"Oh, how did the sky get so dark so quickly?"
"Is it going to rain?"
"Oh no, I just asked Xiaochuan and the others to co out later."
On the originally bustling streets, pedestrians looked up at the sky, voicing their complaints.
anwhile, Yan Huan gazed at the storm clouds flashing with lightning, unable to keep his brow from furrowing.
He harbored a faint, ominous premonition.
However, that unease was quickly diluted by the excitent of obtaining the Crab dicine, allowing him to refocus his attention on the half of the exquisitely carved pink crab in his hand.
With a thought, he summoned the other half of the Crab dicine.
The mont the other half appeared, it acted as if drawn by a magnet.
"Click!"
Without Yan Huan needing to lift a finger, the pieces automatically assembled into a flaunting pink crab.
The crab moved like a living creature, snapping its pincers and spinning in a circle on Yan Huan's palm.
Yan Huan parted his lips, wondering to himself, 'If this thing is alive, how am I supposed to feed it to An Le?'
'Stead?'
Though Yan Huan had a heavy palate and actually preferred spicy stir-fried.
Thinking this, for whatever reason, Yan Huan reached out a finger to poke the Crab dicine.
"Hiss!!"
But in the very next second, its pincer lashed out like lightning, clamping fiercely onto the pad of his finger.
"I—"
Yan Huan gasped in shock, tears pricking the corners of his eyes from the pain, nearly swearing out loud.
When he angrily looked down, he saw that the Crab dicine had already retracted its pincers.
It had even obediently hugged its eight legs and two claws, curling into a tight ball.
"Hum..."
Imdiately after, beneath a swirling pink halo, it seed to completely lose all signs of life, turning into an inanimate object brimming with spiritual energy, entirely unable to move.
'So you just pinch and dip, huh?!'
Yan Huan's face darkened slightly, but he could not exactly do anything to this divine dicine ant to save An Le's life.
'Could I actually dismantle it again?'
'Forget it, I cannot be bothered to stoop to its level.'
The next second, with a re thought from Yan Huan, the Crab dicine vanished without a trace, just like the other items granted by the Modifier.
"..."
Although a colossally ssy situation still lay right before Yan Huan's eyes.
Fortunately, the matter of the Crab dicine was finally resolved, allowing him to at least breathe a sigh of relief.
"I just hope the groundwork I laid with Ye Shiyu earlier proves useful. It will make surviving later much easier."
With that in mind, Yan Huan turned his head to look behind him.
He saw Tong Yingying standing there, frowning as she gazed up at the gloomy sky, seemingly sensing sothing.
After watching her for a long while, Yan Huan finally broke the silence.
"Sister Tong, let's go. We will find a place, and I will explain everything to you."
"Ah, alright."
Tong Yingying slowly withdrew her gaze, forcibly suppressing the ominous premonition in her heart, and followed Yan Huan's pace.
"By the way, Sister Tong, how did you happen to be in Akihabara too?"
"Heh, did I ruin your good ti here? Did I interrupt your little make-out session?"
"..."
Yan Huan turned his head and gave Tong Yingying an innocent look, while the arm-crossing woman eyed him with one eye half-closed, speaking in an exasperated tone.
"Alright, alright. I was directly thrown from Kyoto to Tokyo by so Superpower earlier. It took ages to get in touch with my teammates."
"Then, after learning from the TV that my revenge had been exacted, I started thinking about the Superpowers possessed by those girls around you."
"I thought you were in the dark about the Superpowers, so I planned to investigate secretly on my own first."
As she spoke, Tong Yingying pulled a notebook from her coat and handed it to Yan Huan, gesturing for him to open it.
Yan Huan flipped it open. Upon seeing the Superpower labeled "Suspected Fireworks", his lips twitched stiffly.
Tong Yingying then pointed at the na "An Le" and stated.
"Look, my first target was this girl nad 'An Le'. I ca to Akihabara today following her, who knew I would bump into..."
While listening, Yan Huan's expression suddenly froze.
A mont later, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, his eyes widening as he asked.
"Wait, Sister Tong! Are you saying An Le is also in Akihabara?"
