The Sky Collapse and a New Hope

“This… is… it…”

Tearing open space, Xiu Lan stepped into the bar, an instinctual pull guiding her to what she sought within its walls.

The dread of the Flesh-Eating Hounds (TL Note: A type of monstrous creature in this world.) and the pervasive corruption of the Light relentlessly urged her onward, demanding she seek her next target.

Only with a sufficient supply of Black Blood could the Light be held at bay.

Otherwise…

“Bang.”

A fist of steel met her, an augmented human with a stern, unyielding face who had clearly been awaiting her arrival at the entrance for some time.

“Ugh…”

Instinctively, Xiu Lan brought her sword up to parry the premeditated attack, yet the sheer force of the blow still sent her sprawling onto the street.

“Van… guard…”

Gang Gubo gazed at the figure before him with disbelief; despite having mentally prepared himself, he could not suppress the shock that seized his heart upon their actual meeting.

Humanity’s hero was now destroying their city, intent on hunting them down.

An absurd tale had abruptly become their harsh reality.

“Tap, tap, tap.”

After Gang Gubo repelled Vanguard, the pub’s occupants streamed out in quick succession: Wu Liyun, his face a knot of worry; Yao Jing, his expression grave; The Doctor, concealed behind a mask; and then…

“I’ll take it from here!”

A confident, flamboyant voice echoed through the bustling street.

It belonged to a young man with dyed red hair, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, exuding an air of devil-may-care indifference.

Yet, what truly captured Xiu Lan’s gaze was the crimson gem embedded in his chest.

“My name is Titan, and I currently serve as the leader of the Blood Clan, as well as…”

As he spoke, the red gem on his chest suddenly pulsed with light, and layers of blood-red tendrils spread from the center of his body, creeping outwards to his limbs.

In mere moments, the young man before them was encased in crimson armor, his formerly crisp voice deepening into a resonant boom:

“The one who will defeat you!”

“The strongest…”

Yao Jing watched the red-haired youth, whom The Doctor had dubbed the strongest of the Blood Clan, with a complicated expression.

At this moment, Titan was sprawled languidly on a chair, his relaxed posture betraying not an ounce of tension for the impending battle.

“Titan’s strength is beyond question; even against a hero, he stands a chance of victory.”

The Doctor stated, “As you predicted, the ‘Sky Collapse’ has begun.

Vanguard will likely arrive here very soon, so we must prepare for battle.”

“What if we lose?”

Yao Jing voiced his apprehension, but to his surprise, The Doctor and the others did not react with the intensity he had anticipated.

“Lose?

If we lose, you’ll just use your Time Reversal to keep fighting.

If once isn’t enough, then twice; if twice isn’t enough, then thrice, four times, five times.

With such a powerful ability, I truly don’t know what there is to be afraid of.”

Titan scoffed, for he would seize any opportunity to grow stronger, and Yao Jing, who possessed a formidable ability yet acted so timidly, was precisely the type he disdained.

In contrast to Titan’s eagerness, The Doctor adopted a more pessimistic tone: “If, despite all our preparations, we still lose this time, then you must travel back to an earlier point in time to seek possibilities.

From my observations, this ‘Sky Collapse’ is merely the collapse of the trial world.”

“Undoubtedly, that place is the origin of everything.

You can go there and see; I’ve already spoken to Wu Liyun, and he can take you inside.”

After convincing The Doctor that he was from the future, he sought out the Blood Clan member named Titan, who, according to The Doctor, was capable of matching a hero and would be a crucial element in the upcoming battle.

Yet, even with this formidable ally, the light he had witnessed in the previous round still filled his heart with dread and turmoil.

Could such a terrifying, predator-like power truly be wielded by a hero?

Or, perhaps, was the person they had seen truly Vanguard?

Confusion and bewilderment clouded his mind; if they lost again this time, would he still have the courage to try once more?

“Brother Yao.”

Wu Liyun tiptoed to his side; ever since arriving at the bar, he had been unusually quiet, feeling somewhat uneasy as a defector from the Blood Clan.

“Old Wu, do you know about the Trial Grounds?”

Recalling The Doctor’s words, Yao Jing decided to confirm this beforehand, just to avoid any misunderstandings.

“Yes, yes, The Doctor mentioned it to me,” Wu Liyun replied.

“But I’m not here to discuss that right now.”

Wu Liyun glanced around, then whispered, “Brother Yao, do you really possess that… Time Reversal ability?”

“Of course.

You didn’t actually think I was messing with you, did you?”

“No, no, no.”

Wu Liyun waved his hand.

