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===BREAK===
"Ugh..."
Miyabi gradually regained clarity, her tightly furrowed brows relaxing.
Huh, an unfamiliar ceiling.
The first thing she noticed was the wooden ceiling, accompanied by a waft of medicinal fragrance.
Ah~!
She sprang up at top speed, grabbing the crimson Sword of Red Heaven by the bedside, immediately assuming a defensive stance.
Phew...
Finding no enemies nearby, she finally relaxed.
"Miyabi, no need to be tense. You're safe now."
A familiar voice came from beside her—Zhu Yuan, her classmate and friend.
"Where am I? What happened to me?"
Zhu Yuan explained patiently, "We realized that you were the main target Bringer wanted to catch, so we tracked the prison transport to find you unconscious on the street. We originally planned to send you to the nearest hospital… but Daoist Arden arrived, and under his advice, we brought you straight to Yunkui Summit."
Belle, Qingyi, and Zhu Yuan pieced together the clues from what they knew. Miyabi had been drenched by that strange multicolored substance, causing the Tailless to go berserk, and her being taken away confirmed the situation.
On the way, they also received messages from Arden, which further confirmed their assumptions.
"While you were unconscious, you kept holding onto the Sword of Red Heaven. Daoist Arden stayed by your bedside the entire time."
"Where's Daoist Arden?"
Miyabi looked around but saw no sign of Arden. Without his help, even if she had managed to overcome the inner Hollow, it wouldn't have gone so smoothly.
"Daoist Arden said the Tailless is behind the times and needs to be reforged, so he took it with him." Zhu Yuan replied.
Phew… that's a relief.
Knowing Arden was safe, Miyabi exhaled.
…
At Yunkui Summit, in the alchemy chamber.
This was Arden's exclusive alchemy space, though it could also be used for reforging weapons.
Arden held the Tailless in his hands, pausing thoughtfully.
"Tailless, you've got potential. Once I reforged you, you'll be able to keep up with the times and regain your competitiveness."
["I'm counting on you!"]
Tailless' voice echoed faintly in his mind, now completely subdued by Arden's earlier verbal trashing.
"Heh, it's me who should be thanking you… once Miyabi and I have kids, you'll have to take good care of them too, Tailless."
That raspy mixed voice… needs some optimization!
Arden thought of using Miyabi's friend Belle's voice as a better reference.
"You were soaked in that strange substance, causing moderate corrosion and poisoning symptoms. Daoist Arden already checked and treated you, so nothing serious. But to avoid aftereffects, you need to rest well."
Zhu Yuan's words were careful. That multicolored liquid had caused the Tailless to go out of control, and if it had reached a normal person, they might have been Corrupted on the spot. Miyabi's Void Hunter body was exceptional, and her Ether Aptitude prevented major harm.
"What time is it now?"
Since the Blazewood attack, events had cascaded so quickly that Miyabi couldn't keep track, especially with the distorted sense of time in the inner Hollow.
"Right now…"
Zhu Yuan glanced at the clock. "03:12AM."
So late…
Miyabi looked outside; darkness reigned, only a few streetlights illuminating the city.
"Then… what about the election speech?"
Her personal crisis had been resolved, but the mastermind Bringer's status was still unknown.
"Belobog Heavy Industries handed the evidence to Yanagi, who then submitted it to HAND's higher-ups. Your father… Uncle Souichirou was furious about your injury and personally went to HAND, demanding that the culprit be severely punished."
Zhu Yuan explained everything.
Miyabi felt guilty that her predicament caused her father to become angry.
"Father…"
Bringer had been exposed, but it wasn't yet legal judgment; the evidence was strong but still procedural.
Of course, Bringer knew he couldn't withstand the combined scrutiny of HAND and Mayor Mayflower, so he fled, attempting to evade capture.
"This time bomb is much more dangerous than Perlman. We need to capture him as soon as possible!"
Bringer's actions reminded Miyabi of Perlman; Perlman was just a lone actor, but Bringer had immense resources and reach.
Creak~~!
At that moment, Arden stepped out.
"Don't worry. Bringer isn't getting away!"
Beep Beep Beep…
Zhu Yuan's radio went off. She answered and, after a brief conversation, her expression shifted from serious to angry.
"There's a fire on Twenty-First Street. Streets are ablaze. The Public Security must intervene and evacuate the citizens."
At this hour, people were asleep. A sudden fire could cause a disaster, and Zhu Yuan could already picture the chaos.
"It should be Bringer's doing to divert our attention. Looks like he's planning to escape New Eridu." Arden analyzed.
His reasoning was surface-level psychological analysis of criminals, but in truth… I know the plot!
It was a calculated move. Now it depended on how Public Security would act—focus on disaster relief or apprehend the criminal.
"It's okay. We have Jane. She's well connected; her underground network knows about most escape routes. If Bringer tries to leave New Eridu via transport, Jane will know. Trust her."
Zhu Yuan nodded. She had reliable allies and planned to leave Yunkui Summit to assist with the fire on Twenty-First Street.
"Tell Jane to pay special attention to Port Elpis."
"??"
Two question marks popped above Zhu Yuan's head. "Daoist Arden, do you have special intel?"
"Uh… no. I just did a bit of divination."
Divination was a perfect excuse to cover up "plot knowledge."
"I see. Got it."
Zhu Yuan accepted this explanation without hesitation; Daoist Arden's divination skills were well-known throughout New Eridu.
"Miyabi, I'm going with you!"
Miyabi grabbed the Sword of Red Heaven, ready to follow Zhu Yuan. At a critical moment like this, she had no intention of resting.
"You can't. You need to rest right now."
Zhu Yuan pulled Miyabi back into bed decisively.
If she moved intensely or entered a Hollow while poisoned and corroded by Ether, it could leave permanent damage affecting the rest of her life.
"I know my body best. I'm fine."
Stubbornly, Miyabi tried to stand again.
"You're not!"
"I am!"
Watching the two women nearly start a fight, Arden sighed.
Ugh~!
He dreaded seeing his 'harem' start pulling hair.
"Miyabi, take this. Swallowing it will mostly heal you."
Arden tossed a golden pill to her.
"This… must be precious, right?"
Miyabi caught it, examining and smelling it, immediately recognizing its value.
"Heh, consider it a wedding gift."
Arden half-joked.
"…"
Miyabi blushed slightly. She trusted Arden but thought marriage was still far off.
Zhu Yuan, standing nearby, didn't want her friend falling into trouble.
"Wedding gift?Miyabi, you can't—"
But the moment Zhu Yuan spoke, it triggered Miyabi's rebellious pride.
Gulp…
She swallowed the pill in one go.
"Zhu Yuan, now can I go with you?"
"..."
Zhu Yuan could only watch, speechless. Their quarrel was just childish stubbornness, but Miyabi had already committed; there was no turning back.
===BREAK===
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