"Uh-huh, what about it?"
"..."
'It's over.'
He knew the quest for this damn Crab dicine would not be that simple.
'Could An Le actually know that I kissed four different girls back-to-back?'
'It's so hard to guess!'
The problem was, An Le had already lost sensation in all four of her limbs. If she used the Modifier again, he feared...
Thinking this, Yan Huan subconsciously reached into his pants pocket, only to grasp empty air.
His mobile phone had been left behind when he was dragged away by Tong Yingying earlier.
Yan Huan's pupils contracted. Gazing at the weather that heralded an impending storm, his expression tightened.
"Sister Tong, wait! I will explain the Superpower stuff to you later. Right now, our top priority is to find An Le imdiately!"
"Hah?! Explain later again?!"
"Rumble!"
Amidst the flashing lightning, a taxi slowly rolled to a stop beneath the Skytree.
Without waiting for the driver to get out and open the door, An Le, her eyes entirely hollow, stepped out of the vehicle and walked straight toward the Skytree.
"Hey, An Le, what are you doing here?"
On her shoulder, Little Finger materialized, flicking its tongue.
It glanced up at the broadcasting tower piercing the clouds, its eyes widening as it made a panicked guess.
"You... you're not planning to jump off the building, are you?!"
"..."
An Le did not respond; she rely went to buy a ticket chanically.
But thinking about it carefully, if An Le wanted to jump, any tall building would do. Why insist on the towering Skytree?
Yet right now, even if Little Finger racked its brains, it could not figure out An Le's true purpose for coming here.
It could only repeatedly question her, but still failed to stop An Le from pressing forward.
Taking the elevator from the fourth floor all the way up, she first arrived at the Tembo Deck on the 350th floor.
Then, without pausing, An Le transferred elevators and ascended to the 445th floor.
This place was the highest observation area of the Skytree.
The Tembo Galleria, with its highest point at 451.2 ters.
From here, one could obtain an absolute bird's-eye field of vision over all of Tokyo.
Rumor had it that on clear days, one could even vaguely spot Mount Fuji from this vantage point.
Unfortunately, the weather was currently terrible, severely obstructing the view and making it impossible to see that far.
"Ding-dong."
The elevator doors slowly slid open, revealing nurous tourists waiting outside.
However, inside the elevator, there was only An Le and that unclean pink hue.
For so reason, an oppressive aura radiated from An Le right now, a sense of intimidation that made people subconsciously afraid to approach.
It was to the extent that when she took the elevator from below, not a single person had dared to share the ride with her.
And the sa was true at this mont.
As the doors parted, the unclean pink seed to break free from its cage, clinging to the surrounding walls and creeping upward in tandem with An Le's footsteps.
Wherever An Le passed, the surrounding tourists imdiately moved aside.
Step by step, she walked until she reached the 450th floor. Bizarrely, she was the only person left on the entire level.
The entire floor seed blanketed by an obscure pink hue, and a faint, pleasant scent of incense wafted through the air.
"Rumble!"
Outside the observation windowsill, dark storm clouds laced with lightning felt so close they could be touched.
An Le stood blankly before the windowsill, gazing out at the slowly illuminating city lights of Tokyo, as though looking at her own reflection in a mirror.
"An Le, what on earth are you trying to do?!"
Right in front of her, watching the now-stationary An Le, Little Finger finally reached its limit. It coiled fiercely in front of her eyes, interrogating her.
Yet An Le simply shifted her gaze to Little Finger and suddenly countered with a question.
"Little Finger, you and your peers were actually dispatched here by so entity, right? To... fulfill so specific purpose, aren't you?"
"How... how did you know?"
Little Finger's eyes widened, staring at An Le in sheer disbelief.
Seeing the astonished snake before her, An Le offered a sympathetic smile.
"It seems the entity that sent you here has also kept things from you."
"Hah? Why would the Divine Lord hide anything from ?!"
Little Finger's eyes darted around frantically, completely refusing to believe An Le's words.
But if An Le was lying, then why couldn't it figure out her motive for coming here?
"..."
