Looking at the bewildered Tendo, Chen Xing gave him no chance to speak, immediately stating her reason.
"I just said there are two conditions for passing the assessment. One is to last three minutes against me, and the other... is to make me draw my blade."
"Since you achieved the latter, you've naturally passed the assessment."
Tendo: "..."
Although Chen Xing's explanation seemed reasonable, in reality... it wasn't reasonable at all! Because he hadn't even made a move, and Chen Xing had already drawn her blade. How was that "forcing Chen Xing to draw her blade"? The rigging was too obvious!
"That's not fair! You're clearly going easy!"
Seeing Tendo pass the assessment so easily, Uncle Kong Cheng, who had a front tooth knocked out by Chen Xing, immediately shouted, feeling indignant.
Chen Xing turned her head, giving Kong Cheng a cold glance. The threat in that look was self-evident. Sensing danger, Kong Cheng immediately, and very obediently, said: "N-no going easy... very reasonable..."
"Mm."
Chen Xing nodded, then looked at Tendo. And, uncharacteristically, she spoke in a gentle tone: "My apologies, it seems I truly misunderstood some things. I'll find an opportunity to apologize to you later. Please don't hold it against me."
With that, Chen Xing put away her demon blade and turned to walk off the stage. However, from an angle most people couldn't see, Chen Xing's hand resting on the demon blade couldn't help but tremble, and her eyes could barely conceal her excitement.
Her purpose in being the examiner was simply to seek a result. And with that single strike, she had already obtained the result she desired. What no one knew, including Tendo, was that her demon blade, Blood Flame, could not only devour the enemy's blood but also a portion of their Star Energy. Therefore, even though Tendo's disguise was excellent, Chen Xing still tasted two incredibly familiar flavors from the Star Energy her demon blade had just consumed: one of Vector Control, and another... of Stareclipse Heavenly Eye.
And in this world, there was only one person who could simultaneously meet these conditions. Absolutely no other possibility existed. Thinking of this, Chen Xing's steps even became a little lighter as she left. Her joyful mood was even noticed by the viewers outside the dimensional screen. They just didn't know about Chen Xing's 'Demon Star Intuition,' nor that her demon blade could actually devour others' 'Star Sources.'
And before today, Tendo actually didn't know that Chen Xing's demon blade had this effect either. After all, the original plot of the second season hadn't mentioned this aspect of the demon blade. But just now, Tendo saw it. He clearly saw a wisp of his Star Energy suddenly snatched away by the demon blade, like an invisible mouth. Although the snatched Star Energy wasn't much, the intelligent Tendo still guessed some of the truth. Coupled with Chen Xing's final words, Tendo was 100% certain that his true identity had been seen through by Chen Xing.
Thinking of this, Tendo sighed inwardly. After putting away his Shattered Star, he turned and walked off the stage.
Chen Xing, you're still the same as when we were kids, always finding ways to cause me trouble...
Although the captain assessment wasn't entirely over yet, Tendo's mind was completely off it now. Because he had already discerned the hidden meaning in Chen Xing's words. If his deduction was correct, Chen Xing would most likely come looking for him later, when no one else was around. Thinking of this, Tendo's head couldn't help but ache a little. The second season had just begun, but the plot development already seemed to be subtly exceeding his control.
Demon Star Intuition and a demon blade that can devour Star Energy... Tendo, completely unaware of the latter, had thoroughly lost to a lack of information this time.
Since things had come to this, he might as well try to salvage the situation.
That night, in an unknown villa in the Upper District of Steam City.
"Danica, it's late, you should go to bed."
Looking at the young Danica still watching TV, Tendo, dressed in the Fifth Squad captain's uniform, directly picked up the remote control from the table and turned off the TV, which was still playing cartoons.
Seeing her cartoon, which she was halfway through, turned off by Tendo, Danica, wearing a small-sized Association Star Envoy uniform, immediately acted cute: "Mister Tendo, just a little bit more, just a little more, please. Once I finish watching, Danica will obediently go to sleep."
Tendo tapped her forehead with his finger, ignoring her 'cuteness' used to get her way. "Kids who watch too much TV will hurt their eyes and get nearsighted. Go to sleep quickly."
