Chapter 354: Lingering Fear
Consciousness struggled to surface, fighting through the suffocating pressure of a deep, dark sea. The heavy curtain of exhaustion lifted, inch by agonizing inch.
Sensation returned first. Her body felt entirely hollowed out, carrying the deep, aching soreness of intense physical drain, yet the manic, soul-searing tearing sensation that had previously threatened to rip her mind apart had finally faded into nothingness.
Hearing followed shortly after. The distinct, echoing howl of the Hollow's ether-laced wind brushed against her ears, accompanied by an urgent, breathless voice.
"Miyabi! Miyabi, are you awake?! Oh, thank goodness! You're finally awake!"
Her vision slowly swam into focus. The blurry silhouette above her sharpened into Zhu Yuan's familiar features, her face pale and etched with raw worry.
The officer was kneeling on the rough ground, carefully supporting Miyabi's weight and letting the swordswoman's head rest securely in the crook of her arm. Zhu Yuan's eyes were rimmed with red, a clear sign of the immense psychological torment she had just endured.
Miyabi blinked, her dry, crimson eyes adjusting to the dim light. Fragments of the chaotic consciousness space still lingered in her mind. A golden figure, steady as a mountain and radiating an aura of absolute reassurance, flashed through her fragmented memories.
Subconsciously, still caught in a slight trance, she murmured, her voice hoarse and incredibly weak. "Just now... that golden figure... was it you? Wise?"
She assumed Wise had somehow bypassed the physical realm, entering her consciousness space through some unknown Proxy method to pull her back from the brink.
Operating through the small bangboo, Eous, Wise paused. The mechanical unit tilted its head, its digital eyes blinking in surprise. After a brief moment of consideration, Wise's voice crackled through the speaker with a wry chuckle. "No, Miyabi. I don't exactly have the ability to dive into someone else's consciousness. I think... that might be the manifestation of the power contained within the jade pendant you're wearing right now."
"A jade pendant?" Miyabi's brow furrowed in confusion. She searched her foggy memory, but drew a complete blank. She definitely hadn't brought any jewelry into the Hollow.
Looking down at her waist, she finally noticed it. Secured to one side of her uniform belt hung a circular jade pendant. It appeared plain and unadorned, yet it faintly shimmered with a warm, gentle luster. Right now, it emitted an extremely faint, almost imperceptible pale golden halo. A subtle, tranquil aura radiated from the smooth stone, continuously washing over her exhausted spirit and soothing her frayed nerves.
"That's a gift given to me and Belle by a..." Wise trailed off for a second, searching for the right words. "...well, let's call them a friend. Or more accurately, a highly respected senior."
"According to them, this jade pendant has the effect of guarding one's original intent and resisting the intrusion of external evils. I noticed earlier that the red fox fire was severely interfering with your mental state. So, when I tackled you into the Hollow just now, I took the opportunity to slip it onto your belt, hoping it might help stabilize you."
Miyabi listened quietly, feeling the strange, grounding sense of peace flowing from the jade. Countless questions swirled in her mind. How could a simple piece of jade possess such miraculous, ether-resistant effects? And who exactly was this mysterious 'senior' the siblings knew?
However, her body and mind had just endured a grueling, near-fatal battle. Her mental reserves were completely tapped out; she simply lacked the energy to interrogate him about the details.
She offered a gentle nod, her tone entirely sincere. "I see... Thank you, Wise."
This gratitude extended far beyond the timely gift of the pendant. It was for him and Zhu Yuan, who had completely disregarded their own safety to drag her away from the edge of destruction.
Yet, that brief moment of relief was fleeting. A much heavier, far more terrifying thought suddenly seized her chest in an icy grip. She remembered the consciousness space. To fight off the maddening whispers and alleviate the agonizing pain, she had swung her blade wildly, annihilating countless 'enemies' that had surged toward her in the dark...
Her hand shot out, gripping Zhu Yuan's arm with sudden, desperate strength. Miyabi's crimson eyes widened, flooded with an unmatched wave of pure panic. Her voice trembled violently.
"Wait! Zhu Yuan! Back in the plaza! When I lost consciousness, did I... did I use Tailless to hurt any innocent citizens?!"
