Chapter Fifty: The Celebration Banquet and the Alleyway

On one side was a superhuman dragon slayer; on the other, an unpredictable lawmage from the Genesis Realm. The duel between these two extraordinary beings was a spectacle of unrivaled brilliance. They unleashed moves as simple as they were effective—uppercuts, hooks, toe stomps, elbow strikes, side kicks, headbutts—all accompanied by arcane incantations that bore an uncanny resemblance to the curses and taunts of street brawlers. It was, without doubt, the most intense and valuable one-on-one showdown of the day.

This clash of titans finally concluded when the two remaining men in the room each pulled one combatant aside. The man in the black coat sported a bruised eye, while the gray-haired man with glasses had a swollen lip. To any bystander, it was clear the match had ended in a draw.

Grumbling, they slumped into chairs around the dining table, grabbing lunchboxes and devouring their contents amid the wry smiles and eyerolls of those around them. By this time, Miss Qin was already halfway through a plate of twice-cooked pork.

"So," began Gongsun Ce, opening a box of stir-fried shredded potatoes with peppers. He wrinkled his brow, pushed the dish toward his elder brother, only to have it pushed back with a scowl. "What exactly happened this time?"

In front of Yan Qi sat a box of bitter melon with tofu skin. Without hesitation, he switched it for the spicy beef hotpot just opened by Shi Yulian, leaving Shi Yu’s hand awkwardly suspended with chopsticks poised.

"Two things got tangled together," Yan Qi said between mouthfuls. "The seal’s power is weakening. Surely you’re not so thick you haven’t noticed?"

"…I guessed as much."

Nightmares were coming more often—always the same event, repeated in dreams. At first, it seemed only psychological trauma from past events. Yet, no amount of therapy yielded relief. Even a short afternoon nap now brought the nightmares back.

After eliminating every other possibility, only one remained…

The black sword sealed within his heart was beginning to exert its influence.

"The seal was a rush job—it was never going to hold. It can’t be patched; you’ll have to die and let me reseal it," Yan Qi said, pointing his chopsticks at the young man across from him. "But before I could even start, a bunch of lunatics showed up with the Nether Dragon’s eye. I discussed it with the emperor and figured—why not handle everything at once?"

Gongsun Ce frowned. "Huh? What are you saying?"

Yan Qi flicked a piece of beef, splattering chili oil everywhere. "Think, Gongsun! Why stop the Dragon Calamity?"

"Because the dragon phenomenon brings irreversible destruction, and conventional weapons can’t harm dragons…"

Humanity could not harm dragons.

Except for those trained in the arcane arts of dragon slaying, and certain youths with abilities beyond comprehension.

"It’s not like three years ago," Yan Qi went on, chewing his beef with a grin. "Now, all the conditions to kill a dragon are in place—and the dragon about to descend is the very one you already half-killed: the Liuli Dragon. If I tamper with the energy source, how could this dragon possibly survive?"

In the Genesis Realm, Yan Qi had mitigated the dragon phenomenon, and his covert sabotage had further weakened the already frail Liuli Dragon. His unpredictable magics rendered the dragon a mere punching bag. Only one piece remained missing: the power needed to kill the dragon.

Conveniently, Tianji had come for this very reason. Everything fell into place naturally.

But, thinking of it this way…

The gray-haired youth stood, bracing himself on the table. "You were always planning to use my heart to summon the Liuli Dragon?!"

Tianji burst into laughter.

"Every advantage is in our favor—how could I let such a chance slip by? Even if some other lords arrive by accident, tonight we’ll end them for good!"

He tossed his chopsticks aside and stood. "If you truly wish to prevent tragedy, what’s the point in stopping the dragon’s descent? If it returns in another fifty or a hundred years, will we have this opportunity again? Slay every last dragon, and the Calamity will end!"

He gestured with grand oratorical flair, addressing his youthful peers with the zeal of a true believer. His eyes gleamed with arrogance and madness, but also with unshakable confidence. This man was not making excuses, nor was he deceiving himself—he believed his words utterly. He had already made this wild vision reality.

In this moment, he seemed less the childish rogue and more a figure of greatness—until Miss Qin set her chopsticks down and asked, "So, what about our hearts, the hearts of the superhumans?"

Yan Qi instantly reverted to his usual self, slouching back into his chair with one leg crossed. "Not my problem."

Qin Qianbai silently flexed her fingers, preparing to provide support.

The empire’s expert yawned lazily. "Shi Yu!"

Shi Yulian, glumly picking at bitter melon, looked up at his friends. "Mr. Yan Qi means there are some things it’s best not to know. I feel the same way."

Gongsun Ce pointed at himself. "One more question—whose heart did you just put in me?"

The lawmage picked his teeth. "Whose do you think? You want me to give you a dog’s heart?"

Mo Yuankai held back the furious superhuman.

