Chapter 46: The Purple Explosion

Shigure Ren’s long and arduous journey of love had finally come to an end. After enduring countless hardships, the two beloved souls at last united, their story culminating in a grand finale amid white doves and thunderous applause—if only everything had gone so smoothly.

Alas, time cannot forever linger on the most beautiful moments. After their confession, the couple had to endure the acute awkwardness that followed and hasten to aid their friends. Meanwhile, others throughout the city were busy in their own struggles: Gongsun Ce battling fiercely in another district, Qin Qianbai chasing after someone upon receiving intel... and, of course, the weary heavyweights of the Dragonhead District sighing in exasperation.

No mistake.

Time rewinds to not long ago.

In the 66th floor of the unified office building in the Azurehead District.

Director Liu had retreated to rest, while Li Jun listened intently to his subordinates’ reports, his brows tightly knit.

Liu Zhongwu habitually called him “Little Li,” barking orders, but no one else dared address a colleague of higher rank and strength so familiarly. The clerk with thick-rimmed glasses briskly finished briefing the situation and asked, “Jun-ge, right now four dragonkind of the highest danger level have simultaneously initiated combat. Traffic in the central district is nearly paralyzed. What do you think—should we...?”

Li Jun recalled his superior’s instructions before departing.

Follow the leads, send the data to Onowell, and inform him once there’s a result.

“Inform him once there’s a result...” Li Jun pondered this phrase carefully, a plan forming in his mind.

“Let’s not rush. Our Office of Rituals primarily oversees matters related to the Fickle Law Enforcers and dragon phenomena. This is a weighty responsibility, and overstepping authority is inadvisable. Moreover, the intensity of this dragonkind clash isn’t high. According to regulations, we need not intervene.”

The clerk with thick glasses asked in surprise, “Jun-ge, you say the intensity isn’t high?”

A few friendly chuckles echoed in the conference room; the clerk shrank his neck awkwardly.

Li Jun patted his shoulder.

“Don’t mind it. You were transferred here only last year; no matter how much data you read, practical experience is lacking. Such thoughts are natural. Three years ago, before policy changes, this level of conflict was neither rare nor unusual.”

With Director Liu absent, the atmosphere in the room grew livelier, some of the less busy security officers chuckling in agreement.

“They used to fight all the way to Dragonhead District, nearly demolishing our building.”

“Nowadays, the dragonkind are far more restrained than back then!”

“The kids have grown up and become sensible~”

Li Jun waited patiently until everyone settled.

“Director Liu has been working tirelessly these past two weeks, nearly overworked. Let’s let him rest first and avoid disturbing him unnecessarily. Send this afternoon’s collected materials to Principal Onowell. The disturbances caused by dragonkind should be handled by university personnel following the usual procedures.”

He paused thoughtfully, then added, “The most important thing is to keep a close watch on the Twilight Guests... Just in case, arrange personnel from Ustus and Morton in advance. Is there a detailed report on the Twilight Guests’ itinerary this afternoon?”

“Jun-ge, only a rough route. By the time we traced half the dragonkind, they had already started fighting.”

Li Jun scanned the digital report and pointed to a small shop in the central district.

“This spot has been involved for quite a while. Xiao Zhang, you’re skilled at retrospective imaging; check it out again.”

With orders dispatched, Li Jun felt the weight in his heart. He hoped he had not misread his superior’s intentions.

·

The Crimson Meteor streaked through battle flames toward the Fierce Wing District, but this did not mean peace had returned to the central district. Two other superpowered individuals were fighting here, a one-on-one battle without third-party interference. Yet the danger level of this duel was hardly less than that of the Red Lion and the Skullhead’s clash. The combatants were also among the top-tier superpowered beings—

An enigmatic Instant Spiral and a purple energy detonator!

Look—the purple smoke lingering over the central business street was the latter’s signature technique! The purple-haired woman calling herself Dustburst leaned against a lamppost, pulling the trigger against the violet haze!

BOOM.

Explosion after explosion detonated, purple bursts erupting in succession. Seen from above, they resembled a string of grape-like circular flashes. Even the smallest spark carried the force of a grenade blast, turning the streets near the school into rubble in an instant!

The gray-haired youth had leapt into the air moments before the explosions, evading the fiercest shockwave. Kira and Mylis floated alongside him before he placed them atop a nearby rooftop.

Dustburst swayed her gun but held back, not intervening. This was the only tacit understanding between the two superpowered combatants: this fight had started because of Kira; if the aftermath harmed her, their battle would be utterly meaningless.

