Upon reflection, Jingliu's condition seemed off from the very beginning.
Her killing intent wasn't overwhelming… but it was unnervingly pure.
"But if Jingliu, who's fallen into mara-struck madness, is so dangerous, how did she get out?" Kanroji wondered. "Did the guards just let her go?"
"...They probably couldn't stop her," Iguro Obanai said, watching the white-haired woman on the Celestial Screen swinging her sword wildly at Jing Yuan, a trace of fear in his voice. "To suppress an Emanator of a god to such an extent… breaking out of prison doesn't seem so unimaginable."
What puzzled Iguro now was that, though Jing Yuan was clearly strong, he hadn't used any particularly special techniques against his master, who surpassed him in swordsmanship.
Was he really an Emanator? Or… was he holding back?
A question mark formed in Iguro's mind as well.
[Now—]
["Ugh!" Jing Yuan barely blocked the sword qi, but the force sent him stumbling back dozens of steps before he could steady himself.]
[The sword qi grazed his armor and struck the pavilion behind him, reducing the structure to dust in an instant.]
[Tap… tap…]
[Jingliu's face remained expressionless as she advanced step by step, sword in hand.]
[Gripping his glaive tightly, a flicker of sorrow and reluctance passed through Jing Yuan's eyes.]
[Master…]
[When he opened his eyes again, his resolve was firm. No hesitation or doubt remained in those golden irises.]
["Farewell… Master. Allow this disciple to repay your teachings with this final strike!"]
[A golden light enveloped Jing Yuan, swiftly coalescing into a massive deity wielding a glaive—the Divine Foresight. Mirroring Jing Yuan's movements, it swung its blade toward Jingliu!]
——
Naples, Italy.
The streets in July were unbearably hot, the scorching sun lending the usually vibrant tourist city an eerie stillness.
Under the clear blue sky, a drone floated lazily in the air, seemingly a government surveillance device—except no matter which direction it turned, its mounted camera remained fixed on the Celestial Screen above.
The drone's wings bore the marking: [SPW].
Not far away, in a hilltop villa, Giorno Giovanna set down his teacup and glanced at the blue-clad man at the door.
"It's fine, Mista. No need to be so tense." The 16-year-old mafia boss's voice, though still youthful, carried a clarity and authority that compelled trust.
"While you were busy pulling your pistol from your boot, you almost missed the first real display of a 'Stand user' from another world," Giorno continued, his tone lighter now. "Luckily, I had the drone recording the whole thing. You can watch it with me later."
"Stand users? That world really has 'Stands'?" Mista slid his gun back into his boot. He always trusted Giorno's words.
"Hard to explain. You'll have to see for yourself." Giorno gestured upward with his teaspoon. The battle between Jing Yuan and Jingliu still raged on.
The golden Divine Foresight loomed like a god. As its blade descended, the very heavens and earth seemed to tremble, as though everything would be reduced to dust.
"This…"
Mista stared at the sky, swallowing hard. Was this a Stand? If so… it was beyond anything he'd ever imagined.
Giorno, too, was surprised, though his expression remained far calmer than Mista's.
"It resembles a power-type Stand, but its range likely far exceeds that of ordinary Stands." Giorno raised an eyebrow slightly, estimating the distance before gesturing with his hands. "The slash's reach must be over 100 meters. As for speed…"
The woman named Jingliu hadn't dodged.
Bathed in the divine blade's radiance, she neither resisted nor displayed the madness of her earlier sword swings. Instead, just before vanishing into the light, the faintest hint of a smile seemed to flicker across her lips.
…Giorno couldn't tell whether she couldn't dodge—or simply wouldn't.
"But rather than debating whether he's a Stand user, I'm more inclined toward another theory."
Giorno gazed into his empty teacup, speaking calmly. "Earlier, we speculated that this Jing Yuan might be the Hunt's Emanator, didn't we? That golden 'Stand' is likely a privilege granted to him by the Aeon of the Hunt."
"A god, huh? That makes sense."
At the mention of gods, Mista couldn't help but look envious. "Though giving someone a Stand is pretty generous. Hard to imagine what'd happen if this guy got pierced by the Arrow."
"Still, what a shame—" Giorno suddenly sighed.
"Shame?"
"Yeah. That woman, Jingliu… she seems to have died." Giorno sounded genuinely regretful. "Her swordsmanship was fascinating. Worth studying… though we'd probably need to slow down the footage to do so."
"Polnareff slept through her fight with Jing Yuan. When I recommended he watch it, he didn't believe me at first… but after I sent him the drone's recording, he went completely silent."
——
[The scene shifts—a clear blue sky, the same training grounds where Jing Yuan once practiced his swordsmanship.]
[But now, Jing Yuan is no longer the student. He stands to the side, watching as a young boy swings his sword with all his might.]
["Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-eight… nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine… ten thousand!" The boy panted, his arms trembling slightly as he gasped for breath.]
[Only then did Jing Yuan speak leisurely: "As a Cloud Knight, you must never let your weapon slip or your form falter."]
["Yes, sir!" The boy responded with vigor, immediately correcting his stance in preparation for the next drill.]
[But Jing Yuan suddenly chuckled. "Though you're still too young to be a Cloud Knight."]
[The boy whipped his head around, declaring solemnly, "I want to be like the General! A legend remembered across the Xianzhou!"]
[Jing Yuan let out a soft laugh. "And what's so good about that? The road here wasn't easy."]
["But didn't the General make it this far step by step?"]
["…"]
[Jing Yuan simply watched him in silence.]
[A breeze drifted past, rustling the leaves as though carrying away sorrow.]
[After a long pause, he finally smiled. "If you're so determined… how about a spar?"]
["Yes!" The boy's excitement was immediate as he fell into stance. "I won't hold back!"]
——
"Ahh—Frieren, this feels really bad!!"
Stark was on the verge of panic. "This scene's way too familiar! Feels like it won't be long before Jing Yuan succumbs to mara-struck madness, and that kid's the one who'll have to—"
"Enough." Frieren lightly smacked the top of Stark's head.
"Xianzhou natives live for centuries. Even if Jing Yuan does fall to mara one day, do you really think you'll live long enough to see it?!"