"Lian..." Seeing that small figure automatically levitate into the air and return to the platform, Inori couldn't help but take a few steps forward.
"Don't come near Mommy, or Anna will kill you all." Raising her head, Anna's eyes—once again black—showed faint signs of turning dark gold once more. The killing intent within them radiated tangibly, perilously.
"Anna..." Hearing her words, Inori could neither advance nor retreat. Looking into Anna's eyes, she finally stopped her steps and stood still.
"Anna, put down Big Sis." Inori didn't move forward, but that didn't mean others wouldn't. Chu Chu, who had always been hostile toward the girl who monopolized most of Chu Lian's affection the moment she appeared, could hardly bear to see her act like this now.
"Chu Chu, don't go..." A hand gently clasped her smaller one, stopping her. Turning around, she saw it was Inori.
Inori shook her head lightly. "Don't go. She really will kill you."
Chu Chu frowned slightly. "But Big Sis needs our help in this state."
Biting her lower lip, Inori said quietly, "Let's wait until Lian wakes up. Anna is very dangerous right now. If she gets angry... believe me, she'll kill us all."
Inori had thought of taking action, but deep inside, a voice kept telling her that the best thing to do now was to wait—do not do anything that might threaten Chu Lian or Anna. Otherwise, something completely unexpected would happen.
Under the voice's persistent warning, she chose not to provoke Anna. Instead, she halted her movements and gestured for the other girls to remain still.
"My Lord..." The Water Lord's figure gracefully stepped through the air and landed on the platform. Upon seeing Chu Lian in Anna's arms, joy flashed through its eyes as it moved lightly forward.
"Water Lord, don't get close to her..." Seeing it approach, Inori called out in time to warn it. But the Water Lord ignored her and continued ahead.
"Anna said, don't get close to Mommy..." Anna looked at the Water Lord with empty eyes, muttering words that made no sense to it. Then, endless black energy began to gather behind her.
"Danger..." Activating her Crystal Armor, Inori shielded Liu Yanran and Li Xiu'er. Chu Chu also immediately protected Lux Lyle and Ruriko Nana. Only the white-robed girl, who had recovered somewhat, stayed silent and floated automatically to the back, evading Anna's attack.
Boom! One explosion after another shook the air. The Water Lord was forced backward again and again, as streaks of ominous dark energy erupted from the ground and sky, all targeting it.
"Don't come near Mommy again..." After more than half a minute of continuous bombardment, Anna's assault had obliterated everything except the platform they stood on. Looking around at the gathered girls, she repeated her words softly.
When she finally ceased her attack, Inori and Chu Chu lowered their defenses and gathered the others closer, wary of what might happen next.
Cautiously stepping closer to Inori, the Water Lord's eyes fixed intently on Anna and the unconscious Chu Lian in her arms. It whispered, "My Lord..."
Even as an Earth-tier Intermediate being, the Water Lord had no chance to counterattack against Anna's relentless assault. If she hadn't stopped of her own accord, it might already have been seriously injured.
"Don't go near her. She's dangerous—more dangerous than that dragon." Inori sighed softly. She didn't understand why Anna was acting like this, but she knew they must not do anything that would irritate her. It wasn't an exaggeration—at this moment, Anna was even more terrifying than that dragon.
A faint, cold wind swept across the desolate, ruined city. It was as though all life had been drained away—silent, dead.
Dust floated in the air, forming a thin gray veil that shrouded post-war Miami in a hazy pall.
The lightning in the sky had faded, but the dark clouds still churned. The distant sound of crashing waves against the shore resembled a fragmented melody—an elegy sung for a dead city.
Most of the remaining people in Miami had already fled to the outskirts far from the battlefield, or escaped during the fighting between the two sides. Those who remained were either unable to leave or had already fallen into despair.
They hid in their homes, praying that the war would stay far away and that the giant beast would be destroyed. None dared to step outside.
The ground was littered with countless corpses, rubble, collapsed buildings, abandoned cars, and the scars of battle—destroyed tanks, wrecked aircraft, and craters left by missile strikes.