Neither had confidence to involve a third party and walk away unscathed. Deciding the victor was the urgent priority.

“I must say, I’m surprised! The famed Magician has come down to scrap over such a trivial matter.”

Gongsun Ce adjusted his glasses.

“Oh? A friend is about to be seized by the lab coat’s lackeys. Anyone would act. Calling it trivial is probably the view of someone without a single friend. I’m surprised too~ Most people in this city are kindhearted. Is there really such a pitiable soul?”

“Ah, don’t read my thoughts with that cynical mind of yours—”

The gray-haired youth raised an eyebrow in surprise.

“Mr. Gongsun, I was talking about friendless people. Why are you so quick to take that personally?”

Dustburst raised her pistol, firing a plume of purple smoke at the airborne superpowered youth!

BOOM.

Purple explosions erupted again! Gongsun Ce dodged while hurling several white javelins, but the woman in the baseball cap seemed to anticipate each move, evading effortlessly. She carefully maintained distance, moving unpredictably to avoid psychic restraint, confirming Gongsun Ce’s suspicion she came prepared.

She did not deny being called a lab coat’s lackey—indeed, she seemed connected to the laboratory. Considering Kira’s dossier, this Dustburst was likely an underling of the madwoman Cecil... That mad doctor hadn’t sent her pets out, only this person to handle the matter, suggesting Kira’s experiments were not of the highest level.

Purple smoke explosions aligned in a chain, new plumes billowing in the air. Dustburst opened fire again, purple flashes bursting continuously!

The deafening blasts forced Gongsun Ce to relocate once more.

Dustburst’s power was evidently this ignitable purple smoke. Her attack method involved creating smoke with firearms, then detonating it. The critical step—was it "creating smoke," or "detonating" it?

“Oh dear, oh dear. Perhaps only someone with Magician’s personality can make friends easily!” Dustburst’s voice flickered amid the blasts. “After all, I can’t call someone I’ve known only a few days a friend. Ah~ It must be because of that, right? That one?”

She shrugged, laughing scornfully.

“She’s improved her figure so well! When I first saw her, I almost didn’t recognize my own test subject! Well of course, well of course. The righteous Magician must feel responsible seeing her like that. Must protect her carefully! Otherwise, how could you make new friends?”

She deliberately emphasized “friends,” dripping with sarcasm.

“...?” Kira on the rooftop looked utterly confused, unable to fathom the nonsense.

Gongsun Ce crossed his arms exaggeratedly and took two steps back in midair.

“Madam, why are you so concerned about my choice of friends? Is this the rookie’s way of hitting on someone?”

He didn’t give Dustburst a chance to reply, shaking his head with a sigh.

“Miss Dustburst, to be honest, I have no interest in you. Your words are bitter, your methods ruthless, your facade brazen, your heart venomous, your face malevolent, your mouth foul, your hands darker still. A stench so vile seeps from your very soul, turning into black smoke that shames the fresh air of this world and self-destructs in humiliation! Truly, your wickedness matches your appearance. Pity this kind student who dares not approach!”

Mylis, on the rooftop, quietly applauded. Dustburst’s hand trembled on the gun.

“You—!”

The gray-haired youth’s expression darkened sharply as he said icily, “Angry? You bully others with impunity, slander them, and I, Mr. Gongsun, feel justified in retorting. Insulting others, maligning intentions, abusing innocents—don’t blame others for reciprocating with equal malice. Before learning manners, start with basic common sense, little player.”

Dustburst’s face darkened as she fired several rapid shots, purple smoke surging again toward the gray-haired youth!

This time, Gongsun Ce did not retaliate immediately. Using psychokinesis, he whipped up a strong wind to disperse the smoke. However—

The smoke thickened instead of fading!

“Too old-fashioned a counter, Magician?”

“I hear you like to find weaknesses before deciding the outcome? Such cunning...”

“Has no effect on my Purple Detonation!”

Dustburst grimaced, unleashing her power.

Explosions roared one after another; purple flashes blanketed the sky!

This time, Gongsun Ce was clearly on the back foot! The two onlookers watched tensely as a humanoid figure burst forth from the light. Dustburst grinned, ready to mock the youth’s injuries—

But what she saw was not a wounded youth, but a figure entirely cloaked in white! Gongsun Ce had enveloped himself in white material like armor, leaving only two prototype observation holes on his head, relying on dual defenses of white substance and psychokinesis to survive the bombardment.

He tapped his “helmet.”

“Seems my cunning still has some use.”