BOOM!!!!!!
Light exploded. Water, wind, and earth were torn apart in a single cataclysmic instant. Then, everything went dead silent. Nothing remained but the soft dripping of water.
As the dust slowly settled, it revealed a landscape completely plowed to ruins.
At the center, a silhouette knelt.
"…Cough…"
Van Thien's body trembled violently. Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, but his fist remained tightly clenched.
"…Uyen…"
In front of him, Bao Uyen stood motionless. The light around her was fading, the torrent of water slowing down.
"…Brother…" Her voice was barely a whisper, her eyes gradually regaining their light. "…Thien…?"
One second. Two seconds.
Her body collapsed forward. Van Thien caught her instantly.
"I'm here…"
She weakly clutched his collar.
"…I… just now…"
"It's okay." He cut her off, his voice hoarse. "…I pulled you back."
A moment of silence. The wind began to blow again.
But—
"…It's not over yet."
A distorted voice rasped. Van Thien snapped his head up.
The three shadows were still standing. The Black Slayers. Their bodies were torn apart, but they hadn't fallen.
"…Stubborn bastards…"
Van Thien let out a heavy breath, gently setting Bao Uyen down.
"…Rest here."
"Leave the rest… to me."
He stood up. Slow. But the look in his eyes had completely changed.
The three attackers charged simultaneously, holding nothing back this time.
The speedster vanished. The shield-bearer rammed straight ahead. The brute descended from above.
Three directions. Three lethal strikes.
Three directions. Three lethal strikes.
Van Thien didn't dodge. His necklace flared to life, cyan fusing with pink.
He took a step forward, his lips murmuring:
"…6%"
The cyan and pink light radiated violently around his fist.
SWISH!!
The speedster materialized behind him.
But—
THUD!!
Van Thien spun, clenching his fist, and threw a straight punch. The strike landed before the enemy could even touch him. The speedster's body shattered into black smoke.
"…?!"
The remaining two froze in shock. Van Thien kept moving forward.
The shield-bearer lunged.
CLANG!!
A massive collision. But—
CRACK!!
The heavy shield fractured. The cyan-pink light pierced straight through it.
BOOM!!
The shield-bearer was blasted into the air, his body disintegrating mid-flight. Only the brute was left. He bellowed, slamming down from above.
BOOM!!!
The fist struck, causing the ground to explode. The brute grinned maniacally.
"Got you!"
But when he looked down, Van Thien was gone. The pupils in his eyes dilated.
"…Over here."
"What the—?!"
He jerked his eyes upward.
THUD!!
A downward punch smashed straight into his head, energy detonating from within. The brute's eyes went wide before he completely dissolved.
All three were obliterated.
"…It's done…"
Van Thien exhaled. His body swayed, but he forced himself to stay upright.
Behind him, Bao Uyen watched, her gaze still trembling.
"…Brother Thien…"
An agonizing pain shot through his body, making his knees buckle. Seeing this, Bao Uyen rushed over to support him.
"Brother Thien!"
Van Thien caught her hand.
"I'm fine, just a little tired."
After a moment, his body stabilized, and his breathing leveled out. He stood up, Bao Uyen still holding tightly to his arm. He looked at her.
"I'm really okay now…" He gently placed his hand on her head. "…Don't worry."
Hearing his words, Bao Uyen threw her arms around him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry… It's my fault you got hurt."
"It's all my fault."
Van Thien held her close, softly stroking her hair.
"You are not to blame. If it weren't for you, those three would have taken me down." His gaze lowered to her tear-stained face. "You saved me."
"Thank you."
Bao Uyen squeezed him even tighter. Van Thien held her, his eyes drifting up to the sky, wondering silently:
"Is everything… really over?"
Deep inside the battleship beneath the river, the Red-Eyed Black Dragon had witnessed the entire battle. He sat down, laughing thoroughly with delight.
"Excellent… most excellent."
"The two of you… make me want to…"
His eyes glowed a deadly crimson.
"…crush you with my own hands even more now."