Seizing the moment, Shi Yu hurried to explain: "I imagine it’s a cloned heart, made from your genetic material, biologically identical to your original. It might even be healthier than the original."

After this less-than-detailed explanation, his friends nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Shi Yu, you sound like you’re narrating your own chuunibyou backstory in that outfit," Qin Qianbai remarked, pulling out her phone just in time to capture Shi Yu’s attempt to block her with a raised hand. "Posting this to the school forum."

"Great idea, go for it, Miss Qin!"

"Please don’t…"

Miss Qin put away her phone, thought for a moment, then said, "I’ll send it to Cardesia instead."

"Brilliant, do it, Miss Qin!"

"Have mercy…"

Faced with his friends’ relentless bullying, Shi Yu surrendered with both hands in the air. Yan Qi cackled strangely as Mo Yuankai poured champagne into five glasses.

"Alright. Whatever the case, today’s affairs have finally drawn to a close. To say we saved the world might be a stretch, but we certainly saved this city."

The information broker raised his glass.

"There will always be more problems to solve, but frowning won’t make troubles disappear. Let’s celebrate our victory first. From today on, the Liuli Calamity is no more!"

Yan Qi accepted a glass and grinned. "See? Learn from him, all of you. To today’s victory!"

The five clinked their glasses with a crisp ring, their expressions each unique.

Someone led the toast, and in the restaurant, their voices echoed one after another.

"Cheers!"

·

In contrast to the bright, lively interior, the city also harbored regions of utter darkness.

Beneath the surface lay the dragon’s belly, a secret laboratory sealed from the world, and alleyways so shadowed not a ray of light could enter.

A man in a long robe strolled through one such alley.

"Another Shi Yu."

He halted.

At the alley’s deepest end lay a woman with black hair, her body covered in wounds.

Blood seeped steadily from her injuries, her strength ebbing away, leaving her barely able to speak.

She could only glare at her approaching enemy with unyielding black eyes.

"I want to see your manifestation."

The man in the robe drew a long blade.

Its edge was dull, the blade itself yellowed, like the last rays of sunset breaking through dark clouds—a fleeting, entrancing haze.

He addressed the dying woman.

"Let’s fight."

He didn’t point his blade at her, simply assumed a ready stance.

A gentle smile played across his lips, as if speaking to a child. He repeated to the grievously wounded woman, who could die any moment,

"Let’s fight."

"…Very well."

Shi Yu Zero struggled to her feet.

The movement was a Herculean effort. She fell again and again before, at last, she succeeded, drawing on power from deep within her heart.

"Not bad," the man murmured approvingly.

The faint gleam of his blade flickered in the darkness.

·

"Yawn~"

A blonde woman in a top hat walked out her front door, stifling a yawn.

Tonight, the Liuli Calamity had descended upon the city. It should have been an event to change countless lives, but within mere minutes, the dragon had fallen before everyone’s eyes.

Living in the Dingyi District, she hadn’t even realized what was happening at first—just a distant rumble from below and a flash of light nearby. Could it be a dragon?

She called Lianyi, but no one answered. Her worry for her friend and her curiosity overcame her fear, and she hurried toward the city center.

Only to be blocked by grim-faced men in gray.

Of course, the authorities wouldn’t let civilians interfere…

No matter how much she grumbled, she couldn’t let personal feelings hinder disaster relief. Later, Lianyi called, saying he’d been sheltering with two others. Sneaking out for fun without telling her… After scolding him, she put her phone away, looked up, and saw the crimson-black cross.

What a breathtaking sight.

Shame the gray-clad officials soon hauled her off for a medical check—so much for romance.

On the bright side, having the check early meant she wouldn’t be dragged out of her house later like the other witnesses. She comforted herself with a phrase the gray-haired youth might use, returned home bored, and only then remembered her fridge had been empty since morning.

She always drank a glass of milk before bed.

So, top hat in hand, she yawned her way down the stairs, heading to the convenience store.

"So boring~ Those three went out to have fun and left me behind…?"

Her nose twitched.

There was a strange scent in the air.

A metallic tang, sharp and out of place.

What could it be? She followed the scent to a flower bed by the roadside and found a dark, crumpled shape.

She took a closer look and discovered a black-haired woman, gravely wounded, a long gash nearly spilling her entrails.

She didn’t panic, nor did she scream—just lifted the woman’s wrist and felt a faint pulse.

Lianyi’s power was only telepathy; even he couldn’t handle this. The two other fools lived in the Thorn District—by the time they arrived, the body would be cold. The only hope now was…

She quickly dialed a number and whispered, "Senpai? Where are you now? …Just finished an emergency call in the Dingyi District? Perfect! I’ve found someone on the verge of death outside my house, the wound is… Mm-hm, I’ll start emergency treatment… Please guide me remotely… Thank you, senpai!"

Cardesia smiled as she sprang into action, worry for the stranger mingling with excitement.

Wonderful.

At last, something interesting had happened!