The icy Starlight Spear carried a purifying, biting aura as it pierced precisely through the head of the last Insect Beast leaping at them.
Accompanied by a tooth-grinding “puchi” and the brittle crack of shattered exoskeleton, green, foul-smelling viscous fluid sprayed from the wound.
With a flick of her wrist, Mu Yurou deftly withdrew the spear.
The lifeless insect body crashed to the ground, its six segmented legs still twitching reflexively.
She panted slightly, the pure white Magic Armament she wore casting a gentle but resolute glow upon the dim, chaotic street.
Inevitably, the edge of her white short skirt had become flecked with filth.
Sweat slid down her temple, dripping into the muddy mix of dust and insect blood at her feet.
She’d temporarily cleared the area, but not for a moment did she dare relax her taut nerves.
Far away on the Main Road, the roars of Giant Beasts, the thunderous rumble of energy explosions, and the terrified cries of humans pounded in her chest like muffled war drums.
Danger!
A frigid, bone-piercing, killing intent-charged gust struck from behind without warning!
It was so fast it outstripped the limits of conscious thought!
Mu Yurou couldn’t even turn around in time.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught only the massive, terror-inducing shadow covered in pitch-black Chitinous Exoskeleton.
Like Death’s Scythe, it was raised high, tearing through the air with a sharp “screeeech——”, about to cleave her unguarded back!
It was a Mutated Insect that had cunningly lurked in the shadow of its comrades’ corpses, seizing on the split-second when her old force faded and new strength had not yet risen—a fatal opening!
Time seemed frozen.
Mu Yurou’s pupils shrank to pinpoints.
The chill of Death pierced straight through her Magic Armament, stabbing into the depths of her soul!
Her feet were slick with blood and grime, her dodge delayed.
The Starlight Spear couldn’t be brought to defend in time! That cold shadow had already enveloped her!
“Yurou——!!!”
Huang Xi’s scream, raw with terror and despair, cut through the chaos of the battlefield!
She was just a few steps behind Mu Yurou, busy controlling Dandelion Light Dots to hold the flank—far too late to leap forward and shield her!
At the very moment the deadly blade was about to brush Mu Yurou’s flying silver hair—at the critical instant…
“Buzz, shoo shoo shoo shoo——!”
Dozens of pure white beams, concentrated to a blinding intensity, shot out like Divine Wrath Spears, tearing through the short distance faster than sound!
They didn’t travel in straight lines, but instead traced subtle arcs, as if alive, suddenly leaping out from impossible angles—beside Huang Xi, above her head, even reflected off the ground at her feet!
Each beam bore the extreme compression and precise targeting of Huang Xi’s full mental force, aiming only at one thing: the Mutated Insect’s most vulnerable spot, where its compound eyes met its shell!
Pupupupu——!
A volley of dense, hair-raising, muffled impacts erupted in an instant!
The huge insect’s head was struck as if by dozens of invisible, superheated energies all at once!
Its hard Chitinous Exoskeleton, under the force of that energy, vaporized and shattered like fragile glass!
Green fluid, broken tissue, and bits of exoskeleton exploded wildly in all directions!
The fatal Scythe Limb, only ten centimeters from Mu Yurou’s back, froze in midair!
Its immense inertia sent it crashing down, limp and powerless, with a “clang” onto the rubble- and blood-stained ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
The giant insect carcass, all support gone, collapsed like a sack of boneless flesh at Mu Yurou’s feet.
The splattering blood stained her shoes and socks.
Its entire head was gone, replaced by a charred-edged, smoke-wreathed, melting pit of horror.
The shock of surviving death sent Mu Yurou’s heart thundering, threatening to leap out of her throat.
She spun around, staring at the gruesome corpse so close, then quickly raised her eyes to Huang Xi in the distance.
Huang Xi held her casting posture, the tip of her Dandelion Staff still aglow, her hands trembling.
Her golden hair was soaked with sweat, a few strands plastered messily to her pale, tension-written face.
In her amber eyes, fear and overwhelming relief at seeing her dearest friend safe battled fiercely.
She gasped for breath, chest heaving, clearly having pushed herself to the limit with that instant’s eruption.
Seeing Mu Yurou look back, Huang Xi finally let out a long, shaking sigh, then forced a smile that tried to appear relaxed, but was clearly strained: “Phew~ I almost didn’t make it in time!”
Huang Xi buried her head in Mu Yurou’s chest, nuzzling like a kitten.
