On the mountain road that night, a sudden burst of dazzling light erupted—so bright that it could be seen clearly even from tens of kilometers away.
Those who saw it were left stunned. What had happened there? How could an explosion resembling those in science fiction films—an optical weapon detonation—appear in reality? Had some sort of terrible accident occurred?
While the bewildered onlookers were still speculating about the cause, somewhere in Tokyo, a three-dimensional device resembling Earth surrounded by several ring-like layers suddenly lit up with a red glow. The system immediately issued a warning: "Detected spiritual power fluctuation. Preliminary assessment: Spiritual Level—Peak. Based on available data, opponents of this level are beyond our ability to resist. Requesting authorization—shall we determine the precise location?"
The abnormal activity of the device was immediately reported up the chain of command. However, the response that came down was a single word: "Negative." They were ordered not to trace the energy source, only to record its intensity and characteristics.
The operators didn't understand why—but since the higher-ups had spoken, they had no choice but to comply, no matter their doubts.
And so, an incident that could have caused a tremendous uproar was quietly buried. Apart from the records in the monitoring system, it was as if nothing had ever happened.
Yet, the true source of that spiritual power fluctuation was far from simple.
Having nearly exhausted every ounce of spiritual power within her, Chu Lian's arrow—enhanced by the Seven Illusions Bow—had reached the absolute peak of the Spirit Level. In fact, it had even brushed the threshold of the next stage: the profound realm of the Earth Level.
Unfortunately, the moment the arrow was released, a wave of dizziness swept over her, breaking her focus. If not for Inori, who had been watching her closely and caught her in her arms, Chu Lian might have fallen straight to the ground.
The arrow, upon leaving the string, transformed midway into a magnificent bird of light and shot directly toward the monster whose life force it had locked onto, leaving it utterly unable to move.
Boom! The arrow—composed entirely of pure spiritual power—detonated upon impact with the creature's chest.
Blinding waves of force erupted outward, tearing through everything in their path and obliterating all that lay before it.
Realizing the danger, Tina instantly shifted into her combat form. Inori, as if anticipating this outcome, held Chu Lian close and leapt onto Tina's back.
With powerful leaps, Tina dashed across the bamboo branches like a feather carried by the wind, retreating rapidly until they were more than a hundred meters away—just beyond the explosion's full radius. Only when the spiritual power shockwaves subsided slightly did she stop and look back.
There, the massive sphere of white light still had not dissipated.
"You said you'd let us handle it… and yet you still forced yourself," Chu Lian murmured weakly, her body trembling. Her injuries, already severe, worsened under the strain. Depleted of both strength and power, she could no longer repair her wounds. Another coughing fit followed—and with it, a splash of crimson.
"Lian, don't speak. Just rest," Inori whispered softly, pressing her lips gently to Chu Lian's, licking away the blood at their corner. Her face rested against Chu Lian's, her voice a soothing murmur at her ear.
That voice was the best kind of lullaby. Held in Inori's warm embrace, Chu Lian's heart found peace. The exhaustion and worry that weighed on her seemed to melt away. Hearing Inori's words, she gave herself permission to let go, slowly closing her eyes and drifting into sleep.
"Why must you always shoulder everything alone? Can't you trust that we won't get ourselves hurt?" Inori whispered, gently caressing Chu Lian's cheek.
Indeed, most of the enemies had been dealt with by herself and Tina—but without Chu Lian covering them from behind, it would never have been so easy.
Those two strongest enemies had their attention locked entirely on Chu Lian from the start, never joining the fray. That was why Inori and Tina were able to cut through their subordinates so smoothly.
And later, when those enemies fused into one, it was largely because Chu Lian had deliberately held back—hoping to analyze their abilities. Without that, the Spirit Peak-level monster would never have been born. Still, even had she not intervened, neither Inori nor Tina would have found the fight simple.
Now, except for the chaos of being chased near the end, both she and Tina had handled things cleanly. In the end, all credit still belonged to Chu Lian—and to her Seven Illusions Bow.
Inori knew far more about the origin of the Seven Illusions Bow than Chu Lian herself. She understood that it was the weapon born from that mysterious woman—the one who had appeared when Mana and Eve used Inori's body to enhance Chu Lian's power, the woman who had called Chu Lian "husband."
The bow's full potential was unknown, but the power of that woman's blade alone was enough to immobilize even Eve, who stood at the pinnacle of the Heaven Level, and effortlessly tear through her clothing. That alone proved the woman's strength—she was likely a being that no one in this world could ever hope to match.
The Seven Illusions Bow might not have equaled the blade's destructive might, yet since both weapons were born from the same source, it could not have been much weaker. Even if Chu Lian could not yet wield even a fraction of its full power, it was still a terrifying weapon.
The fact that its light alone had purified two monsters upon its summoning was enough to show its fearsome potency.
