Toyokawa Shoko doesn't want to become a witch

"You have made great progress in both swordsmanship and control of the dragon armor, but these improvements will be completely wiped out when your emotions fluctuate."

Hailing retracted her wakizashi, took two steps back, and resumed her fighting stance.

"Calm down, Lixi."

"Tsk!"

Li Xi, consumed by anger and passion, didn't care about anything else.

Xiao Su Shi had spent so much time with them that even Li Xi had subconsciously come to regard her as one of their own. Yet Xiang Zi actually—actually handed Xiao Su Shi over to the mastermind behind everything so easily, and even stood with her!

For Lixi

Xiangzi made a decision silently once again, and then went ahead with it without ever asking for their opinions.

again and again.

It was the same when I was on Crychic, on the cruise ship, and now.

She never considered everyone as companions, never thought of discussing solutions with them, and believed that she could handle everything on her own.

For Lixi, this was betrayal.

Even just telling them would be enough.

Maybe I can be of help?

Moreover, she could not tolerate Hailing's behavior of standing between her and Xiangzi.

why?

Why choose her?

Why weren't you standing by my side this time?

Uncontrollable rage materialized, and the blade of the Blazing Self-Sealing Flame Sword lit up, engulfing Lixi in flames.

She grabbed the Fengyan Sword and charged towards Hailing.

Bang————!

The wolf knight, transformed from the lamp, collided with Chu Hua.

The wolf rider's armor granted the lamp unprecedented power and speed, and even its dynamic vision was enhanced countless times by the helmet's built-in assistive system.

One round, two rounds, three rounds.

Metal claws left countless claw marks on the marble wings, and Chu Hua's metal wings also left several claw marks on the armor.

Five claws left five claw marks on Chu Hua's marble wings, and almost the next instant, the sharp metal wings slapped in front of her.

With the armor's assistance, the lamp could see more clearly than ever before; the blades of the metal wings almost grazed the armor's eyes, yet she still had the ability to retaliate under such conditions.

"Chu Hua Sang!"

brush--!

The claw of its left hand gripped Chu Hua's metal wings.

"I'm going to defeat you, and then go save Xiao Xiang!"

The lamp even felt that she now had the upper hand.

But is this really the case?

Deng thought that by grabbing Chu Hua's wings, he could restrict Chu Hua's movements, but the metal wings he was holding actually fell off Chu Hua's back.

Creatures like geckos and lizards will detach their tails to save their lives when they are in danger. Chu Hua learned this survival technique and can detach any extremity when restricted to gain more freedom of movement.

She gracefully adjusted her posture in mid-air, and taking advantage of the moment when the lamp was stunned, she smashed the lamp's helmet with her marble wings.

thump—

It was as if she'd been shoved into a bell and struck; the lamp's head buzzed. Although she possessed the Wolf Knight Armor, her combat experience was still far too inexperienced compared to Chu Hua.

Covering her dizzy head, Deng moved back to a slightly safer distance.

“Xiao Xiang doesn’t need your help,” Chu Hua said coldly.

“But if this continues—” Deng covered his dizzy head, his voice trembling with tears, and came from beneath the armor.

"—Nobody's going to be happy like this, of course I know!" Chu Hua's eyes narrowed into a thin cross-shaped slit. "But do you have a better solution?"

"I..." The lamp fell silent.

"Xiao Xiang was trying her best to protect everyone. She kept trying to find a solution to the problem. When she realized that there was no way to have the best of both worlds, she took on all the pain and made the right choice!"

Chu Hua roared.

With all his magic power activated, the missing wings were quickly filled.

"You're just living under Xiao Xiang's protection, what gives you the right to say you're 'saving' her?!"

Chu Hua charged forward again, and before the lights could recover, he used his marble wings to smash the wolf knight's armor.

Buzz————

It spread outwards from the center of the platform, reaching the sea surface and even creating a wave.

Chu Hua stopped moving, her wings hovering above the lamp's head.

“What happened…” the lamp murmured.

She noticed that the ground was glowing.

By the time we reached the top platform, the last rays of the setting sun were already visible. The sky had turned completely black, and the clouds and mist had obscured the stars.

But suddenly, light appeared on the ground.

The fluorescent blue light spread outwards along the patterns on the platform's surface, gradually covering the entire platform.

Chu Hua retracted her wings.

“The ceremony is complete,” Chu Hua said, looking down at the lamp. “You can no longer stop them.”

Hailing pulled the katana from beside Lixi's neck, held the blade between her elbows, wiped the blood off it, twirled it with a flourish, and then sheathed it.

"You lost," Hailing said calmly.

Mu glanced back in Xiangzi's direction and used the binding silk to pull the greatsword back from the ground. Ai Yin stood opposite her, bearing some injuries, but not looking particularly disheveled.

The venue was too spacious, not suitable for playing with silk threads. Mu was probably the only one who managed to draw with his opponent.