The mere thought made her stomach drop. If her loss of control had resulted in civilian casualties, it would be an unforgivable sin—a stain on her honor she could never wash away. Her slender frame began to shake, tremors of pure dread racking her exhausted body.
"No! Absolutely not!" Wise interjected immediately through Eous. His tone was rock-solid, leaving absolutely no room for doubt as he sought to crush her rising terror.
"Rest assured, Miyabi! Not a single person was hurt! When Zhu Yuan and I saw your condition deteriorating—when it became clear you were about to go completely berserk—we immediately joined forces and shoved you straight into this dead-end Hollow!"
"Everything you slashed and destroyed earlier? Those were just the Ethereals wandering the Hollow, drawn in by your massive energy spikes! No innocent citizens were caught in the crossfire! You can breathe easy."
Hearing Wise's definitive assurance, the taut, overstretched strings of Miyabi's nerves finally snapped. The impenetrable, stoic shell she had forced herself to maintain shattered completely. Her tense muscles went entirely slack, as if the last dregs of her strength had been siphoned away, and she slumped softly against Zhu Yuan's chest.
"That's... that's good... thank goodness..." she murmured. A choked sob broke past her lips, the raw, trembling sound of someone who had just narrowly survived a catastrophe. She repeated the words like a mantra, desperately trying to anchor herself to the reality that everyone was safe.
An immense wave of lingering terror washed over her, a freezing tide that threatened to drown her senses. The legendary Section 6 operative—usually so calm, powerful, and utterly unrivaled with a blade—shed every ounce of her stoic disguise. Right now, she wasn't a peerless warrior; she was just an ordinary girl who had endured unimaginable fright, unable to stop the soft, broken sobs escaping her throat.
Her tears carried the heavy weight of fear—fear of her own monstrous power, dread of the catastrophic consequences of losing control, and a deep, hidden vulnerability she rarely allowed the world to see.
"It's okay. You're okay now," Wise's voice drifted through Eous, carrying a perfect blend of gentle comfort and unyielding resolve. "No matter what happens, no matter how dire the situation gets, we will always find a way to pull you back from the edge. Please, you have to believe in us."
Zhu Yuan tightened her embrace, wrapping her arms securely around Miyabi's trembling shoulders. She nodded vigorously, her voice ringing with absolute sincerity. "The Manager is right! Miyabi, you aren't alone in this! Me, the Manager, Section Chief Liu... all of us are standing right behind you! We will never let you face this darkness by yourself!"
Their firm, unwavering words acted like sunlight piercing through a suffocating storm cloud, slowly burning away the frost and terror gripping Miyabi's heart. Feeling the steady warmth of Zhu Yuan's embrace and hearing Wise's absolute guarantee, her violently fluctuating emotions began to level out.
Tears continued to streak down her cheeks, but they were no longer born of helpless dread. Instead, it was a pure, cathartic release—the overwhelming relief of surviving the storm and the deep comfort of being held up by true friends.
She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. She wanted to express her deepest, most sincere gratitude to these two who had charged into extreme danger just to save her.
However, just as she parted her lips to speak—
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The sharp, urgent alarm of an encrypted frequency blared from Zhu Yuan's specialized communicator, instantly shattering the fragile warmth and tranquility of the moment.
Section Chief Liu's voice crackled through the speaker, heavy with grim urgency. "Zhu Yuan! Proxy! The situation has gone south! We're a step too late!"
Everyone's breath hitched, their newly settled nerves instantly spiking back to high alert.
Liu didn't pause, firing off the report at a rapid clip. "Right after you tackled Miyabi into the Hollow, Bringer immediately used 'urgent official business' as a convenient excuse to abruptly terminate his public speech."
"Then, taking full advantage of the ensuing chaos and a pre-prepared body double, he shed his skin like a cicada and completely vanished off the grid! We've already raided several of his known hideouts, but we came up completely empty-handed!"
The news hit them like a bucket of ice water, shocking the group just as they had finally caught their breath. The heavy, oppressive tension came rushing right back.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me and keeps these daily updates flowing!
Want to read 50 chapters ahead or just want to help keep a shameless translator alive? (My livelihood actually depends on this, haha 😭). You can support me directly here:
(P.S. Just remove the brackets and replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]