Chapter 106: The Skies of the Xianzhou Have Gone Dark
Stelle bent down and scooped up two large, blue, fuzzy clumps from the ground. They looked suspiciously like pelts.
"Look," she announced, presenting her findings. "Ape pelts."
"Alright, alright, that's enough of that," Rekka sighed, waving a dismissive hand.
Stelle made a small "oh" sound and obediently dropped the clumps. The girl was an agent of chaos, but at least she was an obedient one.
'Time to find the hidden Stellaron!' Rekka thought to himself, his inner voice booming with the dramatic flair of an old Ultraman narrator.
He stared into the seemingly empty air, then slowly, deliberately, reached out his hand.
"Rekka?" March 7th whispered, leaning closer.
"Shh."
His hand hung suspended in the space before them, his fingertips trembling almost imperceptibly.
One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Nothing happened.
And yet, Rekka's eyes lit up with a sudden spark.
"There's something here," he murmured, a grin spreading across his face. "It just touched my hand."
"What?!" March and Stelle crowded in at once. "For real?"
"For real." Rekka's fingers drifted slowly through the air, as if tracing the contours of an invisible object.
"Then grab it!" March urged.
"I can't," Rekka said, pulling his hand back. "It's like trying to catch water; it just slips away the moment I make contact. But... if I stay perfectly still, it slowly drifts closer."
He closed his eyes, concentrating. This time, he began to softly chant the Ode to Harmony.
"Universal Harmony, stars shining as one, supreme merit to praise the Lord..."
"All people are comrades, all things share one root, the wind of blessing brushes the land..."
The formless energy of the Stellaron brushed against his fingertip again. It felt like a shy, curious animal—it would flinch back at the slightest touch, only to tentatively creep forward again after a moment of stillness.
"Why do you only repeat those two lines?" March asked, tilting her head.
"Because I haven't actually memorized the full Ode to Harmony," Rekka admitted without a hint of shame. "You should be glad I didn't get the lines mixed up and start singing about the power of the earth."
The Stellaron's energy nudged his finger one more time. With his free hand, Rekka snapped the containment cube forward.
Zzzzt—HUM!
The captured Stellaron flared into existence, revealing its true form: a brilliant golden sphere radiating a blinding light. Now, however, it was sealed perfectly within the transparent cube, able to do nothing more than bounce around in futile protest.
"Whoa! You got it?!" Stelle's eyes were wide with amazement.
"Impressive. As expected of you," Dan Heng added with a nod.
"So, we shouldn't have any more problems now, right?" March asked, looking around the now-dormant chamber.
"The Stellaron is sealed, and the last dregs of the Ambrosial Arbor's power have been completely absorbed," Rekka confirmed, pocketing the cube. "We've been here long enough."
"Let's go, let's go! Little Blue Light, stop cosplaying as Nidhogg and let's move."
'Boss, that crunchy tree was delicious, hum,' a tiny voice echoed in Rekka's mind.
Dan Heng trailed behind the group, his expression heavy. Someone within the Vidyadhara is colluding with them... The thought resurfaced, a cold stone in his gut. But now was not the time to investigate. He quickened his pace, catching up to the three humans and one very satisfied bug up ahead.
Having finished digesting the overwhelming power of Abundance, Little Blue Light had shrunk back to its original form, looking far less draconic. Of course, it wasn't a case of atavism or anything so deep. More likely, gorging on Ambrosial Arbor roots tainted with the aura of Permanence had simply caused a pair of tiny dragon horns to sprout from its head.
"Can we use this as a steering wheel in the future?" Stelle asked, peering at the palm-sized creature with genuine seriousness.
Rekka shot back, "Can I use your hair as a steering wheel if you tie it into pigtails?"
"You can try," Stelle replied, her interest immediately piqued. "Go on, give it a shot."
She promptly raised her hands, her fingers deftly parting her gray hair into two equal sections. With practiced motions, she gripped the handfuls and tied them into two ponytails that hung down on either side of her head.
Stelle then turned her back to Rekka, hands clasped behind her as she presented her new hairstyle.
"It's done," she announced. "Come on, grab them and see how they feel. Check if they can be used as a steering wheel."
March 7th let out a long-suffering sigh and reached out to undo Stelle's handiwork.
"You actually did it! A girl's hair is for looking good, not for being used as a car part!"
Stepping out from the chamber that had sealed the Ambrosial Arbor, March stretched her arms high above her head.
