The Vanguard’s Return

On the bustling street, chaotic from the impending collapse of the sky, a bar abruptly materialized.

The barrier meant to seal off the outside world was effortlessly shattered by the figure before them.

Long, ink-black hair obscured part of her left eye.

Her black dress, like a dark rose blooming in a shadowed forest, perfectly accentuated her figure.

Combined with her exquisite, beautiful face, the young woman before them could only be described as a peerless beauty.

However, those present had no leisure to appreciate this beauty.

As they watched in horrified awe, a monstrous, terrifying demonic sword appeared in the newcomer’s right hand.

With a brutal thrust downwards, murky shadows seeped into the ground.

The world trembled.

The previously stable space was warped by a terrifying force.

Visible cracks crisscrossed everywhere, resembling a spiderweb.

“Is she trying to kill all of us?”

Yao Jing had, by this point, lost all sense of spatial orientation.

His shield’s energy was plummeting precipitously.

At this rate, he would soon be crushed along with the very space around him.

“The Doctor!”

Gang Gubo attempted to charge towards the enemy, but the disoriented space prevented him from reaching their location.

After several failed attempts, he roared, “Stabilize the space!”

Urged into action by his subordinate, The Doctor finally regained his footing.

Under the curious and expectant gazes of Yao Jing and Wu Liyun.

A gem, radiating a crimson glow, materialized in his palm.

“Hmph!”

With a soft exclamation, the crimson light surged outwards.

As if receiving vital support, the bar, which had been on the verge of collapse, gradually stabilized.

“F-f-found… it…”

A dry, hoarse voice emanated from the Destroyer.

She withdrew her sword and began walking towards The Doctor.

Evidently, someone had no intention of letting her proceed unchallenged.

Gang Gubo positioned himself directly in front of her.

His cyborg attire, damaged during the recent charge, revealed the intricate mechanical components beneath.

With a whirring of gears, his hands transformed into two longswords.

He questioned the young woman before him, “Are you truly the [Vanguard]?”

Despite the differing hair color and the partially obscured face, Gang Gubo still recognized the hero who had once fought alongside him in the distant past.

Yet, such indiscriminate attacks were entirely uncharacteristic of her.

The clash between his memories of the past and her current demeanor plunged him into a brief moment of confusion.

“W-world… Light… Expel…”

A voice, more robotic than even a cyborg’s, issued from the Vanguard.

Without a change in expression, she swung her sword at the one obstructing her.

“Clang.”

Instead of retreating from the Vanguard’s assault, Gang Gubo advanced.

His sword-arms clashed repeatedly against hers.

The ringing of steel echoed with unusual clarity in the otherwise quiet bar.

“Stand back, Vanguard.”

Suppressing the young woman, Gang Gubo continued to exert more force.

He steadily pushed her towards the entrance.

‘Unexpectedly weak.’

Yao Jing observed the unfolding battle.

Aside from her initial appearance, which had caught everyone off guard, the Vanguard’s performance fell far short of [Hero-tier] standards.

With such strength, let alone confronting Blackblood creatures, she had only a minuscule chance of defeating even those present.

‘So…’

‘Where did the problem lie?’

He glanced around, his gaze first falling upon Wu Liyun.

Wu Liyun was currently observing the fight from behind the bar.

His demeanor shifted between relaxed and tense.

Indeed, the sight of the Vanguard being suppressed made him look as if he were about to rush forward and take the blows himself, a sight that made Yao Jing profoundly uncomfortable.

Recalling Old Wu’s previous solo deaths to various opponents, Yao Jing could only sigh, ‘He’s a Vanguard stan (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘chu xianfeng,’ referring to an overly enthusiastic fan, often to the point of blind devotion or obsession.), alright.’

‘Shaking off that thought, Yao Jing redirected his attention.’

Yao Jing then turned to another figure.

Unlike Wu Liyun, who was merely observing from the sidelines, The Doctor was actively and fully assisting Gang Gubo in the battle.

Red ripples continuously emanated from the gem.

These not only enhanced Gang Gubo’s abilities but also diminished the Vanguard’s condition.

Undoubtedly, this support was a crucial element in Gang Gubo’s suppression of the Vanguard.

‘So, this individual truly isn’t the real [Vanguard]?’

Yet, the scene from the previous round resurfaced in Yao Jing’s mind.

‘No one knows the outcome until the very end.’

“Bang.”

The Vanguard was sent flying, crashing against the wall.

She stumbled, struggling to stand upright.

Though she held her demonic sword horizontally before her, Gang Gubo’s immediate follow-up attack disarmed her, sending the sword flying, where it dissolved into shadows and vanished.

“Ugh… ugh…”

The black-clad young woman was now unarmed.

She leaned weakly against the wall.

Anyone unaware of her true identity would surely mistake her for a delicate maiden.

“Checkmate.”

‘I actually won? I defeated *the* Vanguard? The hero who saved humanity has fallen at my feet.’

Gang Gubo gazed at the scene before him in utter disbelief.

This scenario, one that had only ever existed in his fantasies, was now manifesting in reality.