Aiyin stared blankly ahead at the beam of light that had appeared.

"What is that...?"

“It’s a sign that the ceremony was a success,” Mu said softly. “After that, no one can stop anything that happens.”

With the image of Xiao Su Shi floating in the air reflected in his eyes, Mu rarely showed a complicated expression.

"It's... over."

The Lost Tale: The Lost Child - Chapter 419 I Don't Need You to Save Me

Let's go back to when the battle was raging.

With Chu Hua blocking the way in front, the lights couldn't get through.

It's safe here.

Xiangzi turned his gaze back to the White Queen and nodded.

“It’s time,” Xiangzi said.

The final ritual to assemble all the fragments of the Holy Grail.

Xiangzi took the Holy Grail, walked up to Xiao Su Shi, and forcefully shoved it into Xiao Su Shi's arms. Throughout the entire process, she kept her head down, not daring to look at Xiao Su Shi even once.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say?" The White Queen asked softly, her arm around Xiao Su Shi's shoulder.

That's a question asked as if it were the last thing a condemned prisoner would hear before being led to the gallows.

Xiao Su Shi knew she had no other choice; her purpose from the moment she was born was for this moment. Even... that person had protected her so well, all for this moment.

Xiangzi betrayed her.

In the carriage deep in the ruins, their first encounter: her domineering straddling him, declaring him her possession; in a world of red dust and yellow sand, her tenderly embracing him, promising never to abandon him again; under the cold night sky of the high mountains, her letting him lean on her shoulder, saying, "I will save you"... In the end, it all became empty words.

But she couldn't bring herself to hate Xiangzi. She knew that wasn't what Xiangzi wanted to do, and that making that decision had also caused him great distress.

His gaze drifted towards Xiangzi.

then.

She shook her head.

"Nothing."

But......

Xiao Su Shi bit her lip.

I envy "her" so much, our goddess. She's worth risking everything for, even betraying your vows to save.

I also long to be saved by you.

Xiangzi.

Xiao Su Shi felt she had so much to say to Xiang Zi, but in the end, the words stuck in her throat. She watched as Xiang Zi's tears streamed down his face, but his facial muscles remained completely still, like a weeping doll.

“Let’s begin.” Little Su Shi gripped the Holy Grail tightly in her hand. “...Do I need to do anything?”

"Take this, and you don't need to do anything else. I'll take care of it."

The White Queen patted Xiao Su Shi's head one last time.

“I know it will sound insincere to say I care now, after all, so many people died for your birth. I don’t really deserve to say such things, but… there was a time when I did treat you like my own daughter… and I still do now,” the White Queen said. “I’m sorry, and farewell.”

"..."

The top platform was engraved with intricate and beautiful patterns. The White Queen led Xiao Su Shi to the center of the patterns, then withdrew and chanted a complex and difficult-to-understand incantation.

The Holy Grail began to glow, and the ground of the top platform also began to glow.

Xiao Su Shi stood quietly and obediently directly beneath the Holy Grail, tears welling in her eyes falling drop by drop onto the ground. A deep blue light, like flowing water, cascaded over the pre-engraved patterns, gradually covering the entire platform.

An unseen wave swept by, and the battle for Xiao Su Shi ceased. Everyone put down their weapons and stared blankly as the ritual progressed to a stage that no one could stop.

"Sushi..."

The lamp stretched out its hand, reaching towards the petite figure in the center of the magic circle, as if trying to touch her. One step, two steps, three steps... less than a dozen steps away, it seemed so close, yet so far that it was impossible to touch her.

What did this time spent with Xiao Su Shi mean to Xiangzi, to her, and to all of them? Was it a substitute for Su Shi? Or... something more unique and important?

The lamp held the image before it, yet there was no tactile sensation between its fingers.

Xiangzi clenched his fist, his nails digging into his flesh, blood dripping down.

Tick, tick, tick.

The rhythm of the dripping blood perfectly matched the rhythm of the dripping tears. The transparent liquid mixed with the blood, spreading on the ground like a painting—legend has it that a court painter was willing to burn his most precious daughter to death in order to paint a scene of "hell".

Ultimately, he painted "Hell," a painting that terrifies all living beings. The flames in the painting, and the expressions of the people being burned by the flames, are incredibly realistic, so realistic that it seems as if they want to escape from the painting.

This is what "sacrifice" means.

The so-called equivalent exchange means that there must be sacrifice in order to receive a reward.

Her mind was filled with memories of the people she had sacrificed during the past six months in this world, their pain, their hopes—all of these flowed through her mind.

Now, it's the last one.

What she is doing now is tantamount to "sacrificing" Xiao Su Shi as a offering to the real Su Shi.

It's ok.

Xiangzi bit his lip.

These are all fake, illusions, virtual data...

This is a virtual world.

They are all familiars, false illusions.

I don't care.