Above the deep crater, smoke like sheer silk slowly dispersed, revealing a sky torn by sword energy.
Strange light faintly shone through the cracks, as if another world existed beyond the firmament.
The distant sounds of fighting and the booming collision of Soul Skills faintly rolled in like a tide, only emphasizing the tomb-like silence at the bottom of the pit.
Huo Yuhao knelt on one knee, half of his body stark white bone.
He could clearly feel the Soul Power within him rapidly draining like an ebbing tide, and every inch of his skeleton groaned under the unbearable strain.
Yet, a fragmented but bright smile played on his bloodied lips—at least, they were still alive.
Bei Bei leaned against the chilling wall of the pit, holding the unconscious Tang Ya, with the faintly breathing Yae Sakura beside him.
He looked at the scene before him, a storm of complicated emotions brewing in his heart, bitterness and heaviness threatening to drown him.
His gaze finally rested on the fading Heroic Spirit, offering silent respect and mourning.
"Master, I apologize, but this is the end for me."
Siegfried's voice was still steady, but it couldn't hide the bone-deep exhaustion.
His valiant body had become transparent, the silver armor dim. The Demon Sword Balmung was angled into the ground, its light flickering like a candle in the wind.
He looked toward Dai Huabin, a fleeting trace of apology flashing in his eyes, as if expressing regret.
Then, his entire being dissolved into countless tiny black particles, like ashes lifted by an invisible wind, scattering and finally vanishing completely into the cold air—the Dragon-Slaying Hero of legend had, at last, burned out his final light and heat on this foreign battlefield, welcoming his silent finale.
Xu Sanshi stood frozen, his expression indescribably complex.
He knew clearly that had Siegfried not unleashed power beyond his limit at the last moment, rushing to their aid with his life, both he and Dai Huabin would have already been reduced to bones.
Witnessing the departure of this noble Servant, an inexpressible sense of melancholy and grief welled up from the bottom of his heart.
It was pity for the hero's end, regardless of faction, solely for that resolute spirit of daring to do what was clearly impossible, and facing death without regret.
Dai Huabin stared blankly down at the crimson Command Seal on the back of his hand.
It was fading and receding at a visible speed, like blood washed away by water. In moments, it completely vanished, his skin smooth as if no mark had ever existed.
It wasn't until the last thread of connection was severed that he violently awoke from his trance—Siegfried was truly gone, along with the contractual link, completely withdrawn from this cruel Holy Grail War.
A huge sense of emptiness instantly gripped him.
In that moment of unguarded mind—
A sudden change occurred!
A chilling, blood-red ice shard shot out of the scorched earth without warning, aimed at Dai Huabin.
It carried a biting cold capable of freezing the soul, its speed exceeding the capture of the eye, stabbing straight for Dai Huabin's heart!
"Chila—!"
The muffled sound of a blade tearing flesh was particularly jarring.
Dai Huabin only felt a chill in his chest, followed by a burst of searing pain. His vision was suddenly completely blocked by a slender but resolute dark figure.
Warm, iron-scented liquid splattered on his face and neck, instantly freezing the blood in his veins.
"Huo Yuhao! How dare you!"
Xu Sanshi's roar erupted simultaneously, the sound wave filled with unbelievable fury and shock.
He had completely failed to anticipate that Huo Yuhao would launch such a fatal sneak attack without hesitation at this moment when both sides were utterly exhausted! And with such ruthless means.
In the distance, Huo Yuhao maintained his raised hand posture. Wisps of extreme cold lingered like living things at the fingertips of his half-exposed, bone-white arm.
His icy gaze pierced through the dust, landing at the bottom of the pit. The savage smile on his lips widened, his eyes surging with the hatred suppressed for over a decade and the elation of finally unleashing it.
All the forbearance, all the pain, seemed to have found an outlet in this single strike.
"Hua... Bin... run... quick..."
Zhu Lu's voice was intermittent, faint as a gossamer thread, like a sigh about to vanish.
Her frail body was fiercely blocking Dai Huabin. The hideous blood-red ice shard had completely pierced through her back, and the sharp ice tip protruded from her chest, stained with shocking crimson.
Hot blood quickly soaked her black clothes, dripping along the edges of the ice shard, staining the cold, frozen earth with scattered, ruined blood blossoms.
She struggled to raise her eyes, gazing at Dai Huabin with boundless reluctance and tenderness. The light in her eyes, however, dimmed rapidly like a candle flame caught in the wind, finally extinguishing completely, turning into dead silence.
"Zhu Lu... No... Zhu Lu!"
Dai Huabin instinctively reached out, catching her body as it softly collapsed, rapidly turning cold.
Massive panic and despair stabbed into his mind like an ice pick, leaving his thoughts blank.
Scalding tears unexpectedly streamed from his eyes, mixing with Zhu Lu's blood on his face, tracing down in a wretched, tragic sight.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... Lu Lu..."