'Divine Lord?'
An Le ignored the shocked Little Finger. Turning over the so-called deity's title in her mind, she murmured softly.
"Little Finger, tell , if I die today, will Xiao Huan miss afterward?"
"..."
Little Finger opened its mouth, but the next second it ground its teeth in frustration, cursing.
"He absolutely will not! Once you're gone, he will probably forget you in an instant! He will just turn around and spend all his days indulging with another girl—no, with several, with countless girls, totally forgetting about you!!"
"..."
Despite the vitriol, An Le remained unresponsive for a long ti.
No anger, no reaction. She just blankly stared out at Tokyo.
That deathly silent atmosphere was dyed in sorrow, eventually making Little Finger unable to bear it, prompting it to quietly add another sentence.
"...Maybe on the seventh day after your death, during the Qingming Festival, or the New Year, he might burn so paper money for you?"
"I see."
Hearing this, An Le showed absolutely no emotional fluctuation. Instead, she offered a bashful smile.
It was as if what Little Finger had said was exactly the outco she had envisioned.
"Just missing a little bit is enough."
But the next second, as she gazed in the direction of Akihabara, her smile began to grow increasingly hollow.
Imdiately after, under Little Finger's incredulous gaze, the skin below her neck rapidly turned entirely pale.
That was not all. From that pallor, patches of white snake scales actually began to sprout...
"You—"
"Squeltch."
Just as An Le parted her lips, ethereal, sli-covered pink tentacles surged from around her body, before wrapping tightly around her limbs and neck one by one.
"Smack!!"
The very next second, An Le was hoisted directly upward, left hanging in mid-air.
An Le closed her eyes, feeling her body gradually slide into a deathly stillness, and took a deep breath. [Tentacle Purgatory activated]
[Channeling countdown: 30 minutes]
[During the channeling phase, you can still launch strikes within your field of vision, but tentacle quantity, strength, and Resistance penetration will not reach their maximum limit until 30 minutes have elapsed]
[In other words: After 30 minutes, you will gain the effects of infinite tentacles, indestructibility, and a 100% Resistance penetration bonus]
"An Le... you... you..."
Little Finger stared blankly at the An Le hanging suspended in mid-air, actually feeling its blood run cold.
Because at this very mont, despite being a Modifier Avatar, it possessed absolutely no clue as to what effect An Le was using.
'How...'
'How is this possible?!'
'Could it be...'
'Divine Lord!?'
'You... why did you...'
"Hum."
After taking in a sharp breath of cold air, An Le slowly opened her eyes.
At this mont, her eyes had completely transford into pink serpentine slits.
Within those contracted vertical pupils, acting like a telescope unmatched by human technology, she could clearly see through every single corner of the sprawling tropolis beneath her feet.
An Le's vacant gaze swept across Tokyo, sensing the boundless influx of information pouring into her mind.
Soon after, she finally spoke in a soft tone.
"I originally thought about waiting until I t Xiao Huan tomorrow before doing this."
"Because... because I really wanted to spend ti with Xiao Huan again."
"Even if just for a day, half a day, or a single mont."
"But as long as you and your kind exist for another day, Xiao Huan will only break further. So right now..."
Saying this, she slowly lowered her head to look at the stunned Little Finger below, revealing a shy, radiant smile as she cheerfully declared.
"Let's die together, Little Finger."
anwhile, in Akihabara.
"Rumble!!"
Up in the sky, thunder bood and ferocious winds roared to life.
Even though evening had not yet fallen, the gloomy canopy above seed to bury Tokyo's concrete jungle.
Only the Skytree remained exceptionally bright amidst the darkness, continuously emitting an unclean pink glow.
"I still cannot understand it. Did An Le really just let it go earlier?"
On the streets, the four Hosts were anxiously searching for Yan Huan.
Sakuramiya Hitomi had notified her family, but since it would take ti for them to arrive, the girls decided not to sit idle. They scoured every possible location for any trace of Yan Huan.
However, after searching for a long ti without result, Bai Yi couldn't help but recall what had just happened.
