Chapter 23: The Final Severance (Part One)

It had been nearly a week since he arrived in this parallel world.

Since leaving Mount Suna, Yue Longze had been staying at the home of a kind old woman. She was elderly, widowed for many years, and her useless son had long since ceased to care for her, leaving her alone in the house—a rather lonely existence. Thankfully, with the arrival of two guests, she no longer felt quite so isolated.

Over these days, the only thing Yue Longze had to occupy himself was practicing the sword techniques taught to him by Jingda Jinglong. Though Jingda Jinglong’s swordsmanship seemed eclectic, it was unique in its own right. One had to admit, Jingda Jinglong was a genius. Even though Yue Longze had never studied swordsmanship before, after learning just a move or two, he could sense the profound skill within these techniques.

In short, the essence of Jingda Jinglong’s swordsmanship lay in speed. As the saying goes, “Among all martial arts, speed is invincible.” Yue Longze agreed with this philosophy. Of course, speed must be supported by sufficient strength—without power, even the swiftest strike would not harm an enemy in the slightest. In other words, one could not neglect training the strength of one’s own muscles.

Jingda Jinglong had spoken of the divine sword Kusanagi. Yue Longze had spent several days examining this sword from every angle, consulting various sources. The Kusanagi, also known as the Sword of the Heavens, was one of the three great treasures in Japanese history. Judging by its appearance, the blade was about eighty centimeters long. The edge resembled the leaves of an iris, with the middle part of the blade being thicker. The hilt was about eight inches thick, uneven and segmented like a fish’s spine, white from top to bottom.

Apart from its ability to cut through iron as if it were mud, Yue Longze had not yet sensed any other miraculous qualities. He suspected, however, that the sword’s powers went far beyond simply slicing through metal...

...

On a night of torrential rain, the streets were utterly deserted. Only the howling wind rattled the windows, making them creak and groan. Yue Longze sat cross-legged before the door, wrapped in a blanket with the Kusanagi in his arms, gazing out at the pouring rain.

The old-fashioned chandelier on the ceiling still tried its best to cast light. On the worn wooden table beside him, two cups of hot tea sent up thin wisps of steam, seeming to warm the entire cramped room.

“Reddell, what is your purpose for coming to Earth?” Yue Longze turned, lifted a cup of tea to his lips, and looked at the alien from Standerl seated beside him, speaking quietly.

“I originally came to Earth to seek brave warriors capable of fighting at night. But now, I will do my utmost to stop Ababas. It was the old woman who made me understand something even more important.” Reddell’s deep, ocean-blue eyes flickered with emotion.

The old woman, unable to resist the wave of drowsiness, had long since fallen asleep against Reddell’s rosy form. Reddell carefully tucked the blanket around her, all the while replying to Yue Longze through telepathy.

People from Standerl could not speak; their communication was entirely telepathic.

Yue Longze smiled faintly, sipped his tea again, and then drifted into contemplation, staring at the dark, desolate night sky.

He, too, felt confused. Nearly a week had passed, and there was still no sign of the Third Generation Kiliaelode. The story of this world was unfolding just as it did in the original work, making Yue Longze question his own instincts.

“Perhaps the Third Generation Kiliaelode truly was swept into another dimension?” He himself had no ability to traverse worlds. Perhaps he would be trapped here forever, in this unfamiliar time and space.

The thought brought a trace of fear. Xiaoxiang was still waiting for him in another world!

And so, Yue Longze spent the entire night in a daze, holding the Kusanagi and staring at the sky, while the old woman slept soundly in Reddell’s broad embrace.

The night passed without incident.

At dawn, the sky turned pale, and the rising sun poured its rosy light across the horizon.

Recently, a wave of mysterious disappearances had swept through the region. Now, the entire Victory Team was out patrolling the areas where people had vanished.

“Everything is normal in areas P41 through Q07.” Daigu and Lina flew the Swallow One on their patrol.

“All clear here as well.”

“Everything is normal.”

...

The team members all reported the status of their patrol zones.

On the street, Reddell ran with the old woman on his back—her ankle twisted—drawing startled exclamations from the passersby.

...

“Stop! Put the old lady down!”

Daigu and the others leveled the barrels of their Victory Hyper Guns at Reddell. Having received a tip-off while on patrol, they rushed to the scene.

“Oh my, this time it’s an old woman!” Iwai’s voice, with its natural flair for comedy, made everyone struggle to keep a straight face.

“Listen to me, he’s not a bad boy! He may be impulsive, but he isn’t a bad boy!” The old woman, flustered, spread her arms to shield Reddell behind her.

The group was left bewildered.

In the park, after a round of explanations, everyone finally understood the truth. The one snatching people was another being named Ababas, belonging to the night race. The one before them, called Reddell, belonged to the day race and could only be active during daylight.

“But how are we supposed to catch that guy?” Iwai raised the question.

“He’s after Earthlings with strong fighting ability…” Shinjo seemed to have an idea.

“Looks like there’ll be quite a show tonight,” Lina said, slapping Iwai on the shoulder.

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Iwai remained utterly confused.

...

Under the thick curtain of night, on an empty lawn, Daigu, Shinjo, Munakata, and Iwai—all in plain clothes—were locked in an intense mock battle.

At that moment, Munakata swung a giant hammer at Daigu and Shinjo. Daigu dodged nimbly and, seizing the opportunity, locked Munakata’s arms. Shinjo’s fists battered Munakata’s face, while Iwai took the chance to kick Shinjo from behind. Lina, meanwhile, cheered them on like a rambunctious street punk.

Don’t be surprised—this was all a staged performance by the Victory Team, designed specifically to lure out Ababas.

After all, Ababas was targeting Earthlings with formidable combat skills.

Sure enough, the fierce fighting drew Ababas out...

Meanwhile, back at the old woman’s house—

“He’s appeared. The darkness outside is perfect for Ababas to act.” Reddell’s voice echoed in Yue Longze’s mind as he polished the Kusanagi. Reddell was reminding him to be cautious—Ababas, as a member of the nocturnal race, was exceedingly powerful at night.

Clad in pink, Reddell’s blue eyes shimmered.

“I sense it,” Yue Longze nodded slightly.

He had no wish to interfere unnecessarily. He simply thought that if the Third Generation Kiliaelode existed in this world, then this world could be threatened by it—and he must be ready to stop it at any moment. After all, Daigu was currently no match for the Third Generation Kiliaelode.

With the Kusanagi in hand, he slipped out the door, following Ababas’s aura into the night.