Zongman: The post-2D era

Chapter 741: The Shadow of Sakurada

Tuesday, July 11

The sky over Sakurada became unusually heavy, and the originally sparse clouds quickly spread out as if they were splashed with thick ink.

The tall buildings in the city looked particularly eerie under the inky sky, as if they were quietly being swallowed up by the power of darkness.

A strong sense of uneasiness surged in Feng Feng's heart. He quickened his pace and walked between the rice fields and villages.

However, when he looked up at the top of the tallest building, the scene before him shocked him.

The gem in Yukino's hand suddenly burst out with an intense light in the shadows, enveloping her whole body in a colorful halo.

The light gradually faded, and Yukino found herself in an unfamiliar city, surrounded by busy streets and the air was filled with the faint scent of flowers.

She looked around in surprise, and suddenly heard the voice of a cloaked man in the distance: "Yukinoshita Yukino, welcome to this wonderful world."

"This is Sakurada in the shadows."

Yukino turned around and saw a cloaked child sitting in the middle of a busy intersection with his hands on his knees.

"Are you the Shadow Messenger's true form?"

A surge of courage surged in her heart. She tightly grasped the gem in her hand, squatted down, stared at the cloaked man, observed him carefully, and nodded.

"Feng Feng told me that you were a shadow created by a certain Sakurada person's ability. I didn't expect you to be so young."

The cloaked man pointed at the dirty black blood under his body and stared at Xue No nervously and asked: "Can you let the Lord of Utopia revive Xiao Le?"

"If not, then let's fight for what's important to each of us!"

Feng Feng flew to the rooftop where the cloaked man was standing quietly, fending off the countless dark shadows behind the cloaked man.

Among them were things resembling human hands and octopus tentacles, like the head of a bright demon that seemed to devour everything.

Feng Feng said with golden light all over his body, "Give up. I have located you in reality and Xue Noi in the shadow. You have lost."

The figure of the cloaked man appeared particularly distorted in the shadows, and his hands were suddenly raised high, as if he wanted to tear the heavy sky apart.

As he moved, the black shadow behind him twisted wildly like an enraged beast, gradually gathering into an irresistible wave.

In that shadow, countless claws and tentacles intertwined, like a demon emerging from the abyss, hideous and terrifying.

Feng Feng stood on the roof, his eyes firm and sharp.

Holding up the sky with one hand, golden light burst out from his palm, forming a huge barrier, trying to block the surging black waves.

However, as the cloaked man's pupils dilated, the power of the black wave seemed to become even stronger, as if it was going to swallow up everything.

Feng Feng's eyes were as sharp as torches, and golden light swirled around him, as if he was a ray of light in the darkness.

He supported himself on the roof with one hand, rushed forward, and with the other hand he grasped the cloaked man's neck tightly like an iron clamp, lifting the thin figure into the air.

The cloaked man's eyes were wide open, and his pupils reflected endless fear and despair.

"Why?" Feng Feng's voice was cold and firm, and every word pierced the cloaked man's heart like an ice cone.

"Why are you fighting me in a self-destructive way? What do you want?"

The cloaked man's body struggled in the air, but Feng Feng's power was as unshakable as a mountain.

The cloaked man could only speak with difficulty, his voice weak and trembling: "I... I just want to... I just want to protect my friends and those forgotten shadows."

The body of the cloaked man gradually became transparent in Feng Feng's hands, as if a layer of gauze was swaying in the wind.

As he struggled, the transparent shadow began to twist and entangle, like a black vine, clinging tightly to Feng Feng's body.

At the same time, the other part of the cloaked man's body, as if pulled by an invisible force, was connected to the surging black waves outside.

The huge black wave looked even more ferocious under the moonlight. It roared and rolled, with countless claws and tentacles tumbling in the waves, like an army of demons pouring out from the depths of hell.

The connection between the cloaked man's body and the dark wave seemed to inject him with new strength, causing the shadow on his body to twist even more wildly.

Under the moonlight, the light around Feng Feng gradually dimmed, and the golden light shield was shattered like broken glass under the violent impact of the black waves.

The figure in the golden light was tottering in the surging darkness, as if it would be swallowed up at any time.

The claws and tentacles in the huge waves stretched out towards him like claws of the devil, and those cold, twisted touches penetrated his skin and pierced into his bones.

He felt an unprecedented coldness and fear, which was the despair from the abyss and the mockery of darkness on light.

Feng Feng struggled, trying to steady his body, but the power of darkness was too strong. His feet gradually left the ground, and his whole body was like a light leaf, being swept into the abyss by the huge waves.

My vision began to blur, and the darkness around me was like a sticky liquid, eroding my consciousness bit by bit.

In the abyss of darkness and fear, Feng Feng vaguely felt the will of the cloaked man.

It was as if I had traveled through an endless void and arrived in front of a quiet and dilapidated country cottage.

The moonlight shines through the cracks in the window and falls on a lonely little boy.

