"The Fragmented Sword... quite a fine blade," Lumina murmured, her fingers pinching the weapon before her in admiration.
"It's a pity the blade is already shattered..."
She shook her head and sighed, a soft green light flickering from her fingertips.
Instantly, Blade and his sword were hurled backward, his body arcing gracefully through the air.
Boom!
Blade crashed into the wall with a deafening impact, then slid down into a pile of rubble, his fate uncertain.
"Miss Lumina!"
Dan Heng, less concerned about Blade's safety and relieved to see Lumina, breathed a sigh of relief.
Even with Blade's formidable skills and persistent immortality, he likely posed little threat to an Emanator of Abundance.
"L-Lady Lumina... I... I'm alright," Yanqing stammered, still shaken from his brush with death. His perception of Lumina had undergone a radical transformation.
His gaze, once tinged with respect, now brimmed with fervent adoration.
"Good to hear," Lumina replied with a soft smile, sensing Yanqing's fervent gaze.
If Lumina's intuition was correct, she had already secured a prominent place in Yanqing's heart. Even if she hadn't quite reached the status of family to Jing Yuan, she likely wasn't far off...
"Hahahaha... Hahahaha... Hahahahaha!"
As the group chatted, Blade's manic laughter suddenly burst through the air, piercing their ears. Moments later, several massive boulders came crashing down toward them.
"It seems you still haven't grasped the disparity in our current combat power," Lumina said calmly.
She extended her palm and lightly waved it at the incoming boulders. A flash of green light streaked through the air, and the massive rocks instantly disintegrated into fine dust, vanishing into the air.
"Emanator of Abundance! Emanator of Abundance! Die! Die!"
Having dealt with the debris, Lumina saw a disheveled, crazed man with wild hair charging toward her, brandishing a blood-red sword. He looked like a lunatic who had just escaped from an asylum...
Wait a minute... isn't a Mara-Struck just another term for a lunatic? Never mind then.
"Lady Lumina, please be careful!"
The fleeting green light had soothed Yanqing's wounds and quelled his fear. Witnessing Blade's frenzied state, Yanqing hastily gripped the three-foot sword he had dropped, his knuckles white.
He stepped in front of Lumina, assuming a solemn combat stance.
"Oh? Looks like the little brother who nearly died of fright earlier has found his courage," Lumina teased, covering her mouth with a giggle as she observed Yanqing's protective posture.
"Um... Lady Lumina, shouldn't we focus on taking down Blade first?" Yanqing stammered, his ears reddening with embarrassment. Lumina's words had clearly made him uncomfortable.
Lumina chuckled, sidestepping Yanqing and advancing toward Blade. "Take down? Don't worry, we will."
"But before we finish him off, there's something crucial I need to do... to Blade."
The tips of Lumina's hair glowed faintly as she stretched her hands, a cheerful smile spreading across her face as she locked eyes with Blade.
Blade charged toward Lumina, and she walked toward him. They moved like friends rushing to embrace, their seemingly unbreakable bond prompting awe.
As they drew closer, Lumina raised her small hands, as if to give Blade a big hug.
"Hahaha... Haha haha... Hahaha!"
Blade watched Lumina approach, her outstretched hands drawing nearer, his grin widening with each step. His joyous laughter echoed through the scene.
He raised his own hands, seemingly eager to return the embrace. The crimson Fragmented Sword stood tall, as if cheering for the friendship between the two companions.
Time passed, and their friendship seemed about to converge.
Smack!
With a loud smack, Blade instantly fainted from excitement.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
Witnessing Blade's dramatic collapse, Lumina froze in shock. A flicker of "concern" for his well-being crossed her face as she frantically rained blows on him—with her hands, feet, and fists—determined to awaken his slumbering spirit.
Under Lumina's relentless assault, Blade finally opened his eyes.
His face flushed with a sickly gratitude, he raised his arms to give her a big hug, eager to thank her for rescuing him from his predicament.
But... before Blade's embrace could reach Lumina, he inexplicably fainted again.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Seeing Blade's condition, Lumina was overcome with grief. She frantically used both her hands and feet, pouring all her sincerity into trying to awaken him.
Their genuine devotion touched everyone present, compelling them to turn away, their hearts overflowing with heartfelt blessings for the pair.
"Ah... that's refreshing."
Having vented all the frustration Phantylia had caused her on Blade, Lumina felt her entire being rejuvenated.
She glanced down at Blade, who lay sprawled on the ground beneath her, fast asleep. With a gentle flick of her finger, she enveloped him in green light, slowly lifting him into the air. Then, with a graceful wave of her hand, she sent Blade arcing through the sky in a vibrant green arc back to Kafka's side.
As Blade landed beside Kafka, a shimmering green thread danced before her, as if urging her to grasp it. Without hesitation, Kafka reached out and took hold of the luminous thread.
"Hmm?" As she gripped the thread, Kafka realized she could manipulate Blade, still enveloped in green light, through the air like a kite.
"How convenient..." she murmured, impressed.
Blade's Mara-Struck condition often flared up, causing him to descend into madness. When he couldn't suppress it in time, he would often tear the house apart.
But he was always sitting there, eyes closed, cradling the Fragmented Sword and lost in thought. So Kafka had devised a method to contain him, ensuring minimal damage even when his Mara-Struck state took hold.
When it was time for missions, she would simply release him, a convenient arrangement that also kept him more subdued.
Kafka's mind raced, increasingly convinced that this approach was foolproof.
But... why does this method feel so familiar?
Her thoughts spun in circles, the nagging feeling that she had encountered this strategy somewhere before.
"Aha!" Suddenly, her wine-red eyes lit up as the memory surfaced.
The Proper Way to Care for a Mad Dog...
Kafka glanced at Blade and muttered the title under her breath. "How fitting..."