Gen managed to lift his head and look Buqu directly in the eyes. "What do you mean? I, Gen Jiang, will never be a servant to my enemies. Never." His voice was a rasp, but it did not waver.
Buqu laughed, the sound like grinding continental plates. "I love it, little boy. " Buqu turned to Bax , ", are you sure we cannot force it out of his body?"
Bax shook his head. "It will kill him and her at the same time. We can only wait for the right time."
Lorel held onto Gen's hand, her expression strained as she stared at Buqu. Now she could understand what they had felt that day. This presence, this being, was something the mind could not ignore. It left an imprint that could crush a soul too weak to bear it. Gen held her hand firmly, without looking at her. Though he was still shaken, it was not as harsh as the first time. This time, Gen dared to look at him fully without backing down. *So what if he is a Divine General? I am Gen Jiang, the son of the Immortal. I will collect his head one day.*
The Sky Ocean broke completely. A black hole swallowed them all, spitting them out of its vanishing reality.
***
Some minutes later, Gen and his group appeared in an open forest back in the real world. The air was clean, the sky vast and ordinary with four point of light into representing the still handing Damocles . Buqu looked at the others and waved a hand as if shooing flies.
"You all vanish. Only Gen is allowed to stay with me. Get out of my face now." His voice was a command that vibrated in their bones, impossible to ignore.
Kang Mao bailed his fist. He looked at Gen and Lorel. "Take care of yourselves. I have to go." Gen nodded. "I understand." Kang Mao ascended with a ripple of **Shidow** and shot toward the Kang Family estate.
Baili took a deep breath. He called out to Lorel. "Let's leave. There is nothing you can do for him here." As he spoke, he ascended with **Shidow**, having no doubt Lorel would follow his orders.
Buqu frowned slightly. Lorel was still holding Gen's hand. Liang stood rooted by his side. The fat boy was just there, staring at him. How was this even possible?
"Did you not hear what Master Bu said? Leave. All of you." Bax's voice rose in cold anger. This was his chance to prove his usefulness, to show his strength in front of Master Bu. Yet none of them moved.
Lorel spoke, her voice low, her head tilted down, but the words were clear. "I will not follow anyone other than Gen."
Chubbs bailed his fists. "Wherever my lady goes, I go. Even if I need to take a trip to hell with her… it will be a sunny hell."
Liang silently tapped Gen's shoulder. "I am his best friend. I cannot leave him."
Buqu's smile grew brighter, a terrifying sight. He took a step toward them. "Are you sure? You really want to die for him?"
His words were accompanied by a wave of Qi that spread out like a waking nightmare. Even Bax's face darkened as he felt blood rise in his throat. For Gen and the others, it was worse. They all fell to their knees, clutching their heads in agony, blood seeping from their noses and ears.
Gen wiped the blood from his nose. "Lorel. Liang. Chubbs. All of you, go now. Leave me alone."
But Liang smacked his own head, despite the pain. "I would rather die than leave you here."
Chubbs's face was pressed to the dirt, swearing heavily. He was the most affected, completely locked to the ground as if trying to kiss it. He could just say he didn't know them. That he was just passing by. Buqu would let him go. He wasn't their friend. But the Chubbs of today felt the words cling to his chest. Not that he *couldn't* say them. He *didn't want to*. This was his only real family. He had no father, no mother, no other friends. No one wanted to be associated with the fat boy. But they didn't care. So Chubbs decided to stay. At worst, he would just regret it in heaven, right? He wasn't going to hell.
On the side, Liang didn't move. He had just seen his own miracle, the fire born in him. Staying with Gen had cost him Lia. But he was his best friend. With Gen, they had been together from the very start. And until the end, they would be.
Lorel vomited blood, her face turning ghostly pale. Shelai, forced out of Gen's body, looked at Buqu with pure frustration but could do nothing. She hissed at Lorel. "Leave! It will be best for you! If you stay any longer, it will kill you!"
Gen tried to let go of her hand, but she would not accept it.
Lorel forced herself to look up at Buqu, her vision swimming. "Lorel Feng… is not scared of you. I will be there… when Gen and I cut your head off."
Buqu's eyes flickered with genuine shock.
He took another step forward. But this time, the pressure vanished completely. "I like you guys," he said, his tone almost conversational. "You can stay if you wish. But Gen must come with me. That is not a question." He turned his gaze to the translucent form of Shelai. "And you, old Milky Beast. When are we fighting?"
Shelai took one last, furious glance at him and vanished back into Gen's body without a word.
Bax, watching from the side, felt something twist in his chest. He had survived all these years by being cunning, by cutting all ties, by adapting to shifting conditions to ensure his survival. Never in his life had he witnessed something like this. Was it just youth? Or were they sincere? It was insanity. Why would someone risk their life for another? It did not make sense in this world. Did it?
Gen wiped his bleeding nose and stood up. "I need to bid farewell to Madame Su and the others first. I still need to hand over the Zenith Sky Root for Black Green Wood. To cure Lolly."
Buqu shrugged. "Whatever. But you have two days. Pass that time, and I will come look for you myself… and kill all those you call your friends."
After that, Buqu and Bax ascended into the sky. "Be here in two days," Buqu's voice drifted down before they vanished.
***
Once they were gone, Baili looked at the disappearing figures, then at this crazy group of four. He shrugged his shoulders. In his mind, he thought, *Maybe I was wrong. Lorel has not changed.* He ascended into the sky. "If something happens to her," he called down, his voice cold, "I will come back for you, Gen Jiang." Then he vanished before Lorel could process what he had just said.
Now, only Gen, Liang, Lorel, and Chubbs stood in the clearing. Covered in blood, exhausted from all the fighting, they were still here.
Lorel's and Gen's hands were still firmly held together.
Chubbs stood up with a groan and tapped Liang. "We should be looking for the way. Already."
Liang nodded, and the two of them started moving slowly forward, giving a semblance of privacy.
Gen then shifted his eyes from their joined hands to Lorel's bloody, determined face. His heart melted with a warmth that had nothing to do with the sun. It wasn't just about Lorel staying. It was about her being *here* again. Just like that day in the Forgotten Realm.
Lorel smiled, about to let go. After all, she had acted not just for him, but for herself. Still, she felt happy. She had defied a Divine General. Her heart beat faster at the sheer absurdity of the act.
Gen moved his free hand closer to her face and gently wiped the blood from her nose with his thumb.
Lorel stared blankly at him, unsure what to think. Her teenage mind raced. *What is he trying to do, getting this close already?*
Then she felt his two hands wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. Before she could say anything, she heard his voice, low and rough against her ear. "You can't put yourself in danger like this."
Lorel's hands hung at her sides like logs. The sheer absurdity of the scene overwhelmed her. *Was this really Gen Jiang?* Then she thought of all they had been through together—having sensed each other nearly naked for months, having fought side-by-side, and now this. Her barriers melted. She leaned her head onto his shoulder.
"Okay," she said softly.
That day, the barrier between them melted completely. Gen wasn't looking at her as his betrothed anymore, but as **Lorel**, the girl he liked. And Lorel was finally getting the attention, the belonging, she had asked for all these years.
The two stood in each other's embrace like a picture for a while. No other words were exchanged. There was no need for any. Although Gen hadn't said it out loud, she knew in her heart it was clear.
They were one now.