"Maybe she realized she was no match against the four of us combined. Still, I feel like she won't let things rest so easily,"
Ye Shiyu deduced, glancing over at Bai Yi.
Sakuramiya Hitomi truly couldn't walk another step. Panting, she sat down on a nearby bench and warned the others.
"If that is the case, we must be careful of her ambushing us individually in secret. Her abilities are insidious; aside from the tentacles, she seems capable of inflicting effects from a distance."
Hearing this, Bai Yi scoffed and complained.
"This An Le is unbelievable. Yan Huan clearly likes , yet she acts like the original spouse catching a mistress, chasing us all over the place..."
"..."
"She definitely realized she had no chance, so she panicked."
Bai Yi threw her hands up and shook her head, subconsciously walking forward, only to bump right into Ye Shiyu's chest.
Bouncing backward, Bai Yi was just about to complain about the girl ruining her makeup.
But when she looked up, she saw the other three staring blankly past her shoulder.
"What... what is wrong with you guys?"
"Bai Yi, behind... you."
"Huh?"
Bai Yi blinked. Turning around, she saw a slender tentacle crookedly poking its head out from the gap between the skyscrapers, staring down at the four of them.
The surrounding crowds of people were coming and going, not a single one looking up.
It seed as though only the four of them could see that mid-air tentacle.
Seeing this, Bai Yi sneered and declared confidently.
"Ugh... That girl was indeed afraid of being instantly killed in a direct confrontation, so she hid to release her tentacles! What a despicable coward!"
With that said, standing in front of the group, Bai Yi finally stopped running away this ti and pulled out her Pocket Watch.
Yeah, when An Le had appeared earlier, she subconsciously shielded herself behind Ye Shiyu, resulting in a thorough scolding from the taller girl.
Calling her things like "coward", "weakling", "useless except for hiding"...
That had infuriated Bai Yi to no end.
'Now, I will show you what I am made of, Ye Shiyu!'
"Don't be afraid. She is all alone, and there are four of us! Let's go together, drag her out, and teach her a lesson!!"
Looking at that solitary slender tentacle, Bai Yi delivered her grand, heroic speech.
However, the next second, right before Bai Yi's field of vision, a dense, tidal wave of tentacles ca surging out from the gaps between the buildings.
The appendages intertwined and writhed in the air, looking utterly terrifying.
"Boom!!"
"Squeltch!"
The stench of the tentacles washed over them like a tsunami, causing Bai Yi's legs to instantly give out as she nearly fell to her knees.
"T-t-t-that... seems like a lot of tentacles, right? Should we maybe dip first? Huh?"
Bai Yi stiffly turned her head, only to realize that Ye Shiyu and the others were nowhere to be found.
First up was contestant number one, Ye Shiyu!
The mont she saw the second tentacle pop out, she turned and fled without a single shred of hesitation. Fantastic!
Currently maintaining the lead, moving swiftly, completely leaving the others in her dust!
In second place, contestant Spencer!
What's this?!
She was actually carrying the seemingly paralyzed contestant number three, Sakuramiya Hitomi, on her back?!
And she was still managing to keep pace with Ye Shiyu?!
Truly worthy of being the top seed who sprinted two consecutive 400-ter dashes during the Far Moon Academy Club Battle Finals!
And our contestant number four, Bai Yi...
Uhm...
"You... you guys! You actually ran away without telling ?! Ahhh! Damn it, damn it, damn it!! I hate you all!!"
Beyond tears, Bai Yi desperately tried to catch up, but after running a few steps, she belatedly realized sothing.
"Wait, I have Indifference. Why am I running?!"
Thus, she imdiately skidded to a halt and pressed down on the Pocket Watch in her hand, gloating like a petty person who had achieved their aim.
"Tick... tock..."
Indifference, activate!!
The next second, she planted her feet on the spot, casually clasping her hands behind her back as she watched the dense, tsunami-like swarm of tentacles violently surge forward.
"Rumble!!"
Watching the lightning-fast tentacles chase after the others, Bai Yi shook her head sinisterly.
"That is what you get for not waiting for , hmph!"
"Tick... tock..."
