"So, you just want to keep her around as a long-term, free sparring partner?"
The moment Fuli uttered those words, Fu Hua and Topaz exchanged dumbfounded glances.
Before the two girls in the physical world could even voice their opinions, Dr. Mei's teasing voice echoed in Fuli's mind first. [Is the host seriously planning to use an untouchable, peerless beauty of an ice queen as nothing more than a glorified whetstone for his swordmanship?]
Her mental gaze swept over the silent phantom of Jingliu standing a short distance away. The phantom's jade-like shoulders were smooth and bare, her exquisite collarbones looking as though they were carved from ivory. Beneath her chest armor, the tantalizing curve of her bust was faintly visible—perfectly proportioned so as not to hinder her swordsmanship, yet imbued with a lithe, captivating grace.
Her slender, flawless legs, framed by pale blue gossamer skirts, were straight and alluring enough to make anyone daydream about being blissfully trapped between them.
Retracting her appreciative gaze, Dr. Mei chuckled. [Or perhaps... you plan on having her help you train the 'short sword' resting three inches below your navel?]
[Ugh! Has this woman still not given up on her insane plot to have me romance the heirs of every major organization to unite them against the Honkai?!] Prometheus, the AI in Fuli's head, was rendered speechless, mentally shaking her head in defeat. Right now, Dr. Mei sounded less like a brilliant scientist and more like a playful, mature older sister teasing an oblivious little boy.
Besides, the Jingliu standing before them was merely a Fragmentum creation. She had absolutely no connection to the real, S-class Breaker known as the Transcendent Flash.
Oh, please.
Fuli didn't just reject the idea—his response was dripping with sheer, unadulterated disdain.
The only person who had ever managed to trigger his primal urge to smash upon first meeting was Durandal. As for the rest? Even with the long-awaited reunion with Kiana, the overwhelming emotions in his heart were simply joy and a desire to protect her.
To Fuli, no matter how breathtakingly beautiful this Jingliu phantom was, her allure was exactly the same as a hardcore TCG player looking at a newly released "Waifu" card:
What's her ATK/DEF? Any immunities? How many lines of card text does she have? Is there a hard once-per-turn limit? Is she a hand-trap? Is she a Link-1? Can she OTK? Can she loop from the graveyard for infinite value?! Who gives a crap if the card art is pretty? If you want to be my ace, you need the meta-defining stats to back it up!
Seriously, have a little self-awareness, woman.
"We're capturing her alive, right? I can assist with that," Topaz said, her reaction lightning-fast on the Fragmentum side of things.
It wasn't that she hadn't entertained thoughts similar to Dr. Mei's. But upon further reflection, Fuli hadn't made a single inappropriate move toward her, even when she had actively sought reconciliation earlier.
This led Topaz to one logical conclusion: this guy was absolutely a sweaty, grind-obsessed maniac whose life motto was, Women only slow down my draw speed!
Of course, deep in her subconscious, there was a secondary, much pettier reason—she suspected that in Fuli's eyes, her own allure couldn't match the icy beauty standing before them. But as a proud woman, Miss Yelena would take that secret to her grave!
At the very least, my figure completely blows this skinny former Sword Champion out of the water! Topaz thought fiercely.
"I have no objections either," Fu Hua agreed, her attitude far simpler.
Her basic philosophy was to indulge her little cousin in whatever he wanted to do. As long as he wasn't violating fundamental moral laws, she was perfectly happy to turn a blind eye, playing the role of the doting older sister to perfection. Besides, upon careful consideration, sparring with her really wasn't pushing Fuli's swordsmanship to its limits anymore. But Jingliu could.
If you did the math, perhaps Fu Hua could now be categorized under the classic anime trope of the "Incompetent Wife."
Elite fighters possessed the ability to process complex communication in the blink of an eye. The trio reached a tactical consensus in a mere fraction of a second. They stepped forward, shifting their stances to seamlessly box Jingliu into a triangular formation.
They didn't strike immediately. Capturing a target alive was a fundamentally different, and vastly more difficult, concept than executing a kill. The more time they had to prepare, the better.
