“Five!”
A thunderclap echoed from the sky, a sound so clear that Xia De heard it for the first time in Between Life and death. Immediately after, dozens of black beams of light, like a rain of light, fell straight down from the high sky of the dense fog.
Xia De ignored his injuries and immediately dodged, but the black light rain actually followed him and began to move.
“Four!”
His nose twitched, and Xia De smelled the floral scent from that bedroom; he was about to leave. The black scythe swept from the front again, and with the tracking light rain behind him, Xia De couldn't dodge at all. If he stopped to defend, he would likely be continuously attacked by the light rain until he was helpless.
“No choice.”
The power of the last Red Butterfly was completely absorbed into his body. Xia De's steps paused for a moment, then his entire body exploded, turning into a swarm of Red Butterflies flying towards the sky.
“Three!”
But the Red Butterflies didn't fly too far. The Mystic Lock owner suppressed high-altitude flight, forcibly pressing Xia De back to the ground, where he reverted to human form. Xia De was actually quite glad Barton did this; for a moment, he almost thought he really was the collective consciousness of the Red Butterfly swarm.
“As expected, I can't rely too much on the power of relics.”
The black light rain followed closely, and at the same time, Joey Barton slowly floated over. He held a black sphere in his hand, and the sphere was expanding. Xia De had a premonition that once that black sphere exploded, even the shield from the Soul Ring and the False Immortality state combined probably wouldn't save him from his injuries.
“Two!”
Someone was shaking Xia De's shoulder. In a semi-conscious state, Xia De's awareness seemed to split into two.
“Mr. Watson, this is the power I comprehended in Between Life and death. By delving so deeply into death, by touching death in such a way, I understand what true ending is.”
Barton's voice seemed to come from far away, yet he was so close. His unique upbringing made him more talented than Iluna and Darkness, and combined with the power of Between Life and death, the danger of this battle was on par with his decisive battle against Darkness:
“Does facing a Chosen One always have to be harder than the last time?”
Xia De, running, clasped his hands together, then suddenly pulled them apart, and a silver Moonlight arc sliced towards the man flying low.
“Grant you—”
The black sphere shattered, and time seemed to stand still at that moment. Darkness descended, and everything around seemed to be pushed towards its end, the final end representing conclusion:
“—Predestined death!”
“Wake up!”
The sensation of cold water splashing on his head made Xia De's static consciousness awaken from his dream:
“Oh!”
He gasped, opening his eyes, breathing heavily, enjoying the joy of vibrant life. Then he started coughing violently, spitting out blood from his lungs.
Cold water trickled down his cheeks; someone had indeed splashed water on Xia De's face.
He was back in the basement of Cassandra Auction House, propped up on one hand, sitting on the soft four-poster bed. The surrounding black gauze had been pulled open. Miss Aurora sat sideways on the edge of the bed, holding Xia De's left hand. Grandma Cassandra, looking anxious, clutched a Red Butterfly pendant, presumably intending to seek help from Grace and Helen.
As for Miss Rita Swift, the Old Witch's apprentice, she stood at the head of the bed holding an empty bowl, smiling somewhat apologetically at Xia De.
She was the one who threw the water.
The fireplace fire was re-lit, and the Old Witch's shadow on one side of the bed stretched onto the covers. The sounds of the maids moving about made the world feel more alive, and allowed Xia De's cold soul to once again perceive the warmth of the real world.
Breathing heavily, Xia De could still feel the sensation of all things ending in the final moments of his dream. He believed that Joey Barton could not have used that move without consequence, but even he didn't want to face that scene again.
He looked down at his right hand; the doctor's black crystal amulet was already shattered. The three relic rings on his left hand, though intact, showed chaotic whisper elements, indicating they were on the verge of losing control.
Xia De quickly took off the rings in his hand. The Sorceresses waiting nearby took the rings and urgently sent them to the containment room on the other side of the basement.
“Xia De, how do you feel now?”
Miss Aurora asked with concern. Xia De shook his head:
“The situation is very bad, extremely bad. Without a targeted plan, I'm afraid even the Church won't gain much advantage.”