Just as she was about to move, she suddenly realized a major problem.
Although the tentacles hadn't noticed her, and as long as she didn't actively touch them she wouldn't be affected...
But...
She was currently surrounded by tentacles on all sides!!
What was she supposed to do when the duration of Indifference ended later?!
"..."
Standing motionless, Bai Yi blinked, suddenly looking as miserable as if she had swallowed a fly.
The next second, her body went limp and she slumped to the ground right where she stood.
Though she felt incredibly pathetic, her posture still maintained an elegant and cute duck-sit.
Though she sported a crying, extrely wronged expression, even her wailing voice sounded utterly lodious.
Not to ntion, even with her small face all scrunched up, her features still inspired deep pity...
It was just that the words coming out of her mouth were not quite as pleasant.
"N-nooo... soone co s-save ... save ?! Waa... waaaaa..."
"What is that?!"
On another street, Tong Yingying's eyes widened as she stared at the tentacles crashing down from the canopy of the sky like a tsunami. She was completely dumbfounded.
She had only ever seen such terrifying scenes in sci-fi movies.
But now...
It was actually unfolding right before her very eyes.
"Are you crazy? What are you screaming about?!"
However, her blank stare caused a passing pedestrian to pause slightly. Following her gaze, he turned to look.
Seeing absolutely nothing, he assud he had run into a lunatic and instantly started cursing.
'They...'
'They can't see it?'
Tong Yingying did not even have the ti to argue with him. She hurriedly turned to look at Yan Huan.
She saw that Yan Huan's eyes were also wide open, staring at the earth-shattering wave of tentacles. He was temporarily stunned.
"Yan Huan, you can see them too, right?"
"Yeah... that's An Le's Modifier... or rather, her Superpower."
Yan Huan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, yet his mind spun with extraordinary agility.
He imdiately turned his head to scan his surroundings, noting that amidst the gloomy canopy overhead, only the towering Skytree was shrouded in an unclean pink haze.
The sky-filling tentacles seed to be pouring straight from the peak of the Skytree.
'Is it An Le?'
"N-nooo... soone co s-save ... save ?! Waa... waaaaa..."
Right at that mont, Yan Huan seed to hear an incredibly pathetic yet exceedingly lodious cry for help.
He imdiately whipped his head around and murmured.
"Bai Yi?"
"Bai Yi? Your female classmate?"
Tong Yingying hadn't heard a thing, only displaying a bewildered expression.
"Yes, she is also a Superpower Host."
Staring at the magnificent spectacle that seed straight out of a movie set, Yan Huan's brow furrowed slightly as two items materialized in his palm.
An antique ring, and a pink, exquisitely carved crab.
"Sister Tong, those tentacles are An Le's Ability. Right now, she is using that power to hunt down the other Superpower Hosts!"
Yan Huan swallowed hard, quickly turning to look seriously at Tong Yingying.
"We need to split up now. I need your help to go save those Superpower Hosts!"
"...Why save them? If those Superpower Hosts are so terrifying, wouldn't it be better to just let them tear each other apart?"
"No, that will only make things infinitely worse! Not only will their Superpowers grow even stronger, but sothing terrible will happen to An Le too!"
Tong Yingying stared blankly at the incredibly serious Yan Huan, but a second later, she still gritted her teeth and conceded.
"You had better give a damn good explanation later!"
"I promise!"
Hearing Tong Yingying's agreent, Yan Huan truly felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
'Is this...'
'Is this what it feels like to have teammates who trust each other?'
'What kind of miserable life was I leading back when I fought all alone...'
With that thought, Yan Huan truly wanted to enshrine Sister Tong as his second 'Divine Lord', right alongside Ye Lan.
But thinking carefully about Tong Yingying's actions just earlier...
'Yeah, let's reluctantly take a step back.'
'I'll just crown you Saint Sister Tong.'
Thinking this, Yan Huan turned and sprinted off.
Seeing this, Tong Yingying, who was just about to leave, could not help but ask.
"What about you? Where are you going?!"
Yan Huan did not look back, his voice drifting from a distance.
"To the Skytree!!"
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