Ark Chess Player.

he died.

Even before he died, he used his last bit of strength to control himself and avoid self-destruction.

After clearly realizing this fact, the gray-robed sorcerer smiled and hugged the big, silly guy she had scolded countless times.

"...Guards Bureau."

She murmured softly.

Hoshiguma's ears twitched as she talked to Old Chen; the Oni's keen senses detected that something was wrong.

She turned her head and saw a gray figure holding a corpse, slowly standing up.

"The Reunion Movement?!"

Hoshiguma frowned, just as she was about to go over and deal with the enemy...

"Inspector Chen! Commander Hoshiguma! Quick, let's go!! We've discovered a large number of explosives on the third floor!"

The officers' trembling voices came through the walkie-talkie. He roared, "Explosives! Explosives are right under your feet!!"

"Retreat! Get out of here right now, evacuate immediately!!" Hoshiguma shouted reflexively into the walkie-talkie. She raised her Hannya and held out her hand to Chen Huijie, "Old Chen! Come here! Stand behind the shield!!"

"..."

Chen Huijie's gaze lingered on the female sorcerer's face, and the other's eyes were deeply imprinted in her mind.

—A calm, relieved, even liberated look in his eyes.

"Let's be buried here together, Guard Bureau."

The sorceress, holding the body of the lightly armored soldier, whispered towards the figure that could barely be discerned as human in her blood-red vision.

As the Originium fusion rate increased almost recklessly, the mask on her face was pierced by the Originium prism, revealing a remarkably young face.

"Don't……"

Chen subconsciously reached out his hand, his fingers pausing in mid-air.

"boom!!!"

A violent explosion erupted, and the compressed air rushed out of the window like a dragon's breath.

The explosives buried on the third floor exploded, making the whole world seem to shake, with only continuous explosions in our ears.

The floor beneath Chen's feet shattered, and flames surged up from below.

Hoshiguma lunged at her like a madman, their hands almost touching!

Her eyes widened, her pupils reflecting only her friend shrouded in firelight.

"Old Chen!!"

Chapter 393 Hoshiguma, Standing Tall on the Earth

“Toys should be put away neatly.”

"No one is allowed to leave the house without permission."

"You must ask my permission before you can talk to others. You are not allowed to look adults in the eye before I give you permission."

"What kind of look is that? Go to the 'room,' now—stop! Not that room, it's another one."

In Chen Huijie's hazy consciousness, she heard the voice she hated most—a voice from her nightmarish past.

She squeezed her eyes shut in agony. She remembered the room, only five square meters, with pure white soundproof walls on all four sides. There were no tables, chairs, or beds in the room, only an old air conditioner emitting a monotonous sound, like the breathing of an elderly person. Every time she was punished by being locked up, she would be thrown here. With nowhere else to go, she would find a corner to hide in, curling up into a ball, trying her best to keep thinking.

Every time she was in solitary confinement, she felt as if her senses were being taken away.

Her vision was only pure white; no matter how many marks she left on the walls with her own blood, she would find them pure white the second time she entered the solitary confinement cell.

She could only hear the sound of the air conditioner; she couldn't hear anything outside the room, only the sounds she made out of fear.

External auditory, visual, and tactile stimuli were all blocked out, which was hell for a child under ten years old. She panicked, and she hallucinated more than once, remembering her sister being kidnapped. She felt nauseous, had difficulty concentrating, and her thinking became sluggish.

But she would never surrender.

She will never surrender, neither in the past nor now.

Her willpower, so strong it was almost twisted, was what kept her alive.

You can't have my love, not even a little bit.

—Stop talking, I don't want to hear it.

"I can't stand you. Just seeing you makes me want to scratch my arm."

--Shut up.

"I can't stand you all! I can't take it anymore!"

—It's so noisy! Didn't you hear me tell you to shut up?!

"You'll understand someday. Hate if you want. I hate you, and you hate me. That would be best."

—Then go die!!!

Chen Huijie suddenly opened her eyes, and her hand, honed through countless trials, instinctively gripped Chixiao, releasing a terrifying aura.

"Old Chen..."

A weak murmur brought Chen Huijie back to her senses, and her dazed mind became aware of her situation again.

This isn't a solitary confinement cell; she's in Lungmen, in Pacific Place, a wealthy neighborhood.

Good morning, this is the third time you've woken up today.

A gentle voice reached Chen's ear, and his pupils gradually focused, his blurred vision slowly clearing.

Hoshiguma held up the Hannya to shield her, creating an angle, and she was well protected.

"How long was I unconscious?" Old Chen asked instinctively.

"For half a minute, you looked like you were in pain while you were asleep. Were you having a nightmare?"

"...What kind of time is this to say such things! Move aside, let me cut the boulders."

Chen Huijie placed her hand back on the Crimson Sky Sword; only this weapon could cut through everything.

"I'm sorry, I can't give way. If I do, we might both be gone... Don't look at me like that, I'm fine."

Hoshiguma smiled. She had already transformed into a demon. The demon race's racial talent allowed them to burn their potential and transform it into a power beyond their senses.

She had to do this to save Old Chen from the epicenter of the explosion, and it was certainly worth it.

"But your arm—"

"It's nothing, I exercise every day."

"..."

Chen gritted her teeth silently, knowing that it was because she had been distracted for a moment that her friend had to clean up the mess for her.

"You won't last long! At least two stories of rubble are pressing down on your shield!"