All of it—every single detail—was far more moving and heartbreaking than any scene crafted by human imagination.
Only those who have truly experienced war can understand that reality is far crueler than any game or film.
At least, until one witnesses with their own eyes a scene where corpses lie scattered like worthless, broken dolls, it's impossible to comprehend the terror within.
The dragon was dead, and with it, its oppressive aura vanished. The creatures that had fled for their lives began slowly to return.
Seagulls cried over the dark ocean, now devoid of ships or the bustle of life. Everywhere became a perch for them to rest.
A homeless dog barked and howled amid the ruins, unable to find its owner's body among the many corpses. It could only wail helplessly.
A black cat stood on the windowsill of an empty skyscraper, meowing toward the dead city.
Now, it no longer needed to worry about someone catching it for a bath, or being chased away, or having its tail pulled by children while it slept.
But why was its voice so sorrowful? You were always so proud, so disdainful of humans, so carefree, as though nothing ever mattered to you...
These small moments were but fragments of the greater tragedy that had befallen this city—echoes of devastation found everywhere.
Outside, rescue units had begun to arrive one after another. The sounds of engines and voices gradually filled the air again, breaking the silence. Before long, the military would come too.
And all of this signaled to the survivors still within the city: it was time to leave.
"Mmm..." With a soft hum, Chu Lian slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Anna's exquisitely beautiful little face. She bit her lip gently to clear her mind and asked softly, "Anna? I'm... back?"
"Yes, Mommy, it's Anna. Anna was a good girl! After finishing off those bad people, Anna came to find Mommy. Anna protected Mommy the whole way here! Mommy, Mommy, wasn't Anna very obedient?" Seeing Chu Lian awake, Anna's entire demeanor changed. Her face bloomed with a radiant smile.
She rubbed her cheek affectionately against Chu Lian's, her soft, milky voice carrying a tone that begged for praise.
"Mhm, you did well, Anna. Now, put me down." Chu Lian glanced around, then looked toward Inori and the others, quickly piecing together what had happened. Yet she didn't scold Anna. Instead, she followed her lead and gently praised her.
"Can Anna ask for a reward?" Seeing that Chu Lian hadn't addressed what she'd said earlier, Anna pouted slightly and asked in a low voice.
"Oh? What reward does Anna want?" Chu Lian smiled softly and brushed a hand over her cheek.
"Anna wants to sleep with Mommy, okay?" Her eyes shone with pure expectation—it was clear that she truly wanted this reward.
After a moment's hesitation, Chu Lian nodded lightly. "Alright. As long as Anna behaves, Mommy will reward her."
"Yay! Yay!" Getting the promise she wanted, Anna jumped with joy like a child who had just received her favorite toy. She skipped lightly over to Inori and the others, bowed politely, and said shyly, "Anna was rude just now. Please forgive Anna, big sisters."
Then she lifted her head with a strange little smile. Her lips moved silently, forming words that left Inori and the others momentarily speechless.
"Mommy belongs to Anna. None of you can take her away."
Clenching her fists tightly, Chu Chu resisted the urge to explode, gritting her teeth as she repeated Anna's silent words under her breath. "You think saying she's yours makes it so? Big Sis is Chu Chu's future wife—mine! Don't even think about touching her."
Inori could understand Chu Chu's feelings, but she herself wasn't particularly moved. It wasn't that she didn't care about Chu Lian—it was that she knew there was no point in arguing with Anna.
Anna was like a hedgehog, her entire body covered in thorns. Only before Chu Lian would she retract them, obediently allowing herself to be protected. Toward everyone else, she was the same—unfriendly, dangerous, and unstable.
It was the result of excessive self-defense. Perhaps in her heart, no one but Chu Lian could be trusted. She was afraid of something.
To break through that shell and reach her fragile heart would take a very long time and many experiences. It was almost impossible otherwise. So Inori didn't blame her.
Perhaps... I used to be like that too? She wasn't sure anymore.
