As the Forest Watcher of Sumeru, Tighnari was a man of constant duty. However, Su Han had struck his fatal weakness—his insatiable curiosity as a botanist. He was now thoroughly "put in his place."
Like Albedo, Tighnari was a man of immense intellect, though perhaps not yet reaching that same level of transcendent horror. But Su Han knew one universal truth: scholars are the easiest people to keep. You simply need enough leverage.
Seeing Tighnari's silent submission, Su Han nodded with satisfaction. He turned to Collei, his voice softening. "We're ready to deal with the Black-Flame Serpent. Don't be afraid. Just relax your body..."
"Mhm..." The girl sat upon the silver grass, pulling her emerald curls over her chest. The verdant seal at the nape of her neck was exposed to the cool moonlight.
"This is a unique power of Sumeru," Tighnari explained, his ears twitching with anxiety. "If the black flames are the force destroying Collei's life, this seal is the weight holding them down. If it breaks while we are away from the Sages, the contents will be unleashed. Without the original caster, it could be irreversible."
"It's fine," Su Han smiled. He placed a single finger against the seal.
A flash of purple light pierced the array. The green mandalas that had bound Collei for years manifested in the air for a split second before shattering into shimmering dust.
Tighnari watched in awe. This "Verdant Sealing Art" was a masterpiece of Sumeru's craft, containing over a thousand intricate runes designed to suppress the remains of a god. Yet Su Han had unraveled it in a heartbeat. It was a terrifying display of raw authority over spiritual energy.
As the seal vanished, a bone-chilling aura erupted from Collei's body.
"Hehehehe... weak mortals... you dare release me? You seek your own demise!"
BOOM!
Violent, purple-black flames surged from Collei's back, coalescing into the phantom head of a giant serpent in the air. The flames didn't burn with heat; they felt like a freezing, oily malice. The serpent lunged, attempting to seize control of Collei's consciousness.
Su Han gave a cold snort. The sound hit the demon remnant like a lightning strike. The serpent's form flickered, nearly dissipating on the spot.
"You've got some nerve for a pile of leftovers," Su Han mocked. "Thinking you can act arrogant with such pathetic power? You must have been brainless when you were alive, too."
The Solaris Blade cleared its scabbard. Before Tighnari could even blink, the black serpent in the air was severed. The strike was so precise it targeted only the manifested will, leaving the core energy behind but effectively lobotomizing the remnant.
The Fractured Soul
Su Han placed his palm against Collei's neck and closed his eyes. His consciousness dived into her inner world.
Having navigated the mental landscapes of Ei, Makoto, and Havria, Su Han was no stranger to "Inner Euthymias." However, he wasn't prepared for the state of Collei's soul.
When his vision cleared, he felt a pang of genuine heartache. The "God Remains" injections were far more horrific than he had imagined. Before him stood a spiritual manifestation of Collei, bound by countless heavy, jagged chains. Her translucent body, which should have been pure and untainted, was covered in angry, purple-red scars.
This was her soul—her very essence—and it was riddled with trauma. Even though he had cut down the serpent's main consciousness outside, the roots of the Black-Flame Serpent were woven deep into her being. The two had become a singular, agonizing braid of existence.
"It hurts..."
"Please... don't hurt me..."
In this deep subconscious space, the "inner" Collei murmured in a trance of perpetual pain. The cheerful, hardworking girl the world saw was merely a mask worn over a soul that had been tortured since childhood.
Su Han realized that simple extraction was impossible; he couldn't pull the serpent out without tearing Collei's soul apart.
"In that case," Su Han whispered, "we'll just make your soul strong enough to eat the monster."
Devouring the Dark
He began to release the Pure Essence of Yang Flame. He planted seeds of this sacred fire into Collei's spirit. As the warmth spread, her tired eyes slowly opened. Her pale violet gaze met Su Han's, and a faint, trembling smile appeared on her lips.
"Don't be afraid," he promised. "These shadows are going to become the fuel for your growth."
He fed her concentrated Soul Crystals. In the presence of the Lunar Maple Tree outside, the healing process was accelerated. Within half an hour, the scars on her spiritual body began to fade, and her aura grew vibrant.
"These chains are..."
"The manifestation of the serpent," Su Han explained. "But they are your property now. Try to circulate the mantra I'm teaching you. Grow your soul."
Collei didn't care about her naked spiritual state; she sat cross-legged and focused. As her soul strengthened, the Black-Flame Serpent sensed its impending doom and tried to stage a final, desperate resurgence. The chains tightened, glowing with a foul light.
"You damnable brat! You would dare consume me?!"
"A defeated soul dares to speak?" Su Han's eyes turned cold. He unleashed a crushing wave of soul pressure, shredding the serpent's final vestige of will into a thousand nameless fragments. He then used a powerful Yin-Yang technique to grind those fragments into pure, mindless energy.
"Now, Collei... Devour it!"
"Yes!"
The girl's inner flames erupted. The once purple-black space turned into a clear, brilliant gold. When she opened her eyes again, the darkness was gone.
"What is this...?"
"The Pure Essence of Yang Flame," Su Han replied. "But since it has merged with your essence and devoured the black flames, it has changed. You should name it yourself."
Collei thought for a moment. "Then... I'll call it the Flame of Life."
As she spoke, the golden fire transitioned into a vibrant, emerald green. It pulsed with a gentle, yet unstoppable vitality.
A New Life
Outside, the oppressive black flames had vanished. The golden light that had been protecting her subsided. Now, a soft, emerald-green fire floated around Collei, matching the color of her hair. It felt warm, gentle, and overflowing with life.
The girl opened her eyes, feeling a sense of clarity she had never experienced. She turned to Su Han, her eyes brimming with gratitude.
"Phew... I never realized I was so broken inside. Thank you so much, Lord Su Han..."
"I'd actually prefer it if you called me 'Big Brother Su Han,' or just 'Brother Su Han'..."
Collei hesitated, then blushed slightly. "Mhm... then... can I just call you 'Brother'?"
Su Han was taken aback for a second, then chuckled. "Of course you can."
Tighnari rushed over, his tail swishing with concern. "How do you feel?"
"I feel wonderful, Teacher. I never knew the demon god's residue was so... heavy. But it's gone now." She raised her hand, and a wisp of the sacred green flame flickered in her palm.
Tighnari was stunned. "You... you've completely mastered the power? But it's green... and it feels so different."
"The Black-Flame Serpent is no more," Collei said firmly. "This power is the Flame of Life. I have devoured the darkness, Teacher."
Tighnari's jaw nearly dropped. This wasn't just a sealing or a destruction—it was a total assimilation. She was now a mortal who wielded a portion of a god's transmuted power.
"How is this possible...?"
"It's not something a normal person could replicate," Su Han explained. "Merging with demon god energy usually leads to madness or death. Collei is a 'Chosen One'—her soul's resilience allowed her to survive the corruption until she could be healed. It's fate."
Amber beamed, hugging her friend tightly. "So Collei is completely cured now?"
"Completely," Su Han smiled, watching the girl play with her new flames. "And she's quite a bit stronger than before, too."
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