Faced with the encirclement, the phantom of Jingliu remained perfectly still. Unlike the wanted posters that depicted her wearing a crescent-moon silk blindfold, this version's eyes were bright and clear, showing no signs of being stricken by the terrible Mara affliction.
In her hand rested the legendary shattered blade, Shardsword, forged by the master smith Yingxing.
A phantom from the era of the High-Cloud Quintet? Fu Hua mused inwardly.
The High-Cloud Quintet—the Xianzhou Alliance's legendary faction composed of five unparalleled elites. Led by these five, their historical achievements were practically endless: driving the Borisin fleets out of the Thalassa and the Zhuming, shattering the alliance between the Houkai and the Wingweavers, breaking the siege of the Yuque, and destroying the living planet Ketu Mirage.
They were the shield that protected the Alliance's gaze into the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta.
Tragically, all those monumental feats couldn't withstand the cruel passage of time. After less than a decade together, the five legendary heroes fractured and went their separate ways. Yet, no one could deny that during their prime, they were the pride and symbol of the entire Alliance.
Even today, tales of the five fighting side-by-side echoed through the streets...
Wait. Side-by-side.
"Watch out!" Fu Hua yelled, suddenly realizing the danger.
SWISH! SWISH!
Faster than her warning was the piercing shriek of whistling arrows tearing through the air.
Fortunately, both Fuli and Topaz were battle-hardened veterans. Even without a timely warning, their survival instincts flared, and they teleported away from their respective spots a split-second before disaster struck.
Glancing back, their suspicions were confirmed. The exact spots they had just been occupying were pierced by several arrows wreathed in slicing winds.
What truly made their brows furrow in dread, however, were the four new figures that had materialized beside Jingliu without a sound.
The former High Elder of the Vidyadhara, radiating an abyssal aura.
The brilliant strategist of the Cloud Knights, smiling leisurely but with razor-sharp eyes.
The master blacksmith of the Zhuming, white hair flowing freely.
And a beautiful Foxian woman holding a longbow, a bright, carefree smile on her face.
The four of them stood shoulder-to-shoulder, flanking Jingliu. The oppressive pressure they exuded was awe-inspiring, as if the legends of old had physically descended into the present.
"Rumor has it that the High-Cloud Quintet were incredibly close, often gathering in their free time to share a drink," Topaz said with a bitter laugh, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "It seems this very estate we're standing in was one of their old hangout spots."
"Three against five. Our numbers advantage just turned into a serious deficit," Fu Hua said, her senses sweeping over the enemies' power signatures. "Two Critical-Class, two S-class Breakers, and one... um, B-class?"
It wasn't surprising. Yingxing's true calling was the forge. Even if he frequently sparred with Jingliu to learn swordsmanship, his innate talent for combat was only average at this point in time. Furthermore, Fragmentum creations were always weaker than their original counterparts.
"Focus fire and take out the weakest link first!" Fu Hua commanded, raising her fists to strike.
But someone was faster.
BOOM!
A lotus of imaginary energy bloomed beneath his feet, instantly shattering under the sheer, brutal force of his launch. Fuli shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, his Plasma Kagehide transforming into an icy streak of absolute severing light.
His target, however, wasn't the weak link Yingxing. It was the white-haired Foxian—aiming straight for Baiheng's throat!
CLANG!
Jingliu's reaction was undeniably the fastest. Mid-charge, Fuli was met with a dark blade slashing upward to intercept him. Jingliu's exquisite dark-blue dress wasn't just beautiful; its completely zero-redundancy, form-fitting design allowed the former Sword Champion to execute her lethal techniques flawlessly, while simultaneously highlighting the immaculate curves of her body to the absolute extreme.
Dan Feng, the Imbibitor Lunae, wasn't slow either. The butt of his legendary spear, Cloud-Piercer, kicked up a spray of water, while the spearhead coiled like a striking viper, thrusting toward Fuli's back from an incredibly treacherous and venomous angle.