Although still wanting to watch TV, young Danica finally obediently climbed off the sofa and furtively, taking three steps back for every one forward, walked towards her bedroom. Seeing the little one's expression, the experienced Tendo immediately warned: "Don't think about suddenly sneaking out at night to turn on the TV. You can't escape my perception."
"Huh?"
With her plan exposed, young Danica finally had to walk to her room with a tear-streaked face, tiptoeing to twist open her door lock.
"Then, Mister Tendo, good night."
Tendo nodded. "Good night."
After young Danica entered her room, Tendo sat on the sofa.
A moment later, he removed his 'extra glasses' from his face and ran his right hand through his hair. Instantly, his hair returned to its silvery white. Even his pupils reverted to their characteristic azure.
Clang!
The second Tendo reverted to his true appearance, a cold gleam suddenly appeared. But Tendo seemed to have foreseen it, easily catching the demon blade that ambushed him with his fingers.
"Xing, long time no see. Are you ambushing me as soon as you show up?"
As he spoke, Tendo released the demon blade. Not long after, Chen Xing emerged from the shadows of the hall. After giving Tendo, who was sitting on the sofa, a complex look, she put away her demon blade and sat down on the sofa beside him without hesitation.
"What exactly do you want, Tendo?"
Hearing this, Tendo, whose disguise had been exposed, no longer bothered beating around the bush and directly stated one of the purposes of his disguised identity.
"Xing, you must have seen young Danica's uniqueness, right?"
Chen Xing nodded, then looked in Danica's direction and said, "Others adapt to Star Energy, but she is Star Energy itself."
"I felt that from the faint Star Energy she left on you during the day."
"So, the purpose of your disguised identity is related to her?"
Tendo crossed his legs, smiling as he looked at Chen Xing, who had changed a lot since adulthood under the moonlight. "It's related, but not entirely."
"After all, my goal isn't just limited to this small Steam City."
Tendo didn't delve deeper into the topic but instead complained slightly to Chen Xing: "Xing, do you know how much trouble your actions during the day caused me?"
"My new identity, which I painstakingly created, was almost ruined by you."
Instead of apologizing, Chen Xing smiled. "Tendo, I told you when I was a kid that I would definitely keep up with you."
"This time, you carelessly let me catch your shadow, didn't you?"
Looking at Chen Xing, whose beautiful eyes sparkled and who wore a smile, Tendo was speechless for a moment. Because, as Chen Xing said, this time... he truly had revealed a flaw. And that flaw was that he had underestimated Chen Xing's talent and misjudged her persistence regarding him. If not for that, he would never have chosen to appear before Chen Xing at this time. Instead, he would have gone to the Steam Branch at a time when she wasn't present, to seek the position of Fifth Squad Captain.
However, since things had already happened, changing them was no longer possible. Just as Tendo was thinking of a way to temporarily put Chen Xing off, Chen Xing seemed to guess his thoughts and said with a serious expression: "Tendo, no matter what you plan to do this time, please be sure to take me with you."
"I missed one opportunity six years ago. This time... I won't allow myself to miss it again."
Moonlight streamed in from the French window, illuminating Chen Xing's determined profile. Seeing this, Tendo suddenly felt a little lost in thought. He remembered the 'trouble' who used to constantly challenge him to sparring matches at the base six years ago. And now, this 'trouble' had suddenly found him again after six years.
But he didn't seem to mind it at all.
Thinking this, Tendo smiled and said: "Alright, but this might be a bit of trouble for you."
"Is that so?"
Chen Xing gazed at Tendo, then suddenly smiled. "It's fine, Tendo. As long as you don't think I'm a bother."
Looking at Chen Xing's almost undisguised, direct gaze from her crimson eyes, Tendo suddenly felt a little afraid to meet her gaze. Because he realized that his script had not only been messed up by Chen Xing, but she also seemed to have unilaterally added some other things to it!
What's going on, Chen Xing, you're acting a little strange!
To conceal the strange feeling in his heart, Tendo turned his head, feigning ease: "Look at you, saying such things. I've never thought you were trouble."
Hearing this, Chen Xing chose not to expose him. After all, she was worried that she might accidentally say the wrong thing, causing this 'shadow' she had finally caught to slip away from her again.
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