The memory of cyborgs like him being discarded by armies on the battlefield resurfaced in his mind.

A wave of emotion, threatening to bring tears to his eyes, washed over him.

‘I’ve proven myself; even the weakest cyborg can…’

“What is that?”

“Gang Gubo!”

“Look out!”

These were the furious roar of The Doctor and the desperate cry of Yao Jing.

Instinctively, Gang Gubo activated his defenses.

But…

It was useless.

In a mere instant, his body was pulverized.

Only his head remained, plummeting through the air.

‘What was that? Utterly incomprehensible.’

His blurring vision last registered an eye devoid of pupil or sclera, containing only a single, inexplicable beam of light.

‘In the end… I was still a failure, after all.’

Gang Gubo closed his eyes, uttering a final cry, “Run!”

****

“Did we win?”

Yao Jing stared at the scene in disbelief.

Without a doubt, this “Vanguard” had been utterly defeated by Gang Gubo.

If a video of what had just transpired were uploaded online, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar.

He could already envision a flood of absurd conversations erupting in his mind.

He looked towards The Doctor.

The man was cautiously approaching the battleground where the two had fought.

As a hero of the Association, even in victory, he dared not make any presumptuous moves.

While he wished to defy the Association, it didn’t mean he sought a direct confrontation.

Improper handling of the Vanguard would inevitably incur the Association’s wrath.

‘In light of this, her disposition had become his dilemma.’

‘Perhaps seal her away for a few days, then find time to send her back.’

Having settled on a temporary plan, he once again harnessed the gem’s power.

This time, he would seal the Vanguard within the multi-layered world he had created.

Under his command, dark crimson light slowly flowed towards the Vanguard.

“What is that…?” Wu Liyun’s trembling voice caused everyone present to tense up once more.

At some unknown moment, the Vanguard’s left eye, previously concealed by her hair, became visible.

It lacked both pupil and sclera, containing only an incomprehensible beam of light.

Then…

The light flickered.

“Gang Gubo!”

“Watch out!”

Gang Gubo’s body vanished.

The cyborg’s vaunted defenses proved utterly useless against such power.

Shattered mechanical parts scattered across the bar.

Finally, with a dull thud, his head fell to the floor.

But now, no one could retrieve his body.

‘Because next, it would be their turn,’ Yao Jing thought grimly.

“L-light… Seal… Blackblood…”

The Vanguard rose again.

A faint glow emanated from her left eye.

Before her, under The Doctor’s stunned gaze, an identical red gem materialized.

An endless stream of dark energy flowed from the gem into her body.

“What is this…? Where did you get that?! And you can even use it… Is it Irina’s? Or Titan’s?”

The Doctor’s urgent questions went unanswered.

The Vanguard merely moved towards his position.

Undoubtedly, she had locked onto her next target.

The black-haired young woman and the masked man locked gazes.

A spark of hostility seemed to flare between them.

After the cyborg had been eliminated in such an inexplicable manner, The Doctor, facing the approaching Vanguard, remained entirely unperturbed.

He calmly declared, “The distance between us is [Infinite].”

The gem began to glow.

The world underwent a transformation.

Despite being mere inches away, the Vanguard’s attacks consistently failed to connect with The Doctor, elusive as a reflection in a mirror or a phantom castle in the air.

Without lingering in combat, The Doctor, having deployed the gem, immediately turned and retreated.

A teleportation point, exclusively for vampires, lay behind him, offering passage to other dimensions.

The light that had instantaneously obliterated Gang Gubo sent a shiver down his spine.

Engaging such a mysterious entity in battle was far too perilous.

Temporary withdrawal was the optimal choice for the moment.

Provided he could reach that destination…

“S-stay…”

As if provoked by The Doctor’s imminent escape, the light in the Vanguard’s left eye flickered once.

The [Infinite] distance was instantly engulfed by the light, dissolving into nothingness.

The black-clad young woman, who had been distant moments before, directly crossed the space to appear behind him.

The demonic sword, coalesced from shadows, pierced him through, much to The Doctor’s horror.

‘Sustain my life.’

In his moment of dire peril, The Doctor issued another command.

The red gem began to glow, striving to preserve his life, which the demonic sword was devouring.

“Snap.”

Was it premeditated, or had she merely been biding her time?

The Vanguard snatched the gem that had materialized before The Doctor, disregarding his despairing gaze.

She stripped him of his life’s very source.

“H-h-h…”

The man, now utterly defenseless, collapsed weakly to the ground.

Amidst his agonizing groans, his breathing ceased.

‘It’s over again…’

‘Could such a foe truly be defeated?’

Three gems began to glow.

The world was shrouded in black.

Bathed in the ceaseless black rain, Yao Jing once again lost consciousness.

***

Within the familiar bar, among familiar faces, Yao Jing found himself back at the moment he first met The Doctor.

Observing the man who was currently speaking animatedly, he cut directly to the chase, interrupting the speech: “I’ve returned from the future.

Find a solution, or we’ll all die.”

“………..”