Thankfully, Fuli's teammates were just as quick on the draw. A volley of energy rounds fired by Topaz precisely struck the tip of Jingliu's Shardsword, forcing it to deviate from its lethal trajectory. At the same time, the Grip of Taixuan's elemental dominion flared to life, drastically slowing the velocity of Dan Feng's thrust.
But this brief interference bought enough time for the remaining two to react. The target, Baiheng, immediately drew her bowstring back. Jing Yuan, utilizing his Lightning-Wielding Spirit, summoned the glowing golden arm of the Lightning Lord, throwing a devastating, mountain-shattering punch straight at Fuli.
Even though Fuli's blade—wreathed in an ideal fluid state—effortlessly cleaved through the arrows and the golden fist, the counter-attackers had already grabbed Yingxing and retreated, swiftly escaping Fuli's lethal strike zone.
"Tch." Fuli clicked his tongue in pure annoyance.
Topaz instantly dashed to his side, looking at him in astonishment. "What the hell was that? Do you have some kind of blood feud with Miss Baiheng?"
She had vividly felt the murderous intent rolling off her companion in that split second. It was violently aggressive—like a feral cat whose tail had just been stomped on. In psychological terms: a severe PTSD trigger.
"No grudge against Baiheng," Fuli replied sharply.
"So it's Shuhu." The young executive deduced immediately.
In recent years, that bastard Emanator of Abundance had caused no shortage of chaos while wearing Baiheng's face. Given his terrifyingly high power level within the sequence, many heroes gnashed their teeth in hatred but were completely powerless to stop him.
Fu Hua's expression turned frosty. "With the Honkai encroaching, all these cowardly monsters who used to hide in the shadows are jumping out to stir up trouble."
In the past, with the three major organizations ruthlessly maintaining order and countless mid-to-large factions supporting them, even high-sequence entities had to lay low. But the escalating Honkai disasters since the turn of the millennium had weakened Earth's dimensional barriers, leading to a surge of invasions from the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta.
With the Third Eruption breaking out in March of this year, Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and the Taixuan Front all had to hold back significant military reserves to prepare for worst-case scenarios. That power vacuum gave scum like Shuhu the perfect opportunity to stir the pot.
"Do we need to call for backup?" Topaz was smart; she didn't pry into exactly how Shuhu had traumatized Fuli, instead gently checking if he could maintain his composure.
"I'm fine."
It was just an identical character model. Fuli wasn't going to completely lose his mind over it.
He had only charged in solo because he was absolutely confident in his survival. His invincible Golden Armor, Garuda's hyper-regeneration, and Sesha's molting rebirth... Every single one of these abilities was the kind of toxic, absolute bullshit boss mechanic that would make any gamer scream at their monitor. Any one of them was enough to ensure he walked away without a scratch.
"So, what's the play?" Topaz asked. When it came to tactical vision, she was slightly out of her depth compared to the other two.
"I'll draw the aggro of the two strongest—Jingliu and Dan Feng. You two focus fire and burst down Yingxing, then sweep Baiheng and Jing Yuan. Once you're done, we group up and 3v2 the remaining bosses."
Fuli laid out the optimal strategy. Work from the weakest to the strongest, snowballing their advantage until they had the superior numbers. With his outrageously overpowered loadout, surviving a 1v2 against two members of the Cloud Quintet was entirely feasible.
But he couldn't say the same for his teammates. Fu Hua had only recently regained her Critical-Class strength, and there was no way Fuli was going to let his beloved cousin tank the heaviest pressure.
As for the other one...
"Underestimating me, are we?" Reading the subtext of his plan, Topaz huffed, stepping forward proactively. "Switch! I'll take the vanguard and lock down the Sword Champion and the Dragon Venerable!"
No matter how you spun it, the Future Fund was entirely in the wrong during their previous conflict. And in response, this guy had only casually demanded that she 'do him a minor favor every once in a while' as compensation. Even if she didn't say it out loud, Topaz fiercely remembered that debt.