He briefly recounted what happened in the dream in Between Life and death, emphasizing that Joey Barton was gradually merging with the inconceivable-grade relic, 【Life and Death Gap】, relying on his Chosen One talent and the Knowledge he gained from the Truth Society:
“He can even activate the Mystic Lock, 【Life and Death Gap】, within Between Life and death. With the two superimposed, it's hard to imagine how he can be defeated. And that last move, Predestined death, is a wide-range, indiscriminate attack. Within its scope, even those with instant-death evasion abilities will be pushed to their end. It's truly terrifying; I can't imagine a mortal achieving such a degree.”
Miss Rita Swift handed Xia De a towel, and Xia De wiped the water from his face. Miss Aurora's hand was transferring warmth to Xia De, and he felt a little better:
“But what's certain is that Barton indeed wants to pass through one of the three passages to enter True Death, and then find the beloved departed soul within death.”
“The passage on the mountainside is guarded by us and Sister Devlin. The mountaintop has the Church and the Phoenix. Does he intend to use the gate at the foot of the mountain?”
Miss Aurora speculated:
“After all, you encountered him near the Natural Church in Between Life and death.”
“That might just be to divert the Church's attention. He just used the Mystic Lock, and the souls guarding the Church would notice it, not to mention the Church you mentioned entering Between Life and death to find him. I think we'll soon receive news from the Five Gods Church. So, there's a possibility he'll use any of the three passages.”
He hesitated for a moment, then added:
“The Chosen of Balance is guarding the Church at the foot of the mountain. Additionally, the Church has three Thirteen Ring Sorcerers locally, and the Three Great Arcane Academies also have one. Even if they are dispersed, each passage will have one Thirteen Ring Sorcerer.”
“No, the Church's three Thirteen Ring Sorcerers should all be on the mountain; the ritual requires them.”
Grandma Cassandra said. This Old Witch, who was always smiling, now showed a worried expression on her face:
“Regardless, the final moment is finally approaching. The ritual doesn't seem to be today, Tuesday; it should be tomorrow, Wednesday evening. Xia De, what are you going to do tomorrow?”
Xia De blinked:
“Since Middelburg will be so dangerous tomorrow, I plan to stay in Tobesk and await your good news.”
“That's a clumsy lie.”
Miss Aurora chuckled:
“In any case, whatever you intend to do, be careful.”
She would never guess what Xia De's goal was.
In the short hour Xia De was in his dream, more than half a day had passed in reality.
It was Tuesday noon. The Witches invited Xia De to lunch, but Xia De, having things to do, politely declined the invitation. Before he left Cassandra Auction House, Grandma Cassandra gave Xia De a slightly rusted Red Butterfly pendant. It was a complete pendant, with whisper element attached to it:
“The teachers are still in their rooms and are expected to be able to move freely by tomorrow or the day after. Now that Between Life and death is on the verge of collapse, they dare not risk catalyzing a disaster by going out. Xia De, this is an item made by the teachers. It can allow you to temporarily use a portion of the Red Butterfly's power. But do not use it lightly unless absolutely necessary; the power attached to it is too strong.”
“Grace and Helen.”
Grandma Cassandra couldn't possibly know what Xia De intended to do, but the twin girls probably guessed that Xia De would re-enter Between Life and death tomorrow.
After bidding farewell to the two Witches, Xia De once again went to the Sun Church in the Middelburg parish, and it took him a great deal of effort to see Iluna.
He informed the seventeen-year-old girl about the situation in his dream, emphasizing the Mystic Lock and Predestined death, warning her to be careful. At the same time, Xia De also learned that the average level of the Natural Church's team dispatched into Between Life and death today was 8.
However, neither Xia De nor Iluna were very optimistic about their actions.
He wrote a letter to Sister Devlin at the House of the Blind, then returned to Tobesk. When he arrived home, it was already evening. Xia De, holding someone else's Mia, waited for Luvia to get off work on the first floor of the Prophet Association, then the two went to a restaurant on Silver Cross Avenue for dinner.
Luvia quietly listened to Xia De recount the day's events, and only after he finished did she ask softly:
“So when you get home, you'll prepare your travel gear, then go to Middelburg, and wait for the Church's ritual to begin tomorrow?”
