifeless.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

"As expected, brute force is the best way to resolve things," Lumina said, nodding in satisfaction as she observed Blade kneeling on the ground, seemingly dead.

Though Blade's life force had been extinguished, Lumina could sense it. His flame was rapidly condensing, likely to reignite soon.

Without further thought, Lumina released a thin green membrane that enveloped Blade completely. Then, as if flying a kite, she levitated him into the air, letting him float behind her.

After a final glance, Lumina departed from the chaotic ruins, Blade in tow.

"Hold it right there! Cloud Knight inspection! What's that thing?"

Lumina had barely stepped out of the ruins, still planning to seek out the Cloud Knights, when they found her instead.

Hearing their words, Lumina made no attempt to conceal the truth. She explained everything plainly. "This man was inexplicably stalking me, following me all the way here."

"I tried to talk to him calmly, but he attacked me without a word."

"And that's how he ended up like this."

Lumina gestured behind her at Blade, who was suspended in the air, supported by a thin green membrane.

"?"

"Are you saying... that the commotion earlier was caused by a fight between the two of you?"

The Cloud Knight glanced at Lumina, then at Blade's seemingly lifeless form floating behind her, and swallowed hard.

The disturbance had been tremendous. The Cloud Knights had assumed something had exploded, never imagining it was the result of a mere scuffle.

Lumina shook her head. "It wasn't a fight between us. He caused it all himself."

With ruins scattered everywhere, Lumina refused to take the blame.

"..." The Cloud Knight stood frozen, speechless.

A figure capable of causing such a commotion had been slain by the woman before him. Moreover, as far as the Cloud Knight knew, less than five minutes had passed since the disturbance occurred.

In other words...

"What happened here?"

Just as the Cloud Knight's mind raced with speculation, a slightly boyish voice cut through the air. Lumina turned to see a prodigious young man approaching, addressing the Cloud Knight.

"Lord Yanqing, it's like this..."

Hearing the voice, the Cloud Knight hastily repeated everything Lumina had just told him.

"Hmm... Very well. You may proceed elsewhere; I'll take charge here." Yanqing nodded at the explanation, casting a brief, impassive glance at Lumina before dismissing the Cloud Knight.

"Understood." The Cloud Knight departed immediately.

After the Cloud Knight had left, Yanqing turned his gaze to Lumina and smiled.

"Big Sister, would you mind handing over the... uh... culprit behind you to the Cloud Knights for processing?" Yanqing asked.

"Of course," Lumina replied without hesitation. She had been planning to send Blade to the Shackling Prison herself. Since the Cloud Knights were willing to handle the errand for her, she saw no reason to object.

With the membrane deactivated, Blade collapsed to the ground. Yanqing subtly gestured to several Cloud Knight Envoys nearby. They immediately understood and rushed over to take Blade into custody.

"Since there's nothing else to attend to here, I'll take my leave," Lumina said, turning to depart after the culprit had been escorted away. She still needed to find her... destined companion and couldn't afford to waste any more time.

"Wait!" Yanqing called out suddenly, stopping Lumina just as she was about to leave.

Puzzled, Lumina turned back to look at him. Sensing her gaze, Yanqing smiled warmly, his expression utterly sincere. "Big Sister, you can't leave yet," he said. "Please come with me to the Shackling Prison!"

Lumina: ...