Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Jade and Hoolay clashed ceaselessly, small form against giant bulk, colliding madly across the district.
One instant here, the next there—each collision blasted out gales that carved craters deep into the ground.
At this point, Jade could truly fight Hoolay fifty-fifty—even surpass him in some aspects.
But Hoolay, walking the Path of Abundance, had top-tier regeneration. Coupled with his rich battle instincts and brutal, vicious skill, he pressed Jade down.
Jade had to rely on her razor-sharp perception to find chances to counter.
Suddenly, with the [Rabbit Talisman's] speed, she spotted Hoolay caught off guard, his defenses wide open. Her eyes lit.
"Heh, a chance!"
She whipped out the [Dragon Talisman]. Its energy traced a dragon's form, and a blazing fireball erupted, rushing toward Hoolay.
In that instant, he couldn't dodge. He simply raised his left arm to block.
BOOOOM—!
The blast thundered, smoke engulfing him.
Jade peered forward—
When suddenly, Hoolay tore out of the smoke. His left arm was mangled, blood pouring, half gone—yet his stride never faltered. He barreled straight for Jade.
Her eyes glowed with laser energy, about to fire—
But Hoolay flung his ruined arm, and a gush of blood splattered across her face.
The stench flooded her nose. Blood glued her eyes shut. Her laser charge was smothered.
Lacking the battle experience, Jade didn't think to switch talismans. The stench, the vision blurred—she faltered.
And Hoolay was already on top of her.
Scarlet glowed in his slit pupils. His right arm drew back like a bow, then snapped forward. Veins bulged like writhing serpents. The frenzy of Moonmadness surged. He punched Jade with devastating force.
BOOOOM—!!
Blood sprayed.
She barely crossed her hands to block before she was hurled away, smashing through house after house until slamming into a wall.
CRACK!
The wall webbed with fractures. Jade trembled, raising her bloodied hands.
Her wide eyes hardened.
Her fists clenched, stopping her fear-shakes.
With a thought, the [Horse Talisman] pulsed. Her wounds healed, clothes mended.
The only reason Hoolay hadn't rushed to finish her—others had intercepted.
He had deliberately left an opening, sacrificed his arm, and exploited her inexperience. A trap.
Still, he had to admit—though her experience was lacking, her combat sense was sharp. Without her strange abilities, he'd never have forced a flaw.
But long battle and Moonmadness had slowed his healing. He needed flesh to replenish. Jade's Shadowkhan, mere smoke, offered no nourishment.
So when he struck her flying, he immediately darted low, a black streak.
He grabbed a fallen Borisin, bit half its torso off in one gulp, and his arm began regenerating rapidly.
As Jade flew, Hoolay tracked below, building speed. At the right moment, he stomped hard, preparing to leap up and finish her.
"[Crag—Splitter—Strike]!!"
A girl's voice rang.
Yunli leapt in, sword raised, slashing down at Hoolay.
Pathetic power, he thought—but enough to break his jump.
He smashed her aside with a punch.
Bang!
Yunli was thrown faster than she had leapt.
Yanqing, Moze, Jiaoqiu, and Super Moose arrived. They knew—only Jade could fight Hoolay head-on. Their job was to buy her time.
They had nearly drawn him into the target area. Not far left now.
But Hoolay glared at the four blocking him.
"You think you can stop me?"
"Time is not yours to buy."
He blurred, vanished.
Bang! Jiaoqiu was kicked flying.
Bang! Yunli caught a fist in the gut before she could swing, sent crashing.
He snatched her massive sword—it was ordinary-sized to him. Yanqing charged, blade drawn. Hoolay hurled Yunli's sword like a javelin.
It ripped the air with a blast—striking Yanqing mid-flight.
He plummeted.
"Toot-toot-toot! Super Moose incoming!"
Moose dived from the sky, headbutting straight into Hoolay's mouth.
He bit down, spat it out.
Pffft!
Then—a sharp sting.
Moze had emerged from Hoolay's shadow, dagger stabbed deep in his belly.
But his regeneration locked the blade fast. He backhanded Moze like trash. Blood sprayed as Moze crumpled.
The gap between them was a chasm.
In canon, Hoolay had been poisoned by Jiaoqiu. Now, in full strength, he was a nightmare.
He ignored them. Only Jade mattered.
Grabbing Yanqing, he charged like a battering ram, smashing through walls and houses to reach her.
Jade had healed. Her eyes glowed, Dragon Talisman blazing.
But Hoolay held Yanqing before him as a shield.
Her pupils shrank. She hesitated.
He seized the moment, exploding in speed.
In a flash he was before her, blade swinging for her head.
His muzzle curled in a snarl, fangs bared for victory.
He didn't notice.
One eye glowed normally. The other gleamed eerie green—Phantylia's hue.
A splinter of Phantylia's soul had nested in him. She had planned to steal his body—but seeing Jade's potential, she craved hers instead.
If Jade's body were hers, with all those strange talismans—it would surpass Hoolay's by far.
She coiled, ready to strike.
Yanqing, trapped in Hoolay's hand, despaired.
Jade's vision filled with the blade. Wind roared, hair whipped, the cold edge brushed her skin—death itself looming.
The blade was an inch from her brow.
On a rooftop far off, Feixiao had gathered power to leap—but at the last instant, she let it fade, jumping down at ordinary speed.
On another rooftop, Raiden Ei stood, hand on hilt. She smiled faintly—and released the grip.
Then—
Whoosh—!
In the blink of an eye, a fighter jet with a spear-nose appeared behind Hoolay, like teleportation.
BOOM—!!
It rammed straight into his skull, drove him into the wall.
His strength collapsed. His hands opened. Yanqing dropped free. Jade, hair sliced by the missed blade, gasped hard, alive.
Both looked at the fighter.
Its wings tilted. A hatch popped a step-ladder out.
Then—red carpet rolled down, all the way to Hoolay's body.
Trumpets blared:
Toot—! Toot—! Toot—! Tooot—!
Tom emerged in full British Royal Guard uniform, trumpet in hand.
He marched a few steps, hung the trumpet in midair—it kept playing by itself.
Then pulled out a trombone.
Toot-toot—!
He left it hovering too.
Step by step, he went down, lining the staircase with floating instruments. Horns, sax, violins, oboes—an entire orchestra, played by one cat.
Music thundered.
Yevenko appeared, descending slowly, waving like a star.
Behind him, Jerry too wore a guard's uniform, rifle in hand, hat over his eyes.
At the first stair, Jerry stumbled—peeking out from under the hat to see steps, then cautiously climbed down.
By the fourth step, he slipped.
He tumbled all the way down in ridiculous poses, scrambled up, grabbed his rifle and hat, and trotted to stand on the right of the carpet.
Yevenko planted one foot on Hoolay.
He nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad. This ground's pretty soft."
He glanced around. Everyone—Borisin, Jade, Yanqing, even the Shadowkhan—stared at him.
"…Why are you all looking at me? Where's Hoolay?"
"I came here for three things: beat Hoolay, beat Hoolay, and beat Hoolay! Now get him out here!"
Jade bit her lip, face stiff.
"Uncle Ye…"
She pointed down.
"Hoolay just got killed by your fighter jet. You're standing on him."
Yevenko's eyes bulged.
"What?!!"
He flipped the carpet—there was Hoolay's body. Had the fighter really killed him?
But as he stared into those eyes—
A green flame flickered inside.
And from Hoolay's mouth came Phantylia's warped, alluring voice:
"Why?!"
"Why?! Why?!!"
"Why, wherever I go—must you stand in my way?!!"
Phantylia's shriek tore out in madness.