The little boy's name was Xiaole. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the swaying shadows on the wall, and whispering.

"Today is my birthday and my parents are busy at work."

Xiaole's face was filled with loneliness and expectation, and his eyes sparkled with a desire for friendship.

Reach out your hand and gently touch the shadow on the wall, as if you are talking to an invisible close friend.

"Xiaoying, do you know? I was bullied by my classmates again today. They said I had no friends and was a monster."

Xiaole's voice was choked with sobs, but his eyes were shining with determination, "But I don't care, because I have you, you are my best friend."

Under the moonlight, Feng Feng seemed to have transformed into Xiao Le's invisible guardian, accompanying him through one lonely day and night after another.

They went to school together, Xiaole's laughter echoing on the country roads, while Fengfeng silently guarded in his shadow.

As time passed, Xiaole grew into a teenager, and they entered junior high school together.

However, on an ordinary evening, before the afterglow of the sunset had completely faded, an out-of-control car suddenly rushed into a country road.

Feng Feng's heart suddenly tightened. He tried with all his strength to prevent this tragedy, but it was too late.

The car roared like a beast and instantly knocked the defenseless Xiaole away.

Feng Feng watched Xiao Le's body draw a sad and beautiful arc in the air, and then fall heavily to the ground. The world in his heart collapsed at that moment.

Feng Feng shouted in the endless darkness, his voice echoing in the nothingness until it became hoarse and silent.

He struggled, stretched out his hands, trying to grab something, but he could only feel the cold and sticky darkness sliding through his fingertips like water.

Suddenly, he felt a warm force wrapping him tightly. The dark water surface seemed to be torn apart, and he passed through the endless darkness.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a crossroads, his head resting on the lap of a young girl.

The girl's cascading black hair gleamed faintly in the moonlight, and her face was pure and elegant, like an elf in the snow.

"Yukino?"

Feng Feng looked at her, his eyes full of disbelief and surprise.

The moonlight fell on the ground, casting two long shadows.

Chapter 742 MacGuffin

Wednesday, July 12

Feng Feng looked at Xue Noi in front of him with flickering eyes, and the original memories and the inexplicable sense of distance in his heart continued to conflict.

"The cloaked man sacrificed his own power and memory to me, just to revive Xiaole?"

When I sat up on my morning bed, I found my body extremely heavy, as if it was bound by invisible chains.

Xueno gently stroked his hair, her voice flowing like a clear spring: "Fengfeng, you're awake."

Hearing his own name, Feng Feng looked even more confused.

"My memory is a little confused," he let out a faint moan.

Xue No seemed to be able to read his mind. She sighed softly and said, "You have been chosen as Xiao Le's substitute. This is the strategy of the cloaked man."

"He wanted to use your power, but he trapped you in the Shadow of Sakurada until you could no longer bear it or revive Xiaole."

There was a gleam of determination in Yukino's eyes. She stood up, her black hair fluttering in the wind like snowflakes in winter.

"However, he can't control everything. At least my existence and awakening are not part of his plan."

Feng Feng nodded, got up, changed clothes, washed his face and brushed his teeth, then looked at the mirror with a dull look.

The man in the mirror looked like a junior high school student named Raku Ichijo, but Yukino beside him did not appear in the mirror.

"I'm Xiaole, Xueno is Xiaoying, and the time was three days before the car accident. I see."

Yukino touched the mirror and asked, "Did you restart time and go back to three days ago, or was it the power of Asai Megumi?"

"Ding dong."

Asai Kei pressed the doorbell of a house with a nameplate labeled Ichijo Raku. The ringing sound went through the corridor into the bathroom and reached Feng Feng's ears.

Feng Feng responded, hung up the towel, and walked through the corridor with a slight heaviness.

The sunlight shines through the half-open windows onto the wooden floor, creating mottled shadows.

The footsteps echoed in the silent house, and each step seemed to carry a heavy mission.

The moment he opened the door, Asai Kei's figure came into view.

Asai Hui was wearing a simple white shirt and black trousers, which made him look tall and straight. His eyes revealed a hint of concern, yet he remained calm.

"Hello, Raku Ichijo," Asai Kei smiled faintly and nodded slightly as a greeting, then her eyes swept into the house.

"You look a little strange." Asai Kei's voice was low and powerful, like a clear spring in a mountain stream, with a hint of penetration.

Feng Feng nodded slightly and motioned for Asai Hui to come in.

The door slowly closed, isolating the noise from the outside world and leaving only the unique tranquility inside the house.

The two walked into the living room, and the light shone through the window onto the messy items, casting mottled shadows.

Asai Kei frowned and glanced at the scattered snack bags, which were piled up like small hills on the coffee table and the floor.

Dirty clothes were scattered randomly on the sofa, lying listlessly like a defeated army.

There was a dull and lazy atmosphere in the air, which formed a sharp contrast with the freshness and neatness of Asai Kei.

He wrinkled his nose slightly, seeming to be able to smell the lingering smell of snacks and sweat on clothes in the air.