"You—"
Rinna lifted her head, evidently wanting to get angry, but upon seeing the light flickering in Hui Shuhang’s hand, fear stifled her voice.
The next mont, a great force ca again, like an invisible hand pressing on her head, forcibly knocking it to the ground.
"Get down."
Under Hui Shuhang’s cold command, Rinna’s head was forcefully pressed to the ground, emitting a dull thud.
Even with the cushioning of the red carpet, the force caused blood to seep from her forehead gradually.
This was the first ti Su Ming’an had seen Hui Shuhang so angry.
—Perhaps it couldn’t even be called anger, just seriousness.
Her brows furrowed, her tone still even, lacking any fierce fluctuation, but the infinite strength in her hand and the slowly spreading circle of blood on the carpet told him she was not as calm as usual.
"The daughter of Duke Berlin lacks such manners," Hui Shuhang said, "The absence of polite language is one thing, but to dare not salute, to look directly at Your Highness... It seems I must indeed speak with the Duke."
Rinna’s face turned pale; she knew the importance of NPCs in this World Replica, and offending a high-status NPC ant a fate no different from the original character’s.
She had initially thought this little Loli NPC within the room was just the cute, harmless type, paying her no mind; unexpectedly, Hui Shuhang’s first move had trapped her in a dire situation.
She bowed her head, with more words she wanted to utter, anxiety overwhelming her.
anwhile, Su Ming’an, sitting on the side, was simply puzzled by Hui Shuhang’s form of address.
...Your Highness.
He only knew her to address himself as "You," "You," and had never heard such a title before.
"I apologize for startling you," Hui Shuhang turned her head, gently saying to him, "I had never imagined the Duke of Berlin’s daughter to be such, especially since her etiquette seed proper before. I will take her away now, lest she offend your sight..."
"It’s fine," Su Ming’an gestured, "You go ahead. I indeed have so words I want to say to her."
His status seed rather extraordinarily high, and it seed Hui Shuhang might also be quite exceptional.
He had originally thought that Hui Shuhang was a confidant of His Majesty, a knife in His Majesty’s hand, existing to watch over and protect him.
But seeing her relentless attitude towards the duke’s daughter, she seed not a simple character either.
"...Yes." Hui Shuhang looked sowhat surprised but did not object. She picked up her skirt, slowly walking to the door:
"I will wait outside the door. Should you need anything, please call on any ti."
She said, smiling faintly at Su Ming’an, and then the door slowly closed.
"Bang!"
The door made a muffled closing sound, the scarlet carpet beneath, a sar of blood slowly diffusing.
"Su Ming’an." Rinna lifted her head, "That’s you, right?"
"Mizushima Haru," Su Ming’an said, "I had seen you on the faction rank list before, didn’t expect you’d actually co to find ."
"...What."
"I thought any sensible person wouldn’t seek out their past foe at such a mont," Su Ming’an looked at her, a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, "Especially at a ti when a few words from could lead to your demise."
"..." Mizushima Haru fell silent for a mont, then suddenly stood up.
Su Ming’an watched her, completely unruffled as if he was not afraid of any potential sudden attack.
"—I’m sorry!"
Suddenly, he heard such a shout that surprised him greatly. Then, the girl, still bleeding from her forehead and slightly unstable on her legs, suddenly knelt down on the ground, her head striking the ground like a heavy hamr with great force, making him feel as if even the ground had slightly moved.
"Bang!"
Mizushima Haru heavily knelt on the ground, her forehead striking the earth, as the sll of fresh blood beca more and more apparent, gradually staining the hem of her skirt.
The virtual audience was stunned by this scene:
[What’s going on?]
[This, this is still live, she just knelt like that? What about the idol’s pride, her dignity!]
[I rember this young lady used to be pretty arrogant, wasn’t she ranked twelfth in the world? Just like this, just like this...?]
[Don’t forget, after the Fourth World ended she was no longer twelfth, dropped god knows where, it’s like she’s not even in the top hundred.]
[... Isn’t she another discarded piece, abandoned by soone? It’s quite sad, but serves her right, who told her to go against Ming’an last world. Everyone who opposed Ming’an ended up in a bad situation.]