“Yes, when the Church's ritual begins, it's when the guardian power of the three passages is most dispersed. Joey Barton will most likely make his move then. I will delve into Between Life and death with this body, not through a dream. In Between Life and death, I will witness Joey Barton's end.”
Xia De cut the steak on his plate:
“Since he doesn't want to turn back, and is unwilling to turn back, I can only consider him an enemy. Fortunately, with the Night Watchman in hand, I am confident facing the Mystic Lock again. Plus Iluna, there shouldn't be much of a problem this time.”
Although his tone was relaxed, Luvia knew how dangerous it was.
The purple-eyed girl had even put on light makeup to go out to dinner with Xia De. Now she pursed her lips:
“You chose to go to the Church at the foot of the mountain instead of the mountain itself? Why?”
Xia De used his fork to arrange three pieces of steak parallel on the plate. Mia looked at him expectantly:
“Priest Augustus is now at the summit, Sister Devlin is with the Witches on the mountainside. Isn't the remaining answer obvious? Moreover, Iluna is at the foot of the mountain, and even to protect her safety, I cannot go anywhere else.”
“Does she need your protection?”
Luvia said softly, shaking her red wine glass under the gaslight, the wine-colored liquid showing a hazy luster:
“I truly hate this feeling of waiting, waiting for you to return from an adventure.”
“Since the Star Whale didn't appear tonight, it will definitely appear tomorrow night. While you're waiting for me to return, you can also complete the Astronomical Academy's big event this autumn. This process won't be boring.”
Xia De sighed:
“Actually, I also really want to see this legendary creature, but unfortunately, tomorrow night, I'll most likely be in Between Life and death.”
“You know I'm not talking about that.”
Luvia shook her head, lowered her gaze, rummaged through her handbag for her divination cards, and pushed them towards Xia De, motioning for him to draw one:
“Still the old rule, before you depart, let me divine for you, my Knight.”
Xia De nodded, first swatting away Mia's outstretched paw, then drawing a card from the middle:
“The Ferryman.”
On the card was an endless river, with a huge moon only half submerged in the water. A robed Ferryman rowed his boat towards the moon.
He placed the card face up on top of the deck, then handed the cards back to Luvia:
“So, what does this card mean?”
“You will become an important guide, pointing the direction for a significant person, and receiving compensation for it—this is the most basic meaning of this card.”
“What about the other meanings?”
Luvia shook her head, saying nothing. Xia De could see that she was in a bad mood, but he also understood her thoughts at the moment. Although the three of them had agreed to witness everything together, this time, it was Xia De and Iluna who would face it, while Luvia could only wait silently.
“Iluna told me today that she'll be back in Tobesk by the weekend, and she's invited us to dinner and the Opera House. Will we still go to the Delarion Royal Opera House then? Maybe we can try a different place this time.”
He laughed, changing the subject, as the waiter pushed a trolley, bringing clam chowder. Xia De loosened the cuff buttons of his formal suit, then gestured for Luvia to look:
“Look.”
He poked his finger into his cuff, then “pinched” a somewhat withered red rose from his sleeve:
“For you, Luvia.”
The young waiter nearby thought it was magic, while the purple-eyed girl recognized it as the effect of the Miracle, Toy Making.
She took the flower, forcing a faint smile. Xia De leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze shifting from the pretty girl at his table to the crystal chandelier above the high-end restaurant.
The light was beautiful, very pretty.
【How many flowers did you buy from that flower girl?】
A whisper came to his ear.
“Eight.”
Xia De remembered clearly.
【How many have you given away now?】
“Iluna, Queen Diana, Miss Jialinna, Tifa, Luvia—five have been given away.”
He thought for a moment:
“Oh, and Leia and Dorothy; they took one together. So, there are two flowers left now.”
【Who do you plan to give the remaining ones to?】
The light made Xia De's eyes shine. Many Noblewomen around were secretly looking at him. Luvia also held the flower and looked across the table at the handsome young man with a smile on his face.
Sometimes, the purple-eyed girl couldn't believe how lucky she was to have met this young Detective who liked Mia.
“Those flowers aren't just roses. As for who I plan to give them to...”
His right hand unconsciously reached for his chest, tapped lightly, then pulled out a handkerchief. The action was so natural that no one could tell anything was amiss.
Only “her” was smiling gently; “she” was always like that.