“Of course I believe you, Brother Yao.

It’s just that there’s something I wanted to tell you.

I… might have some information about this ‘Vanguard’ you speak of, though I can’t guarantee its accuracy.”

“…”

“Don’t look at me like that.

It’s not like I was withholding information.

Actually, you’ve met that Vanguard before.

Do you remember the photo in my bedroom?”

Like a lightning bolt striking his mind, a multitude of thoughts instantly cascaded through Yao Jing.

He urgently pressed, “Tell me quickly, where did you get that photo?”

Although it was too late to search now, he could travel back in time to find the photographer of that picture, and then, by following a trail of clues, locate Vanguard.

For the first time, Yao Jing experienced the sheer joy of unraveling a mystery.

“Cough, cough.”

Under Yao Jing’s unspoken ‘tell me quickly or I’ll hit you’ gaze, Wu Liyun ultimately abandoned his attempt to create suspense.

He cleared his throat and declared:

“It is I, humble as I am, who took that photograph.

As for the person in it, let me preface this by saying I cannot guarantee that the grey hair is the same as the black hair you mentioned… But if we’re talking about grey hair, you’ve actually seen her many times.”

Many times?

Already seen?

Yao Jing listed the people he had recently encountered, pondering if any of them had a connection to Vanguard.

Wu Liyun’s attitude towards her, a certain person he couldn’t reach, and the sudden display of immense power—stringing these clues together, only one conclusion emerged.

Yao Jing stared speechlessly at Wu Liyun, who returned his gaze with an identical expression.

‘…Which means a certain unreachable individual might have been killing their own teammates all along.’

Yao Jing couldn’t help but curse:

“Damn it!”

****

Under the deep cloak of night, Xiu Lan stood in confrontation with Titan.

One wielded a pitch-black demonic sword, a hero who had once saved the world.

The other was clad in blood-red armor, proclaimed the strongest among the Blood Clan.

The sky itself seemed to rejoice at their encounter, as the brilliant moonlight illuminated their dueling ground.

“Will they win?”

Yao Jing, watching the stalemated opponents, couldn’t help but ask.

“If this so-called ‘Vanguard’ is only at this level…”

Titan’s confidence had clearly soared after their recent exchange, his booming voice conveying an undeniable conviction:

“Then naturally… we *will* win!”

Having declared his victory, Titan initiated his assault.

Terrifying energy coalesced in his hands, transforming into spheres of light that he hurled towards the cloaked Vanguard.

“Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!”

“Ugh…”

Outside, no matter how she dodged, the spheres of light relentlessly pursued her; inside, she was fiercely corroded by the Light itself.

Under this double assault, the shadows enveloping Xiu Lan could no longer sustain their high-intensity defense, and the impact of the energy left her staggering.

“A perfect opportunity!”

Titan, ever sensitive to the ebb and flow of battle, considered himself second to none.

Vanguard’s momentary imbalance was, in his eyes, a decisive turning point.

With an unending surge of energy from his chest, Titan abruptly accelerated, and before Xiu Lan could react, he materialized before her, gripping a violently trembling blade of light.

This was a strike capable of cleaving stars.

If it landed, the so-called Vanguard would utterly vanish from this world.

Now, he was but a single step away from Vanguard.

“This ends now!”

Titan roared.

A glimmer of light flashed in Xiu Lan’s left eye.

“Is that the ‘Light’ you spoke of?”

The Doctor watched the scene unfold with solemn gravity.

Titan had lost.

He had been shattered by the sudden burst of Light.

The unprecedented horror filled him, for the first time, with a crushing sense of frustration, a realization that some obstacles simply could not be overcome, no matter how thoroughly one prepared.

But Xiu Lan, having just defeated Titan, did not pause; her next target was clearly The Doctor, or rather, the gem he wore.

“If you truly possess the ability to rewind time, then go to the Trial Grounds.”

Even as danger loomed, The Doctor calmly and methodically laid out his next plan, shouting to Yao Jing: “For your sake, and for mine, for this city…”

“Thud!”

It was the sound of a demonic sword piercing flesh; The Doctor’s words were cut short as the crimson gem was once again snatched away by the black-clad Vanguard.

What happened then?

As three gems converged, the entire world blurred into an abstract chaos.

Black rain began to fall from the sky.

“So that’s how it is…”

Yao Jing suddenly understood.

In previous attempts, Vanguard had only reached this point after eliminating Titan, meaning this battle was doomed to fail from the very beginning.

However…

‘At last, a new hope has been found…’

Yao Jing closed his eyes, a sense of peace settling over him.