"Man, what a trip to the Luofu. First, we get mistaken for bomb-planting terrorists, then we pilot two giant mechs for a city-wide fireworks show. And now Rekka's got the Stellaron just sitting in his pocket. I wonder how spectacular General Jing Yuan's expression will be when he sees this."
But the person blocking their path wasn't the General. It was Kafka.
"Sorry, everyone," she said, a placid smile on her face. "I'm afraid your itinerary might need a slight change."
"A change?" March repeated, her hand instinctively moving toward her bow.
"...Blade. Listen to me. Wait a moment."
A figure radiating an almost evident aura of death emerged from around the corner. It was Blade. He looked ready to lunge, to turn the corridor into a slaughterhouse, but at Kafka's quiet command, his entire body froze mid-stride.
"...Tch." A low growl escaped his throat, a sound of pure, restrained violence. He had stopped, but only just.
"Blade, calm down," Kafka's voice remained soft, yet carried an authority that permitted no argument. "I said, wait a moment."
"...I have waited long enough."
"Wait a little longer," she cooed. "Be good."
Blade's breathing grew heavy, a ragged, furious sound that filled the silence. Finally, with a visible tremor of effort, his hand released its death grip on his sword's hilt.
March 7th's gaze flickered between Blade and Kafka, finally settling on the woman's gentle, smiling face. A deep sense of vigilance bloomed in her heart.
"Weren't you supposed to be in prison?"
Kafka's smile widened slightly. "The skies of the Xianzhou have gone dark, you know? So sad." She then turned her attention to Stelle. "Long time no see. Is life on the Astral Express treating you well?"
"...Yeah. It's great," Stelle answered, her expression a complicated mix of emotions. She felt a strange sense of familiarity, a pull toward this woman, but had no idea how to bridge the gap between them.
"I've missed you a bit," Kafka said softly.
"I... I've missed you, too," Stelle admitted, the words feeling foreign on her tongue. "What exactly was I... to you all? Before?"
"Shh. That's not important right now," Kafka murmured, taking a step closer. "You have new companions and a new life. Keep walking your path, and all your questions will be answered in the future. Also... trust your companions. But you must learn to discern who your true companions are."
Her words hung in the air, leaving Stelle utterly confused. "What does that mean? Trust my companions, but discern who my true companions are?"
Kafka's smile never faltered. Her gaze shifted past Stelle, locking onto Blade. "Blade, listen to me... Release it. Go 'Mara-Struck'."
Before anyone could process the command, Blade's body convulsed. In a flash, Dan Heng and Rekka reacted. The Cloud-Piercer and a set of sharp, draconic claws intercepted the Shard Sword as it slashed down with impossible speed.
He was fast. So terrifyingly fast.
"You're in the way," Blade snarled, his eyes fixed on Rekka, who had shifted into a battle-ready form in a split second. He batted Rekka's claws aside with a brutal sweep of his sword and immediately pressed his assault on Dan Heng.
Sparks flew with every violent clash of the Cloud-Piercer and the Shard Sword. Blade's sanity was visibly eroding, his attacks growing more and more frenzied, each swing a suicidal lunge meant to trade blow for blow.
Dan Heng's breathing grew ragged as he was forced onto the defensive, narrowly dodging one fatal strike after another.
The edge of the Shard Sword slammed into the shaft of the Cloud-Piercer. Blade gripped the hilt with both hands, putting his full, unrestrained weight into the press. Dan Heng's feet slid backward across the stone floor, carving two shallow trenches in his wake.
"Escaping is useless!" Blade roared, his voice thick with madness. "I will teach you the pain of 'death'!"
His attacks were utterly devoid of defense; his chest was completely exposed, a clear target for Dan Heng's spear.
Dan Heng flipped his wrist, the spear tip flicking upward toward Blade's throat. But Blade didn't even try to dodge. He simply tilted his head, allowing the razor-sharp point to slice across his cheek, carving a gash deep enough to reveal the bone beneath.
Fresh blood dripped from his chin, but the crimson light in his eyes only burned brighter. The wound began to seal itself, the flesh knitting back together at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Calm down, Jing—!" Rekka shouted, beginning to channel a calming frequency.
"No," a voice whispered, not from Kafka's lips, but directly inside Rekka's mind. "You will listen to me."
Kafka's Spirit Whisper cut through his attempt like a knife, silencing his power before it could even take hold.
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