“Hi…
Himeko?” Ye Cang’s mind went completely blank.
It all happened too fast.
In the blink of an eye, before the blood splatting in the air could even touch the ground, everything had plunged into an irreversible, desperate situation.
His body was stiff, his hairs standing on end.
His pinprick pupils briefly locked onto the amber eyes of the red-haired woman.
The look of astonishment was frozen on her still-living head; even Himeko herself had not realized what had happened.
Her head had been plucked off, just like that, as easily as picking a flower.
“Hi…” Ye Cang opened his mouth.
Fear, regret, and sorrow flooded his mind, finally erupting into a boundless, roaring rage.
*Thud—* Only now did the headless body slowly collapse to the floor, a jet of blood over a meter high geysering from the mirror-smooth stump of her neck.
The warm blood dyed the ceiling red and splattered across the faces and clothes of her surrounding companions.
In an instant, March 7th’s face went deathly pale, her hands flying to cover her mouth.
Welt, immediately reversing his grip on his cane, made no attempt to hide his murderous intent.
The cane, wrapped in Imaginary energy, pointed straight at the woman in the white coat like a sharp sword.
But before his attack could land, a far more violent strike beat him to the punch— The young man clawed with his five fingers, Imaginary energy erupting from his fingertips, tearing through the very fabric of space as he lunged straight for the woman’s neck.
Pseudo-Void Cleave!
“Interesting, but that is all.” The tall woman with the blurred face shifted to the side with a single step, effortlessly evading the combined attack of Welt Yang and Ye Cang.
Her ample chest grazed the narrow gap between the two spatial tears.
Turning with elegant grace, she tossed aside the red-haired head that was worthless to her, grabbed the collar of her white lab coat, and pulled hard— As the candy-red evening gown beneath the lab coat was revealed, the same four characters flashed simultaneously in the minds of everyone present, except for Ye Cang and little March: [Lord of Silence] Genius Society #4, Polka Kakamond.
Known as the “Lord of Silence,” she was an assassin in a candy-red evening gown who carried a scalpel.
She had murdered numerous members of the Genius Society.
Rumor had it that she possessed the power to “manipulate probability” and “manifest freely along chains of causality,” and she had once systematically destroyed all portraits and sculptures of herself throughout the universe.
According to the Astral Express’s database, the geniuses confirmed to have died at the hands of this assassin were #7 Bohdan and #27 “Emperor” Rupert.
Her assassination of the latter had put an end to the First Emperor’s War that had swept across the universe.
She was also suspected of killing #8 Lamb, #9 Klein, and Rupert II.
Her reputation, even within the star-studded Genius Society, was incredibly explosive.
“You are…
Polka Kak…” Welt did not hesitate for a second.
He didn’t even have time to wonder why Ye Cang also knew his signature move, the Void Cleave.
The moment he realized her identity, he knew that any resistance from them would be futile.
Facing the Lord of Silence, unless an Aeon descended in person, or an existence transcending the Emanator level intervened…
their lives and deaths rested entirely on her whim.
“Why?” Welt Yang stared at the blurred face of the Lord of Silence, his voice hoarse.
“The Astral Express has never interfered in the internal struggles of the Genius Society.
We Nameless have no grudge against you.
Why did you kill our Navigator?” “Why?” Polka Kakamond smiled faintly, casually wiping her blood-stained scalpel on her sleeve.
“Because—” “Nous’s calculations cannot be defied.” “The contamination of the Eldritch Calamity is irreversible.
And I shall grant you all either ‘ending’ or ‘rebirth.'” Welt pushed up his glasses, the murderous intent in his eyes gradually receding.
“And now?
Our exchange has only further deepened the memetic pollution.
Since ‘Nous’s calculations cannot be defied,’ are you going to commit suicide here as well?” Polka Kakamond seemed to have anticipated Welt’s point.
She chuckled softly.
“I will send myself on my way, but only after I have granted you all eternal peace.” She took a step forward, her aura surging, rising like a towering mountain.
“I came for #83 Herta.
Since you all wish to wade into these muddy waters, then you might as well stay.” “You lunatic!” Welt thrust his arm out, not to attack the Lord of Silence, but to grab Ye Cang by the collar, throwing him backward as he roared, “Run!
I’ll cover the retreat!” “But…” March 7th hesitated, but Dan Heng had already taken the lead.
He shoved Himeko’s head into March’s arms and hoisted her headless body onto his shoulders, gritting his teeth and growling, “Run!
Himeko can still be saved!” “Go.” Ye Cang landed steadily on his feet, his back to March 7th and Dan Heng.
With a flick of his wrist, Imaginary energy sliced through the bulkheads, severing the path between them with a spatial rift.
He turned to glance at little March.
The murderous intent in his eyes vanished for a brief instant, replaced by a bright, sunny smile.
“Uncle Yang can’t hold her off alone.
He needs me.” “As for Sister Himeko…
Dan Heng is right, she can still be saved.” “As long as I am here, I won’t let tragedy repeat itself.” March 7th panicked.
“You guys…” She didn’t get a chance to complain further, as Dan Heng grabbed her arm and dragged her back down the corridor they had come from.
“Go!
Trust Ye Cang and Mr.
Yang!” Dan Heng’s voice was concise and firm, but his current state was clearly deteriorating.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and his face was pale.
“For some reason, images have been flashing through my mind since just now…
I have a way to save Himeko.
That method seems to be called…” “The Cloud-Hymn Magic?” March 7th bit her lip and quickened her pace.
“Fine!
For Himeko’s sake, I’ll trust you this once!” On the other side, Welt frowned as he looked at the black-haired youth who had returned to his side.
“Why didn’t you leave?” Ye Cang shook his head.
“You can’t stop her alone.
You need me.” He took out his black-and-white mask and pressed it to his face.
Once the mask fused completely with his skin, he opened his eyes again, staring with a scrutinizing gaze at the Lord of Silence who was walking toward him step by step.
Along with her approach, Polka Kakamond’s stats and information unfolded before his eyes.
“Do you know, Uncle Yang?” “I’ve always hated wearing this mask because it reminds me—” “To me, this world is nothing but a game.”