The reason the fused monster had been defeated so swiftly this time was that Chu Lian had poured all her remaining spiritual power into the Seven Illusions Bow, transforming it into that devastating Spiritual Arrow.
In the end, Inori realized, she had always been under Chu Lian's protection—before the injury and after. Chu Lian always, instinctively, stood at the front, facing the strongest threats first.
Perhaps it wasn't that Chu Lian didn't trust them. Rather, it was that she couldn't bring herself to let go—her heart wouldn't allow it. It wasn't strength she displayed, but fear. Fear of losing them.
"Lian, I'll prove it to you. I'll show you that you don't have to worry about me anymore," Inori whispered, tightening her hold around Chu Lian, letting her rest more comfortably in her arms as she breathed in her faint fragrance.
The spiritual power storm lasted about two minutes before finally subsiding. And by then, the time Chu Lian had set for Chu Chu and Cai Ya's return was almost up. Inori patted Tina lightly, and the spirit cat immediately understood, dashing back toward their retreat route.
The battlefield was now nothing but a massive crater—fifty meters across and dozens of meters deep. Every corpse, every trace of combat had been reduced to ash. Nothing remained that could prove the battle had ever taken place.
At the crater's edge, the four cars that had withdrawn earlier under Chu Lian's orders had now returned. Everyone except the drivers stepped out, staring in shock at the enormous pit before them.
Was this… the aftermath of that explosion? What kind of power could cause such destruction? Where were Chu Lian and the others? Why was there no sign of them?
A flood of questions ran through their minds. Half a minute passed with no response, and unease began to grow in their chests. All they could do was pray that Chu Lian was safe.
Just then, a massive shadow leapt from the bamboo grove, landing gracefully beside them. The sudden movement startled everyone.
The bodyguards immediately tensed, readying their weapons—until a familiar voice broke the silence.
"You came back early. You really don't like following orders, do you?" Inori's calm voice carried over the clearing.
She had timed it perfectly—the moment from their departure to her own return with Chu Lian was exactly three minutes. Yet these girls had chosen to wait here instead. Of course she knew why.
The tension melted away as everyone recognized her voice. Relief flooded their faces. It wasn't an enemy—just Inori. But… why was she riding such a massive white tiger? And where was Chu Lian?
"Sis Inori, where's Big Sis?" Chu Chu asked first. She knew Tina had three forms, and this powerful white tiger must be her combat form, so she wasn't afraid.
Because the explosion's power had destroyed the area's surface and severed the power lines, the surrounding streetlights and surveillance systems were dead. Only the faint moonlight and car headlights illuminated the area, which was why none of them had noticed the sleeping figure in Inori's arms.
"Lian's asleep," Inori said softly. "Don't disturb her. I'll hold her, and Tina will carry us back. You all just follow."
She gestured for Tina to move into a brighter area, and as the spirit tiger stepped forward, everyone finally saw the exhausted but peaceful Chu Lian nestled in Inori's embrace. A pang of sorrow rippled through their hearts.
"Big Sis must be exhausted… What happened here just now?" Chu Chu asked quietly. If Chu Lian was safe in Inori's arms, then everything was all right. Only then did she dare to ask about the battle that had left such devastation.
"This destruction was caused by Lian. All the enemies have been eliminated. But she exhausted all her spiritual power and fell asleep. She'll be fine by tomorrow morning—no need to worry."
It was rare for Inori to answer anyone other than Chu Lian, but perhaps because the question came from Chu Chu—Chu Lian's younger sister and now part of her family—she made an exception.
After finishing her explanation, Inori clearly didn't want to entertain more questions. She immediately signaled for Tina to move forward.
The girls exchanged glances, then all smiled wryly at being so thoroughly ignored. Li Xiu'er and Chu Chu were the first to run back to the car, eager to follow and check on Chu Lian's condition.
Only Kurosaki Satsuki remained behind for a moment, her gaze fixed on the massive crater before her. In her eyes, a strange yearning flickered.
So this was her true strength? How incredible it was—to wield such power. If she could one day possess even a fraction of it, then no one, no matter who they were, could ever stop her revenge.
Her heart began to burn. The world that had once seemed so cold suddenly glowed with a faint warmth—that spark called hope. The white-haired girl silently made a vow: she would follow Chu Lian, train herself, and grow stronger, strong enough to enter the Otherside and take revenge on those who had destroyed her life.
She would never, ever forget them.
She stood frozen in thought until Chu Chu asked Cai Ya to call her name in Japanese, pulling her back to reality.
Taking one last deep look at the massive crater, the white-haired girl said nothing. She simply walked to the car and sat down.
Under the pale moonlight, several small cars followed a graceful figure moving ahead through the night.
As for how that enormous crater came to be—no one except those involved would ever know. Those who came later could only sigh in awe, unable to uncover a single clue.
And long after they had gone, deep at the bottom of that crater, a small patch of soil suddenly began to stir…