[Have so sympathy, guys. The girl is bleeding so much, it seems she truly wants to make ands, yet here you are, making such heartless comnts.]
[... Here cos the classic machismo, you should try being chopped a few tis by her.]
[...]
"— I’m sorry!"
And just when everyone was shocked, Mizushima Haru repeated again, her voice so loud it might be heard even from outside the door.
There she was, kneeling on the ground, the forr haughty and arrogant young lady completely gone, now she was just like a worm writhing in blood.
Su Ming’an looked at this scene, but did not feel satisfaction, only a spreading sadness in his heart.
He could see that her apology was not from the heart, but forced, a humiliation, and she lacked a real sense of repentance that might purify her sins.
She was being forced, using rationality to dominate her actions, trampling her own dignity instead of sincerely apologizing from the bottom of her heart.
... Another person dominated by forces behind her.
"... What exactly are you apologizing for?" he gently asked.
"I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have targeted you like that in the Fourth World ... I was not as skilled, I did not see the reality, I failed to position myself properly!" Mizushima Haru imdiately raised her head, her voice unceasing: "I understand, I know all this. A person who just luckily scrambled to the front ranks of the world like has no right to criticize you. I can’t beco soone you acknowledge like my sister, nor should I let my personal feelings disregard our allegiance and target you... It’s all my fault, I failed to see the big picture, I can’t even beco ’Lighthouse,’ I’m not even worth being a ’Light Pursuer’..."
Su Ming’an listened to her confessions, only feeling sadness.
These words, soaked with too many artificially crafted traces, were full of analysis of what he had once said.
If it had been before, having heard Mizushima Haru co to such a realization might have encouraged him to continue striving, at least to help her sister.
But now, hearing her degrading herself with crudely crafted words, he just felt sad.
"I was wrong... I also shouldn’t have insulted Lv Shu; he’s so much better than , at least he has a purpose he can truly stand behind, and I’m just useless, even holding my sister back..." Mizushima Haru said, and surprisingly, there was a trace of genuine emotion: "I can’t match up to my sister, I don’t even have the qualifications to help her. To avoid distracting her by needing her care, I don’t even deserve to team up with her. If I could be more clear-headed and rational, more focused on the mission..."
As she knelt there apologizing, the virtual audience continued to sneer:
[Finally realized who she really is, huh little sister.]
[How did she even climb to the twelfth rank in the world, I find it baffling.]
[Maybe Mizushima Kawa Sora helped her, didn’t you hear her? Sisterly love.]
[...Is she faking it now too? I feel like it’s not so simple.]
[No, why would this Fusang girl suddenly find Su Ming’an just to apologize so humbly? She’s scared, isn’t she?]
[It can’t be right... I feel Ming’an doesn’t even care about her, she suddenly ran here to show off her presence.]
"I don’t get it, I don’t get it, but it looks pretty thrilling to ."
"Not really, I think it’s kinda sad..."
"..."
"I’m sorry, I’m sorry..." Mizushima Haru said as she slowly straightened up, her face covered in tears, looking utterly pitiful.
With eyes brimming with tears, she looked pleadingly at Su Ming’an, her appearance extrely pitiful. The blood from her forehead slid down her cheeks, complenting her harmless Fusang girl’s face, which made many spectators who were initially just watching start to feel sympathy.
"...I beg you, please forgive . I’m truly sorry, I’m willing to beco your Light Pursuer from now on, I will do whatever you say..."
"Enough."
Su Ming’an closed the lid of his cup and tapped it on the table.
The crisp sound frightened the extrely sensitive Mizushima Haru, who shuddered, then blinked, her tears falling.
"Turn off the livestream."
Su Ming’an said.
"I, I’ve already turned it off..." Mizushima Haru said in a whisper, her voice faint.
Such a humble apology, as if she had thrown away all dignity, had she not already turned off the livestream, she probably couldn’t have borne to watch those comnts herself.
"Good, I’ll turn it off as well," Su Ming’an said, opening the managent panel of the livestream.
