"You... why?"
"Why? Of course—for myself." Selene's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression utterly emotionless.
"...Then, goodbye, Jade-chan—this generation's Saint of Chi."
With that, Selene's grip tightened.
There are some things—either you don't do them at all, or you make sure they're done completely.
Crack!
"Jade!" Seeing Jade's limp body go still in Selene's grasp, Tohru roared in fury. Spreading his massive arms, he charged forward.
"So eager to die? Very well... I'll let you reunite with her sooner."
Selene tossed Jade's lifeless body aside and slowly turned her gaze toward him. The violet glow of the rift's light curtain reflected in her crimson eyes, radiating a bloodthirsty gleam.
Flash Step: Instant Emission!
Buzz...
She raised her right hand. In an instant, the Honkai particles condensed and compressed into a single point of blinding violet-red light at her fingertip.
"This is my mercy—to let you die without pain."
Whoosh—
No smoke. No tremor. No explosion. Tohru's massive form simply vanished—erased completely—leaving behind only a deep, kilometer-long scar in the ground where Selene's energy beam had passed.
"Now there's only you left, old man." Turning around, Selene's cold gaze fell upon the final survivor—Uncle, frozen in shock.
"This time, it seems the yang of chi has lost to the yin... But don't get complacent. Thirty years of yin, thirty years of yang. Someday, the cycle will turn again—and you demons will fall."
"Hm?" The Honkai energy still glowed faintly at her fingertips. Selene tilted her head slightly, puzzled for a moment—then comprehension dawned.
Ah... so that's what he meant. He thought she represented the 'yin'—the accumulated darkness now rebounding after millennia.
"Heh. Indeed, this world's nature is built upon yin and yang. When yin flourishes, yang wanes. When yang flourishes, yin wanes. But I'm afraid you won't live to see the next reversal." Her tone carried an edge of mockery.
In truth, the world of Jackie Chan Adventures was one of fragile equilibrium—a cycle of yin and yang.
According to its ancient history, the first powers to emerge were the Eight Demon Sorcerers, embodiments of 'yin.' Their reign lasted for ages, unchecked and absolute. To restore balance, the 'yang' responded by birthing beings even greater—the Eight Immortals.
When the Eight Immortals finally defeated and sealed the Eight Demon Sorcerers, the yang side entered its golden age. Yet, as always, the world favored the weaker force. The longer the reign of light lasted, the more violent the darkness' eventual resurgence would become.
To preserve that delicate balance, the so-called undying Eight Immortals relinquished their divine ranks, vanishing from the world.
Thus, with the Eight Demon Sorcerers gone and the Eight Immortals departed, the world maintained a fragile peace—its equilibrium guarded by countless minor exorcists and chi masters across the globe, standing against the various evils that persisted.
From the demonic legions of the East—the Shadowkhan—to the werewolves and vampires of the West, all were products of that age. Jackie Chan Adventures simply happened to focus on the tale of the Shadowkhan.
But such balance did not last long.
When Shendu tricked his seven siblings into channeling their power to bring him back into the mortal realm, the seal of hell was broken—and the world's yin-yang balance was shattered.
Of course, Shendu being Shendu (he never keeps his promises), he immediately betrayed his siblings upon returning, seeking to rule the human world alone.
Though weakened by centuries of imprisonment, Shendu remained immensely powerful—especially compared to the mortals of the post-ancient era.
It wasn't long before he conquered much of Eurasia, rebuilding his lost intellect and strength while raising an army of his own—nurturing dragons and commanding the Shadowkhan through the Oni Masks.
Under this overwhelming wave of darkness, yin flourished once again.
But the world would not remain silent. In this time of despair, the yang responded once more. From the Lin Dynasty was born the second generation of saviors after the Eight Immortals—the Saint of Chi, a warrior named Lopei.
Empowered by chi, the fully awakened Lopei led countless chi wizards to wage war against the Fire Demon, defeating Shendu's army of dragons. When he finally stood before the demon himself, Lopei grasped the essence of balance that governed this world.
For the sake of humanity's future, he developed a sealing technique capable of defeating Shendu—one that would not destroy him completely, but rather bind him and neutralize most of the world's dark energy: the Petrification Seal.
With it, Lopei turned Shendu into the stone dragon statue—imprisoning the demon's movements and sealing his body. At the same time, the twelve immense power cores within Shendu's body were solidified into physical forms, becoming the twelve talismans we know today—the Twelve Zodiac Talismans.
Thus, because a being as overwhelmingly powerful as Shendu remained trapped within the mortal realm—occupying but never exercising his place within the hierarchy of darkness—the yin energy could no longer give birth to new demons.
As centuries passed and the Common Era began, the supernatural gradually faded from human history. Humanity rose as the dominant power, and technology flourished. Demons, warriors, and magic—all became myths of a forgotten age.
"Forget about how long I'll rule this world. The real question is—will you live long enough to see the chi reborn? More importantly..." Selene raised her hand, energy humming through her fingertips, "...I am not one of those demons born from your world's yin."
Buzz...
"I am the Honkai itself."
Having no patience left for philosophical debate, Selene unleashed her power. The violet light at her fingertip flared brilliantly.
Whoooosh—!
Moments later, Uncle too followed Tohru's fate—his body disintegrating completely under the devastating beam of Honkai energy, leaving nothing behind but dust.
To be thorough, Selene fired another blast at Jade's remains, erasing even the ashes. She would tolerate no risk of divine resurrection or Saint of Chi reincarnation nonsense.
"Now... it's harvest time."
Turning toward the rumbling San Francisco Bay, Selene gave her next command. "Honkai Legion—support Liver."
Then, as if reconsidering, she looked up at the vast violet light curtain overhead. "Assaka... it's your turn."
ROOOOAR—!!
In response to Selene's order, a tremendous soundwave swept through the air as an enormous, blue-glowing hand emerged from the rift above. With a thunderous crash, the ruined streets below were flattened completely.
Then another hand followed—this one marked with soft pink luminescence. A colossal body, several hundred meters tall, began to emerge, radiating power so immense it seemed capable of crushing the world itself.
Selene's personal creation—an Emperor-class Honkai Beast: Assaka.
"Assaka, join the assault on Jackie Chan. Ensure his total annihilation."
Receiving the command, the towering beast lowered its head with a guttural growl before turning and thundering toward the San Francisco Bay, its footsteps shaking the land.
Just as Selene prepared to depart, her enhanced vision caught several faint glints reflecting among the ruins of Section 13.
"Those... are the Talismans. So... Shendu still lingers, hm?"