“Hehe, let me recharge on your energy, Yurou, that blast just now nearly wiped me out.”
That familiar, slightly goofy yet warm teasing washed over Mu Yurou’s heart like a wave of warmth, melting the ice that had encased it.
Her tense body relaxed a little, exhaustion and gratitude flooding in after the life-or-death ordeal.
She couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile, her voice catching with an unnoticeable quaver but ringing clear: “Thanks, Xiaoxi! That was really close just now.” She left the rest unsaid, but both of them understood.
“Don’t say that to me!”
Huang Xi waved it off, forcing herself to straighten, her staff glowing once more.
“Watch out on the left!”
Before her words finished, several smaller Insect Beasts, crazed by the scent of blood, leapt from the shadows of the ruins!
No need for words! Just a glance, and their tactics were decided!
Mu Yurou’s gaze sharpened as she suppressed her emotions and instantly entered combat mode.
Starlight flickered beneath her feet as she slid deftly to the front-left, her Starlight Spear thrusting like a venomous dragon toward one beast’s mandibles!
“Ding!”
Spear tip clashed with exoskeleton, sparks flying! Using the recoil, she spun the shaft, smashing the butt like a heavy hammer into another charging beast’s side!
“Bang!”
With a dull thud, the beast was sent rolling away.
Meanwhile, Huang Xi became her staunchest shield!
With each swing of her staff, countless Dandelion Light Dots gathered—not as scattered attacks, but forming soft yet unyielding curtains of light, swiftly weaving a shifting defensive net around Mu Yurou!
When a third Insect Beast tried to sneak in from Mu Yurou’s blind spot, it crashed headlong into the Reflex Curtain! Like hitting sticky glue, its speed plummeted, its movements sluggish and clumsy as it screeched in angry confusion.
“Now!”
Huang Xi shouted.
Mu Yurou understood at once.
Without looking, she spun back, unleashing a sharp backward thrust!
“Puchi!”
The Starlight Spear, like a hot knife through butter, pierced cleanly through the beast’s compound eye and exited out the back of its skull! Clean and efficient!
Back-to-back, the two panted for breath.
Green insect blood dripped from the tip of Mu Yurou’s spear, while Huang Xi’s glowing curtain of light flowed gently around them, forming a living shield.
They fought as one perfect unit, offense and defense seamless, their hearts moving as one.
Whenever Mu Yurou launched a fierce assault, Huang Xi’s light always followed like a shadow, guarding her flanks.
Whenever Huang Xi trapped a foe in her light, Mu Yurou’s Starlight Spear arrived without fail to finish the kill.
The clanging of weapons, the slicing of blades into flesh, the screeches of Insect Beasts and the hum of energy—together, these formed a brutal yet harmonious battle symphony on this side street.
Sweat soaked their temples, their breathing grew labored, and their staffs’ glow faded with their magic, but the warmth and solid presence at their backs remained their greatest strength.
They shielded each other’s flanks, fending off deadly claws for one another.
In this land of blood and fire, they proved the meaning of comrades who entrust their lives.
Finally, with Mu Yurou’s last Starlight thrust nailing a self-destructing beast to the wall and her energy destroying its core, the final screech on this side street faded away.
Only their heavy breathing remained, along with the ceaseless thunder of battle from the distant Main Road.
Mu Yurou couldn’t hold on any longer.
Her body swayed, and she leaned, exhausted, onto Huang Xi’s not-so-broad but exceptionally steady shoulder.
Her taut nerves finally relaxed.
Exhaustion washed over her like a tide.
Huang Xi also let herself relax, propping them up with her staff.
She wiped sweat from her brow, glancing around at the cleared streets now littered with shattered insect bodies and green blood.
“Huff… huff… This whole section should be evacuated by now,” Huang Xi said tiredly, but her eyes remained bright.
“We should go back and help the Captain with that big guy.”
“Clang, clang.”
From the next street, the sound of metal striking metal caught their attention.
“There’s someone over there!”
Driven by urgency, Mu Yurou ignored her exhaustion and hurried toward the next street.
“Wait for me!”
Huang Xi hurried after her.
After entering the next street, Mu Yurou instantly spotted the small figure lying on the ground, surrounded by Magic Beasts.
That white figure looked very familiar.
Looking closely, it was Mu Xi.
“Big sister!”
Mu Yurou dove down, hurling a Starlight Spear at the Magic Beast nearest to Mu Xi.
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