As for helping him find a house? That was barely an inconvenience. As the sole manufacturer of the Light Cones, Topaz would have bent over backward to help him even if he hadn't asked.
Gripping the warm, lustrous Topaz of Debt Retrieval tightly in her palm, the girl flashed a dazzling smile. "You two, please step back a bit."
The cousins exchanged a glance. Though slightly bewildered, seeing their companion gearing up to drop an ultimate move, they obediently retreated a safe distance.
Checking her peripheral vision to ensure they were clear, Topaz took a deep breath, centered herself, and channeled her full strength into the Cornerstone resting in her palm.
"I buy the charts, I till the fields, I raise the pigs," she chanted softly. The incredibly bizarre activation phrase carried a strange, resonant rhythm. "I embrace the volatile market; going long and short is the secret to success!"
The moment the final word left her lips, the Cornerstone merged with its master!
A blinding, magnificent light—like liquid amber—erupted from the girl's body. A terrifying storm of energy violently expanded outward, instantly transforming into a colossal, heaven-piercing tornado!
"It's been a while since I activated the Cornerstone."
A melodious sigh echoed between heaven and earth, carrying a nostalgic longing and the exhilarating rush of absolute power.
Slender but unfathomably powerful hands reached out from the center of the tornado, physically tearing the tempest apart from the inside out to reveal a breathtaking silhouette. The brilliantly attired corporate executive hovered in mid-air. Her eyes sparked with lightning, her arms crossed over her chest, gazing down at her legendary enemies with the supreme arrogance and overwhelming dominance of a god.
The legendary High-Cloud Quintet! Let me, one of the Ten Stonehearts, test exactly what you're made of! Topaz thought, ready to declare her epic one-liner.
She didn't get the chance.
"Holy shit! It's the Pay-to-Win Queen!"
A piercing, entirely inappropriate shriek of excitement echoed from the ground below. Fuli had clearly heard every single word of her humiliating activation chant.
"I'll buy your ass!"
Without a second thought, Topaz spat back a furious curse. Like a screeching goblin whose toe had just been smashed, all the majestic, god-like aura she had been building completely evaporated.
Damn it! I specifically told them to step back! How did he still hear me?!
She couldn't help but groan internally. If she hadn't lost that stupid bet with Madam Jade, she never would have been forced to use this absolute joke of a phrase as her Cornerstone's activation condition. Thank God the penalty was only for half a month. She could reset it once the time was up.
But she was still pissed!
"DIE!"
Channeling her sheer embarrassment and rage into a tsunami of combat intent, Topaz unleashed a berserk torrent of energy, crashing down onto Jingliu and Dan Feng.
Seeing their opening, the cousins followed the plan perfectly, diving straight into the enemy backline to assassinate the squishy targets.
Tick-tock. Three minutes flew by in a flash.
"Are—are you guys done yet?! I'm fighting for my damn life over here!" Topaz shrieked, currently being chased around the battlefield like a frantic rabbit.
"Almost! Almost! Tch, gotta hand it to the former General of the Luofu, this Lightning Lord phantom is ridiculously tanky," Fuli replied. He and Fu Hua had already eliminated Yingxing and Baiheng, and were currently mercilessly jumping Jing Yuan.
"You guys better watch your backs!" Topaz frantically warned. "Every time you kill one of them, the ones left alive get a massive stat buff!"
"It seems to be some kind of symbiotic trait. When one falls, their power flows into the survivors." Fuli had already noticed. The Jing Yuan they were currently fighting had skyrocketed from an S-class Breaker at the start of the battle, all the way up to a Critical-Class powerhouse.
What was this? A hydra mechanic? Or was the Fragmentum using this bullshit enrage timer to represent the inseparable bonds the five of them once shared?
Thinking about how utterly shattered that legendary group was in the present day, the boy felt a pang of sorrow.
Will the crew of the Hyperion end up broken like them one day? The stray, morbid thought suddenly bubbled up in Fuli's mind.
He immediately shook his head, violently discarding the notion.
Going our separate ways? Not a chance in hell!
The Hyperion crew is going straight to the moon!