[Spirit-Patrolling Clawed Sentry]:
—Command the Allies from the Heavens and the Earth to summon a blizzard upon the target!
And call forth the Bones of the Bound Spirit to detonate in a corpse explosion!
This was Citlali's ultimate killing move—
An attack that combined the Ice Mage's Frost Howl with the Necromancer's Corpse Explosion!
Its destructive power could flatten an army!
The Captain, already dazed from Liang Chuan's earlier explosion, was caught in both the raging blizzard and the burst of bone fragments.
His health bar dropped noticeably.
But this was no ordinary foe—
The Captain was one of Fatui's strongest Executors, a man who could go toe-to-toe with the Pyro Archon himself!
At most, Citlali's attack only wounded him; defeating him outright was another matter entirely.
Braving the storm and the bone-shrapnel blasts, the Captain strode forward through the frost and stood before Citlali.
Crack!!!
With one full-powered strike, his single sword shattered Citlali's ice shield.
He brought the blade to her throat.
At once, the blizzard she had summoned through the Spirit-Patrolling Clawed Sentry dissipated.
"Why… don't you just kill me?" Citlali glared at him coldly.
"Citlali, Guardian of Secrets," the Captain replied evenly. "I've been searching for you for some time. Didn't expect you to deliver yourself to my doorstep."
He lowered his sword slightly.
"I won't kill you. Your life still has value. Come with me."
Citlali clenched her fists, determination flashing in her eyes.
Even if it meant dying here, she would not become a pawn of Fatui.
She summoned a Bound Spirit Bone into her arms—
ready to explode herself along with the Captain, just as Liang Chuan had done earlier.
But then—
A familiar voice rang out, making her stop mid-chant.
"See? Mages just can't fight melee! Close-quarters are totally busted!"
"Liang Chuan! You're alive?!" she cried, eyes wide.
"Dead? Oh, I definitely died," Liang Chuan grinned, spreading his hands. "But I got better. You Nattans should be used to that sort of thing."
"But you don't bear an Ancient Name… and you didn't recite a Ode of Resurrection. How could you have resurrected?" Citlali asked in confusion.
"Told you, don't ask—different world, different rules," Liang Chuan coughed twice, then pointed at the Captain.
"Hey, Captain! Let go of the pink-haired twin-tail granny!
Or I'll show you an even bigger explosion!"
As he spoke, Liang Chuan pulled several Clay Bombs from his inventory, even popping one into his mouth.
"Don't bother saying I can't kill you—I know.
But if you take Citlali with you, once I respawn, I'll head straight for your Fatui base.
We'll see if your comrades and those lovely facilities can handle a few dozen more blasts!"
The Captain's hand trembled slightly on his sword.
Unlike the Doctor or the other Executives, he still had a trace of humanity.
He cared about his subordinates.
Liang Chuan's threat hit its mark.
"You're a vile man…" the Captain muttered.
He hesitated, then slowly sheathed his sword.
"If you insist on being the enemy of the Tsaritsa,
then I hope you won't regret the consequences."
"Consequences? What's worse than death?" Liang Chuan arched an eyebrow.
He'd already died once—what was there to fear from an Ice Queen?
The Captain fell silent, exhaling deeply.
Without another word, he turned his head toward a distant rumble—
the roar of a motorcycle engine.
"It's Mavuika! Mavuika's here!" Citlali shouted in relief, sensing the fiery aura approaching.
With Mavuika's arrival, even without Liang Chuan's threats, they no longer had to fear the Captain.
"I'll remember you. We'll meet again," the Captain said, staring at Liang Chuan for two seconds before retreating rapidly into the distance.
Liang Chuan couldn't help but mutter, "Of course. Can't leave without tossing out a cool line, huh? Drama queen."
Just then, Mavuika shot past them on her motorcycle, soaring through the air!
She glanced down, confirmed both Citlali and Liang Chuan were unharmed, and then sped after the Captain—
She couldn't just let him go.
"Leather jacket, motorcycle-riding Pyro Archon… and a spear-wielding Chasca who flies…
Natta really is one wild tribal nation," Liang Chuan mumbled, then walked over to Citlali.
He pulled out a Minor Life Potion.
"Citlali, you okay? Here, drink this first."
"I don't need it. I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
"Hmm… no offense then…"
Liang Chuan lightly tapped her shoulder—
and her health bar popped up.
"Huh? Ninety-nine percent HP?
You fought the Captain that long and didn't take any damage?"
"HP? What does that mean?
I don't quite understand your words…
But during the fight, I could tell—
He was deliberately avoiding fatal blows.
Just like he said…
he must have some other plan for me."
"In that case, drink this blue one instead." Liang Chuan dug out a Minor Mana Potion from his inventory.
Judging by the icy battlefield littered with bones, he could tell she'd gone all-out.
Her mana reserves had to be nearly empty.
"Don't be shy, drink up," Liang Chuan said with a grin. "I won't say I've got infinite stock, but enough to keep you chugging 'til you're full."
"Who the heck wants to drink potions until they're full!?" Citlali snapped, making a face.
Seeing her energy return, Liang Chuan finally relaxed.
One gulp of the potion later—
Citlali's eyes lit up like stars.
"This… this stuff—do you have more?!
Can I buy some? Maybe a steady supply?!"
She waved the empty bottle excitedly.
The blue potion that restored mana instantly—
It was a dream come true for a High Priestess who burned through spirit energy every day!
"I've got a few more, sure. I can sell some to you.
But a long-term supply… that's trickier," Liang Chuan said.
"What's tricky about it?"
"Supply chain issue. I'm the only one who can get these potions.
And I can't promise I'll always be in Natta."
"Then… I could come find you every so often?
No, that won't work—if you're in another nation, it'd delay my duties to the Masters of the Night-Wind."
Citlali frowned slightly.
"Well, there is one solution," Liang Chuan said, smiling mysteriously.
"One that solves your supply problem…
and doesn't interfere with your duties as the Guardian of Secrets."
"What solution?" she asked, eyes lighting up.
Liang Chuan grinned.
"Say, Miss Pink-Twin-Tailed Granny…
How'd you like to join the Blue Star Federation—
and become an honorable employee?"
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