Hoshiguma tilted her head slightly, adopting a thoughtful posture, and replied, "If you sleep for another two hours, my hands might get sore. But since you're already awake, there's no need for us to stay here any longer. Crouch down, get ready, and let's rush out together."

"what?"

Chen Huijie was stunned on the spot. How could she rush in like this?

"I forgot where I saw it, but there was one sentence I really liked."

Hoshiguma slowly propped herself up, and under Chen Huijie's dumbfounded gaze, she lifted herself up from a half-kneeling position, supporting herself against countless rubble.

"Give me a lever long enough and I can move the whole of Terra!!"

Hoshiguma stands tall on the earth!

Almost two stories of ruins were forcibly propped up, and the sound of flesh tearing came from Hoshiguma's arm as hot blood fell to the ground, steaming. Even the demons' demonic transformation has its limits, and Hannya, bearing countless weights, trembled.

"Get out of my way!!"

Hoshiguma roared and forcefully lifted the heavy object!

At the critical moment, Chen Huijie grabbed Xingxiong and rushed forward!

The rubble crashed down behind them, raising a cloud of dust with a deafening roar, and the two women were nearly knocked over by the blast wave.

The Originium mask came in handy; the area was filled with dust containing Originium, and Hoshiguma's mask was splattered with blood.

"Hoshiguma? Are you alright?!"

"Ha...ha...ha...hey, everything's fine."

Hoshiguma was breathing heavily, her whole body radiating heat, and her exposed skin glowed red like blood.

Hannya fell limply to the ground, and Hoshiguma's right arm hung limply in the air.

"I was wrong."

Hoshiguma obediently lowered his head.

"What did I do wrong?" Chen suddenly felt a pang of anxiety.

"I can't believe I couldn't last two hours! Including lifting the floorboards, I probably could only last an hour. Damn it, I miscalculated!" Hoshiguma was somewhat resentful, realizing she still hadn't trained enough! Starting today, she'll double her running distance, double her push-ups, and double her sit-ups!

"you……"

Chen Huijie stared at her, dumbfounded, feeling both annoyed and amused.

Who in their right mind could carry the rubble of a two-story building while still chatting and laughing?!

Even among the Oni, she had seen others, but only Hoshiguma could do something like this!

"You saved my life again."

"Haven't I saved you enough times? Don't make it sound so serious. It makes me uncomfortable. We've been partners for ages." Hoshiguma instinctively tried to wave her hand, but the thought turned into a pain, causing her lips to twitch uncontrollably.

"I can't take it anymore, my back hurts." Hoshiguma hunched over, turning her back to Chen, and pleaded, "Old Chen, can you rub it for me? I feel like all my bones are falling apart... Wait, I didn't mean you have to rub my butt! My back, my back!"

"Oh, oh oh!"

Chen Huijie quickly raised her hand; she had just acted entirely out of control.

"Safe delivery type"... is that what you mean by this?

Chen Huijie stared at Hoshiguma's perfect buttocks with a flushed face, while her hands obediently massaged Hoshiguma's waist.

"Phew...that feels much better. I almost twisted my back. I guess I'm getting old..." Hoshiguma sighed.

"Don't talk nonsense. How old are you? It's impossible for you to retire early."

"I've been found out? Haha... I need to be allowed to relax sometimes."

Hoshiguma sighed, she really needed a vacation. She wanted to go for a ride on her motorcycle, drink good wine at a bar, take Old Chen and Swire for dim sum, hide at home and read Lungmen comics for an afternoon, and finally get a good night's sleep.

"But the enemy won't allow it."

Chen Huijie sighed deeply. At the edge of her vision, the support from the Integration Movement had arrived.

Chapter 394 Crimson Sky - Shadowless Blade (4K)

"What a bunch of spoilsport... Oh well, looks like I have to stick to my job. I can't really touch it after all."

Hoshiguma tried to lift Hannya with her left hand, but she couldn't even lift her right hand, and couldn't even feel her arm. Unfortunately, her left hand wasn't her dominant hand, and having already used up most of her strength, she couldn't lift Hannya now.

Even so, Hoshiguma was confident that she could deal with these Reunion Movement members on her own; she could kick them to death.

Hoshiguma said confidently, "Old Chen, go and reorganize the team. Those kids have been living comfortably in Lungmen for too long and haven't experienced any major storms. They're probably terrified of the Reunion Movement by now. Speed ​​things up, don't let these people hold us back, or we'll lose the advantage we've built up."

"I have indeed received your suggestion, but I choose to prioritize eliminating them."

Chen stood silently in front of Hoshiguma, her hands resting on two weapons simultaneously, her back view elegant and sharp.

“I’m not so weak that I need your special care. Don’t underestimate me, Old Chen.”

Hoshiguma's tone was somewhat dissatisfied. She supported Hannya with her left hand, forced herself to straighten her back, and strode forward.

"Do you remember? Two years ago, when we went into the water on the outer ring, you went after the enemy leader all by yourself. My legs were injured and I couldn't keep up, but you trusted me and left me behind alone. It's the same now, and I'm stronger than I was back then." Hoshiguma saw the hesitation on Old Chen's face and couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. "The Guard Bureau needs you now, more than I do! Now, just like before, there are things only you can do, and there are things you have to do! It's not just just now, it was the same at the Muhe warehouse. When did you become so indecisive, Old Chen!"

"..."

Chen Huijie did not answer; she silently drew her standard longsword, or rather, that was her answer.