He futilely clutched his lifeless fiancée in his arms, whispering broken apologies over and over, his voice hoarse and weak, barely audible.
The ice shard that had pierced Zhu Lu, its momentum undiminished, ruthlessly plunged into his heart as well.
Intense pain washed over him; life force rapidly drained away.
Darkness surged into his vision like a tide.
In the instant before his consciousness completely sank into the endless darkness, he used his last bit of strength to hug Zhu Lu even tighter.
Their bodies were pressed close, their blood mingling, as if in this desperate posture, they sought to mend all the barriers, misunderstandings, and missed chances of their lives in the kingdom of death.
Xu Sanshi stood rooted to the spot, his body trembling uncontrollably.
He had never respected Dai Huabin, and could even say he intensely disliked him—this arrogant, twisted junior had coldly hired assassins to murder Huo Yuhao, and had repeatedly caused trouble for his seniors. His actions were despicable.
Yet, watching this young couple perish in such a tragic embrace, seeing the brief chance at life Siegfried had bought with his sacrifice instantly turn to naught, an indescribable, scorching fury violently overrode his reason.
No matter how much he disliked them, no matter how despicable they were, they were still his juniors from Shrek Academy, people he knew. The death of Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu completely enraged Xu Sanshi.
That noble Servant had chosen to die generously to protect them, yet what he bought with all his might, with the burning of his final light, was the reality of his Master being cruelly murdered in the blink of an eye.
How ironic! How tragic!
More importantly, whatever mistakes Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu had made in life, they were still Inner Court disciples of Shrek Academy, students who had received the guidance of the Sea God Pavilion elders.
How could he explain this to the Academy? How could he face Elder Xuan, Director Yan, and the teachers who might still be hoping for their safe return?
The heavy guilt and towering rage intertwined, threatening to burst open Xu Sanshi's chest.
He abruptly lifted his head, his crimson eyes fixed on the figure in the distance. His fists clenched tightly, the knuckles turning bone-white from extreme force.
In the deep pit, the smell of blood permeated the air. Deathly silence descended once more, but heavier and more suffocating than before.
Bei Bei sat blankly at the cold bottom of the pit, tightly embracing the unconscious Tang Ya.
His eyes were unfocused, staring at the sight nearby—the bodies of Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, embracing each other, were already cold. Their blood had congealed beneath them into a dark, icy scab, forming a cruel and silent tableau.
Huo Yuhao... killed Inner Court disciples of Shrek Academy.
This realization was like a heavy lead weight pressing on his chest, almost suffocating him.
Regardless of the reason, regardless of the personal vendettas, Huo Yuhao killing a Shrek Inner Court disciple was, in the eyes of Shrek Academy, an unforgivable high crime.
The Academy could never remain indifferent. The authority of the Sea God Pavilion could not be challenged, or how could they deter the world and comfort the hearts of their thousands of students?
From this moment on, there was only a blood feud between Shrek Academy and Huo Yuhao, a path of no return.
And what about Bei Bei himself? This "traitor" who failed to prevent the tragedy at the crucial moment, and whose position was ambiguous due to guarding Tang Ya... could he still go back to Shrek?
The Sea God Lake, which held countless memories of his growth and glory, the solemn Soul Duel Arena, the sincerely teaching Masters... perhaps all were no longer his.
The immense pain and confusion threatened to tear him apart, yet his arms holding Tang Ya showed no sign of slackening; instead, they tightened.
This was the choice he had made. The cost was heavy, and there was no turning back.
"Huo Yuhao!"
Just as the silence and despair permeated the air, a Phoenix Cry, like a thunderclap from the Ninth Heaven, tore through the sky, carrying monstrous fury from afar.
In the distance, a blazing fireball streaked closer. Ma Xiaotao was engulfed in golden-red Phoenix True Fire, her dazzling fire wings angrily spread, trailing a long wake of searing flames, like an enraged Phoenix descending upon the world.
The intense heat instantly engulfed the entire crater. The air was scorched, twisting, and boiling. The charred soil on the ground even began to melt, emitting a sharp, sizzling sound, as if they were in the core of a furnace.
Her target was clear—straight for Huo Yuhao! The all-consuming rage was enough to vaporize steel.
"We can't have that, you can't harm this Holy Son of our Church."
A clear yet strangely wicked and languid female voice leisurely sounded.
The next moment, the space seemed to ripple slightly. The figure of Crimson Douluo, Fei Yan (Crimson Nightmare), appeared out of thin air before Huo Yuhao, perfectly blocking Ma Xiaotao's unstoppable charge.
The elegant parasol in her hand snapped open with a light "shua." A bizarre and deep crimson aura, as if having devoured countless amounts of blood, flowed across the umbrella's surface.
Soul Power surged. A thick, condensed Soul Power Shield, emanating an ominous blood-red light, instantly unfolded, firmly protecting the nearly depleted Huo Yuhao, whose half-body was a gruesome sight of exposed bone, behind her.
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