The sight of the monsters was repulsive—they had practically nested in the ruins, turning the landscape into a breeding ground of filth.
Amber took aim at the distant swarms. Her arrows functioned like miniature rocket launchers, erupting in continuous bursts that illuminated the gray sky of the Boundary with a fierce, orange glow.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
With every arrow that found its mark, a section of the battlefield was set ablaze. Amber then produced a small vial, strapped it to an arrowhead, and launched it. Upon impact, the flames transformed into a localized firestorm. These "Storm Vials" were crafted by Sucrose, and for Pyro-aligned fighters, they were a standard force multiplier.
Standing nearby, Collei watched her friend clear massive swathes of enemies with ease, realizing just how much Amber had grown. Suddenly, several dark shadows manifested soundlessly behind Amber.
"Watch your back!" Collei cried out.
The shadows moved with unnatural speed, their claws slashing toward Amber's throat. Swish! The attacks struck nothing but air. Amber had sensed their movements long ago; such was the power of Observation Haki. As she dodged, she unsheathed the short sword at her waist, spinning in a tight arc. Searing flames followed the blade, engulfing the monsters instantly.
"Phew... scary things. They can actually teleport," Amber whispered, landing and wiping sweat from her brow. Unlike the Rifthounds, these creatures specifically targeted the soul—they were Soul-Devouring Phantasms.
The Support Role
Tighnari watched the battle unfold and joined the fray. His power lay in the manipulation of flora, using Dendro energy to catalyze seeds into offensive plants. To his shock, however, his techniques passed right through the monsters as if they were mist.
"How can this be...?" Tighnari stared at his hands. Why were his skills ineffective when the Liyue soldiers were clearly drawing blood?
Collei, following Amber deeper into the nest, noticed her teacher's struggle and called out to Amber for an explanation.
"These monsters don't have true physical bodies," Amber shouted over the roar of the flames. "They are in a state of semi-soul, semi-flesh. Our soldiers have all trained in Armament Haki, which allows them to damage spiritual entities. I'm afraid... your teacher might be restricted to a support role, treating the wounded."
Tighnari, watching the soldiers slaughtering the ghosts in the distance, could only offer a bitter smile. "It seems I've become the most useless person here..." Lacking Haki, he was relegated to the backlines as a medic.
The Holy Knights and the Gnosis of Light
At that moment, Eula descended with the Holy Knight Order.
"Warriors, target the evil spirits! Praise Lord Su Han! Praise the Holy Light!"
A brilliant, sacred radiance illuminated the sky. The knights, empowered by the element of Light, charged into the breach. Their style was efficient and brutal, their weapons coated in a shimmering holy glow that acted as poison to the undead.
Tighnari noticed a hazy luminescence surrounding each knight, shielding them from harm. "What a terrifying order of knights... They are the ultimate executioners of evil."
As the knights pushed forward, Eula demonstrated her own staggering power. With a single swing of her claymore, she severed a distant mountain peak. The sheer scale of her strength left Tighnari feeling numb.
The Locked Palace
Near the Star-Soul Tower, Su Han reviewed the incoming reports. "The advance is fast... at least Ulquiorra and the others are proving their worth."
"They are spiritual entities themselves," Hu Tao remarked, crunching on melon seeds. "Fighting in the Boundary is no different than fighting in their home world."
Suddenly, the Star-Soul Tower pulsed with light, and its massive doors slowly ground open. A woman with long golden hair, blue eyes, and snow-white skin stepped out. A longsword hung at her hip.
"Greetings, Lord Su Han."
"And you are?"
"I was the one who guided you and Miss Hu Tao earlier!"
"Heavens... you're a beauty?" Hu Tao blinked. "I thought you were a guy under those robes."
The woman gave a wry smile. "We Soul Messengers have no gender... we are pure spiritual bodies. This tower has simply allowed me to manifest a form like this."
"And what power did you awaken?"
"I am a Quincy," the woman replied.
More messengers emerged—some in black as Shinigami, others in white as Quincies. They didn't linger, taking to the air to defend their home. Su Han followed the messenger, Qingxue, to the center of this world: the Palace of the Lord of Souls. The architecture was carved from solid obsidian, radiating a crushing spiritual pressure. But the gates were sealed tight.
Su Han walked to the gate and touched it. The repulsive force was immense—a power comparable to Zhongli's.
"No... the seal is too strong," Su Han sighed. "Only a Demon God can open this."
The Lingering Rift
The purge lasted eighteen hours before the Boundary was relatively clean. Su Han sent the exhausted soldiers back to the surface. Halibel and Starrk chose to stay behind to train the new Soul Messengers.
Su Han looked at the final, small fracture in the sky. It was only ten meters wide, leaking a faint trail of black mist.
"Su Han, why not use an array?" Lisa suggested, noticing his frown. "We lack treasures for every small hole, but the Dimensional Group will surely provide more eventually. Why not just set up a killing array here to purify the mist and kill anything that tries to crawl through?"
Su Han smiled, realizing he had been overthinking it. "You're right. Let's set a barrier and call it a day."
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