"Anna, no being naughty." Of course Chu Lian knew what Anna had done, but her thoughts were the same as Inori's—this wasn't something that could be changed overnight. So rather than scold her, she simply flicked her forehead lightly.
"Hehe, Mommy, Anna was wrong." Anna stuck out her tongue, smiling brightly as she swung Chu Lian's hand playfully.
Rolling her eyes helplessly, Chu Lian let her be and stepped toward the other girls, speaking softly. "I'm back."
"Welcome back." The girls smiled in unison, their voices overlapping warmly.
Though she had technically been back for some time, she had been unconscious and monopolized by Anna. None of them could approach. Now that Chu Lian had come over on her own, it meant she was fine—and that was enough to make them happy.
"It's time for us to leave." Kurosaki Satsuki's figure appeared silently beside Chu Lian, her voice low.
She had fought alongside the Water Lord earlier, attempting to slay the last three S-class superheroes. Unfortunately, despite inflicting some damage, they managed to escape.
Afterward, she and the Water Lord had agreed that she would gather intelligence while it returned to protect the girls.
That was why she hadn't appeared earlier—she'd been out collecting information to decide when they should return.
"Yes... it's time to go." Chu Lian smiled faintly at her words.
It wasn't just that they needed to leave this place—it was also that their school trip could no longer continue.
After all that had happened, even if the school didn't recall them, their families surely would.
And besides, the Chinese embassy was here. They would never allow such gifted students to be exposed to further danger.
If she guessed correctly, the next stop would be a private jet to England for rest, and then a direct flight back home.
"Let's go..." She turned to look back at the city, her eyes filled with deep remorse. But it was already too late—what was done could not be undone.
"Master said someone's already been sent to escort us. Until then, we should stay inside the Qingping Grand Hotel and not go out." The white-clad girl approached and spoke softly.
"Alright. We'll wait for our escort before leaving." Chu Lian nodded. Since a powerful ally had already arranged everything, there was no reason to object.
"Then, I'll take my leave. There are things I must report to my master." The white-robed girl, feeling her body had recovered somewhat, bowed lightly and excused herself.
It wasn't that she didn't want to stay—it was simply that her report was confidential, something only she could convey.
"Then... may I know your name?" Seeing her about to leave, Chu Lian suddenly realized she had never asked and called out after her.
"Xu Zhijun..." The girl's gentle voice drifted like smoke. Chu Lian froze briefly, then softly repeated the name: "Xu Zhijun... A heart pledged to Xu Zhijun... what a beautiful name."
"Big Sis, she's been gone for a while. Why are you still staring?" Chu Chu's slightly jealous voice sounded beside her. Chu Lian smiled, flicking her forehead lightly. "Because her name really is lovely."
Then, ignoring Anna's faintly sulky expression, she took Inori's hand and looked toward the little figure resting on Chu Chu's shoulder. "Lazy cat, wake up. Tina, take Chu Chu, Xiu'er, Nana, and Lux with you. The Water Lord will take me, Anna, Inori, and Yanran. We're heading to that building."
Chu Lian raised her hand, pointing toward the distant skyscraper faintly visible in the haze—the Qingping Grand Hotel of Miami.
As for why the white-haired girl wasn't included—after delivering her report, she had vanished from the platform. Chu Lian could already sense that she had gone ahead to the hotel.
All Chu Lian could do was smile wryly. That girl was always like that—refusing help, stubborn to a fault. Yet somehow... endearingly so.
Awakened by Chu Lian's call, Tina could no longer laze about. Stretching with a yawn, she leapt gracefully into the air, her body shifting instantly into her combat form—the Thunderstrike White Tiger.
Following Chu Lian's instructions, the girls divided into two groups, each carried by one of the divine beasts as they set off toward their destination.
After all, with the city in this state, no one would know how they left.
Not long after they departed, a fierce gust swept across the now-empty platform.
Then—boom!—the entire structure collapsed into dust and vanished, erasing all traces of their presence.
No one knew who had tampered with it before leaving, but at least... it was for the better.