Inside the grand hall of Shikon-den.
Chihiro Hayate wore a cold sneer as he dispassionately announced the sentence upon Bibi Tō.
Without another word, he acted immediately.
Brilliant golden holy light erupted, filling the entire hall in an instant.
"No!"
Bibi Tō's delicate face turned pale as terror gripped her. She had never expected Chihiro Hayate to actually follow through with his threat. She screamed in fear, trying to turn and flee.
True, she had once thought: If I can be with Haruto Akiyama, I'd rather give up my cultivation entirely.
But she had never wished to lose her spirit bones—to become a cripple!
If that happened, in Haruto's eyes, she would never again be the perfect version of herself.
Unfortunately…
At just over twenty years old, with cultivation barely at the level of a Spirit King, how could she resist Chihiro Hayate, a fully realized Titled Spirit Master?
In a blur, he appeared behind her, his palm striking her back with devastating force.
Bibi Tō was flung across the hall, crashing to the floor. Her beautiful face turned ashen as she spat out mouthfuls of blood.
Chihiro Hayate advanced slowly, his expression as cold as ice.
He raised his hand and pressed it against Bibi Tō's abdomen.
"No!"
Her desperate scream echoed as waves of agony tore through her.
Her soul power—her life's cultivation—was utterly abolished.
Then, Chihiro Hayate drew a gleaming sword. Without hesitation, he severed her left leg in a spray of blood.
From the wound, a silver-white radiance burst forth, condensing into form before dropping heavily onto the floor.
It was a left shin bone, glimmering silver-white and smooth as glass.
The spirit bone of a Ten-Thousand-Year Mirror-Phantom Beast.
Priceless beyond measure!
Though Chihiro Hayate could not absorb it himself—lest he risk the disfavor of the divine Angelic Armament—he knew it could vastly empower other high-ranking elders: the Golden Crocodile, the Blue Phoenix, even the Lion Guardian.
Years ago, both Chidō Ryū and Chihiro Hayate had agreed, along with the temple guardians, to gift this precious spirit bone to Bibi Tō, betting on her as the future of Shikon-den.
But now it was clear…
That bet had been a mistake.
For such an ungrateful, selfish traitor, she was utterly unworthy of such a treasure!
Having stripped her leg bone, Chihiro Hayate halted her bleeding with holy light, then rolled her frail body over.
This time, his target was her External Spirit Bone — Six-Winged Violet Light Wings.
With his sword, he sliced open her back.
Bibi Tō's agonized screams filled the hall as Chihiro Hayate wrenched the wings from her flesh.
Fortunately, she had acquired them only half a year ago. They had yet to fully fuse with her, allowing him to tear them free by force.
Finally, with the divine sealing art he had gained from the sacred system, he locked away the entirety of her memories tied to Shikon-den—its secrets, techniques, and knowledge.
When it was done, Bibi Tō lay sprawled on the ground, drenched in blood. Her body was broken, her back torn open, her spirit crushed. Only her eyes remained alive, blazing red with hatred and venom.
Chihiro Hayate sneered down at her.
"Enough. What you owed Shikon-den, you've paid. From now on, there is no connection between us."
"You are free to pursue your so-called happiness."
"Guards!"
Several temple warriors entered.
Chihiro Hayate pointed coldly at the broken figure on the floor.
"Take her away."
"See that her wounds are treated… then cast her out of Shikon-den."
"And send her away together with that useless wretch, Haruto Akiyama!"
"Yes, Your Holiness!"
The guards had seen it all—the ungrateful betrayal, the selfish arrogance.
For the sake of some worthless man of an enemy clan, she had dared to abandon Shikon-den.
Disgust twisted their faces as they lifted her body.
After treating her enough to keep her alive, they carried her out.
Bibi Tō and Haruto Akiyama—both were to be expelled from Dōra-den City.
On the road, the guards muttered in disdain.
"I'll never understand. How could someone throw away a future like hers?"
"As the Holy Maiden of Shikon-den, she was cherished and honored—living the life every woman dreams of."
"Yet she betrayed us all, for a worthless man?"
"How laughable."
Another scoffed.
"She just thought everything she enjoyed was her right by birth. She's been sheltered so long, she thinks the outside world will be the same."
"She'll regret this. Just wait."
Regret?
I will never regret!
Though her wounds were closed, her cultivation destroyed and her bones stolen, she staggered forward on a cane, her body frail and broken.
Yet her eyes blazed with defiance.
No—she would never regret.
Her beloved Haruto was the most exceptional man in the world.
With him, she would surely find happiness.
Even as pain wracked her back, even as she hobbled on one leg, hatred burned within her.
One day, Haruto would avenge her!
Chihiro Hayate—you wait.
At last, the guards arrived at a modest house.
They pounded the door.
"Open up!"
"By order of His Holiness, open the door!"
The door swung open.
A weary-looking young man appeared, dressed in simple black robes with a white underlayer. His frame was not tall, his face plain, his hair a half-length black that hung loosely about his head.
This was Haruto Akiyama.
Seeing the temple warriors—and the bloodied, crippled Bibi Tō—he froze.
"Dō… what… what happened to you?"
When his eyes fell upon her missing leg, his heart seized with terror.
His expression was one of pure panic and desperate concern.
The guards looked him up and down.
A mere Spirit Grandmaster in his twenties. Mediocre talent, unremarkable looks, timid demeanor.
They shook their heads in disbelief.
For this man? She betrayed us for this?
"Worry about yourself first." One of the guards sneered.
"By decree of His Holiness, both you and Bibi Tō are cast out of Shikon-den."
"You can walk out on your own—or we can throw you out."
(End of Chapter)