He noticed that the livestream’s managent panel seed to have updated with so features, like Purification and setting moderators, but he had barely managed it, so he hadn’t noticed until now.
He pulled up the managent panel and aid for the option to turn off the livestream.
The comnts seed especially anxious:
"Wait! What are you doing?"
"Alone with a girl, suddenly shutting off the livestream, explain yourself! It can’t be what I’m thinking, can it?"
"Am I lacking in Ti? I want to see what happens next! Don’t turn it off, don’t!"
"Ming’an bro—don’t be swayed by this woman, she’s deceiving you—"
"..."
The livestream’s comnts flashed, then instantly cleared.
Su Ming’an withdrew his hand and closed the now quiet window, looking at Mizushima Haru, who was kneeling.
"You, you..."
Mizushima Haru instinctively clutched her chest, looking fearful of violation, tears still clinging to her face. She tried to stand, but her knees seed already numbed by pain, making it impossible to move her legs.
She noticed Su Ming’an standing up from his seat, seemingly moving closer, so she bit her lip, then closed her eyes, ready to be taken.
...She had been ready all along.
From the mont she arrived, walking down the corridor, climbing the stairs, her mind was like a hanging needle, continuously hypnotizing herself.
...No matter the cost, no matter how much her dignity was trampled, she didn’t care, didn’t care...
She was Fusang, able to stand firm and let go, as long as she could achieve the final result, whatever the processes, however rugged, didn’t matter. She could temporarily beco a puppet who had lost all dignity.
...As long as it was for her sister, she could beco anything.
She thought so, with her eyes closed, her body no longer trembling, as if she was no longer afraid.
She felt the light blocked in front of her, then a scent of black tea was approaching, his fragrance.
She bit her lip, decided.
She reached out, wanting to embrace him.
"—Do not touch ."
Then, just as she had finally resolved herself, she heard a voice that made her utterly collapse.
She opened her eyes to see Su Ming’an extending his hand, a sword in his grip.
The tip of the sword rested on her shoulder, the blade close to her throat.
With a single movent from Su Ming’an, she would be decapitated.
Mizushima Haru’s reaching hand froze in mid-air.
With tears in her eyes and her mouth slightly open, she didn’t understand why the initially sowhat ambiguous atmosphere in the room had turned like this.
"Crying doesn’t suit , and it feels very fake," Su Ming’an said. "To prevent you from plotting anything, it’s safer to talk this way—now tell , who’s coercing you, and why are you here?"
Mizushima Haru looked at the sword tip so close to her, feeling like her pride, which she had scarcely let down, had cracked.
She burst.
"You, you actually..." she seed about to say sothing but then quelled the anger in her eyes, returning to an extrely humble deanor.
"I’m just an ordinary student, not used to speaking indirectly, nor do I understand your hints," Su Ming’an said. "Let’s not talk about the fancy stuff, tell your purpose, your value. Seeing that you can be so harsh to yourself, I’ll listen and weigh in, to see if we can co to an agreent."
...Mizushima Haru understood then.
The other party wasn’t granting her further opportunity to speak because of the content of her apology or her sacrificial act.
It was purely because of her courage to be harsh on herself that he acknowledged her.
He only valued her daring to degrade herself, daring to face him with such courage.
...In other words, all he saw was her value.
For now, she had so value in his eyes.
"I..."
Mizushima Haru moved slightly, feeling the cold tip of the sword against her neck.
Feeling dejected but determined, she directly stated her mission, fearing any further delay might cost her life.
"We want to invite you to join the Ancient Martial Alliance," she said.
...Ancient Martial Alliance? What was that?
Su Ming’an suddenly thought of Lv Shu.
Lv Shu’s Mantis had seed very powerful from the beginning, and if Lv Shu was among the best in Ancient Martial Families, then the other inheritors should be decent as well.
Mizushima Kawa Sora and Mizushima Haru had seed to be mbers of the Ancient Martial Families from the start.
"Is Lv Shu also part of it?" he asked.
"No." Mizushima Haru touched her bleeding forehead and said in a very faint voice:
"Ancient Martial Families will not accept remnants of a family that has been destroyed."
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