But Liu Yang stayed in the same spot. His feet didn't shift, his arms didn't raise, not even his eyelids moved. Only his shadow stretched long under him, and his eyes, cold and sharp, burned with a fire that showed his rage.
He stepped forward slow, his hand reaching down. Two swords lay on the grass—their steel still wet from their grip. He picked one up, then the other, one in each hand. His fingers wrapped tight around the hilts, his knuckles white.
He raised both blades high above his head. His voice cracked the air.
"A Thousand Heaven Sword Fall!"
The words were not a skill. They were not from the System. They were a promise. A roar from his soul.
The swords came down.
Steel plunged into Bill's back, piercing through armor, through flesh, pinning him to the dirt like a broken doll. Bill's scream died in his throat, blood spilling out as his body jerked once, then sagged still.
Liu Yang didn't stop. His breath came heavy, his eyes wild. He turned to the first brother, the one who had already fallen, weak and broken, barely breathing.
Liu Yang walked up slow, his face twisted, his eyes glowing. With one clean swipe, he swung the sword down and the man's head rolled, his eyes wide even as it hit the ground.
Then he turned to the second brother. His hand shook, not from fear, but from the rage still flooding him.
The second brother tried to crawl back, his arms scratching at the dirt, his mouth whispering something, maybe begging, maybe cursing—but it didn't matter. Liu Yang stepped over him, raised the blade, and brought it down fast.
The cut was deep. The scream never came. Only silence after.
And Liu Yang stood there, in the middle of the forest, both swords dripping, his chest rising and falling, his whole body shaking with anger and frustration. His eyes burned. His mouth opened wide.
"A Thousand Heaven Sword Fall! I swear—I'll plunge these blades into the heart of anyone who dares to do me wrong!"
[Main Quest: Pervert Demon – Kill Bill and His Brothers … Completed]
[Calculating Reward…]
[Reward Granted]
[+5000 Exp]
[Level Up! From Level 1 → Level 5]
[Quest Bonus: Girl Saved]
[Demonic Overdrive: Deactivated]
[Reverting body to previous state...]
[Demonic Overdrive: Deactivated]
[Reverting body to previous state...]
[Penalty Applied: 12 Hours Paralysis]
[Host will not be able to move]
The black smoke that had been curling around him faded slow, fading like it was never there. His shadow shrank back to normal. The glow in his eyes dimmed.
Then the weight hit him.
His knees started to bend and they kept bending until his legs could not hold him anymore and then they gave out.
His body went down fast and heavy and when his chest hit the ground it made a sound that was thick and dull, not clean, not sharp, more like something broken.
His eyes shut by themselves before he even knew it. His breath caught halfway. His mind turned blank.
He didn't move again. He didn't even hear the System voice, the reward, the mission cleared.
All of that came too late. By then, Liu Yang was already lying there in the dirt, unconscious, his body still and weak, like all the fight had been sucked out of him in one instant.
The girl was lying on the ground. Her clothes were torn and the pieces were barely hanging from her body.
She moved slow and weak. Her arms pressed on the ground and she pushed herself up bit by bit.
Her hands that were covering her chest slid down. Her fingers slipped away.
Her other hand that was holding her lower waist also moved down.
In that moment her chest and her lower part were there to be seen through the torn pieces of cloth. The cloth was still hanging, still hiding, but it was weak and broken and not covering her fully.
Then she snapped her fingers.
At once small cubes of light appeared in the air. One after another they popped up, floating around her body.
The cubes spun in place. They twisted and stretched and turned into thin threads of light.
The threads moved close to her skin. They wrapped around her from top to bottom.
In a blink the torn clothes were gone. In their place was a full black coat, long and open, swaying with the air.
Two small horns came out from her head, pushing up through her hair. Her hair itself turned red, long and flowing. Her eyes glowed bright red. Her lips shined red too, soft and deep, like strawberries.
She bent down towards Liu Yang. Her hands slid under his back and she pushed him up. She lifted him slow and careful, holding him in both of her arms.
Her grip was steady. Her steps were firm. She looked down at him with eyes calm and watchful, like a guardian who would not let him fall.
She started walking. Her feet pressed against the soft wet ground. The sound of grass and leaves crushed under her steps followed her.
She walked through the same forest. The same path where Liu Yang had gone running out to save her.
Time passed. The sun moved down behind the trees. The light turned dim. Shade by shade the sky grew darker until it was night.
Above her head the stars appeared. They blinked one by one in the wide sky, small and bright, shining down like tiny lights guiding her way.
The moon rose high. It was round and glowing. Its silver light spilled down through the branches and touched her red hair and her long black coat, making her glow under the dark trees.
The forest changed with the night. The leaves moved soft. The air grew cool. The smell of wet earth rose strong. From deeper inside came the cries of insects, sharp and long.
Still she carried him. Her arms did not shake. Her steps did not stop. She walked calm, strong, like someone who had sworn to protect.
At last she reached the cave. The same cave where Liu Yang had first opened his eyes after his death.