DD Black White [637-368]

Chapter 367: Zhang Lexuan's Worries

The Holy Grail absorbs the negative energy of fallen Servants, purifies it, then feeds it back to the planet, after which the planet's will returns that power as faith, thereby condensing divinity.

Lu Jingming could feel that within the Holy Grail, a certain godhood being gestated with the aid of the planet's will had suddenly begun to coalesce much faster, as if separated only by a thin veil and about to fully manifest in the world.

He couldn't suppress the smile tugging at the corner of his lips. This way, he wouldn't need to worry about the godhoods of those around him. Whether it was Zhang Lexuan, Xu Jiujiu, or Meng Hongchen, without his help becoming a god would be extremely difficult.

But with his help, with the Holy Grail, he could mass-produce godhoods and forge a divine all-star team of his own.

Just like the original Shrek Seven Devils ten thousand years ago—Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai, and the others actually had no potential to become gods; they hitched a ride on Tang San's tailwind.

Isn't that precisely the meaning of "when one person ascends, even their chickens and dogs rise to heaven"?

The gentle, life-filled white light gradually drew back. Lu Jingming exhaled in relief; some color returned to his face, but the profound fatigue etched into his very soul from entering Divineform Mode wasn't something that could dissipate immediately.

He had barely opened his eyes when a slender figure, carrying a familiar fragrance, rushed up to him.

"Xiao Ming!"

Zhang Lexuan's voice was laced with undisguised anxiety and heartache. She didn't even care if others were around; her slim, cool fingers lightly cupped Lu Jingming's cheek, carefully checking his pallor and the lingering unfocus in his eyes.

Those eyes of hers, normally gentle as the moon, were now brimming with worry and lingering fear.

"How could you… how could you be so reckless?"

Her voice trembled slightly, carrying a hint of a sob that was hard to detect.

"That was a God-King's divine sense. If anything had happened to you, I…"

She couldn't go on. She bit down hard on her lower lip, her eyes reddening.

Feeling the cool softness of her touch and the faint trembling at her fingertips, Lu Jingming's heart warmed, tinged with guilt.

He raised his hand to cover hers on his cheek, gently clasping it, his fingers soothingly stroking her smooth skin.

"Sister Lexuan, I'm fine."

He lowered his voice, wearing a reassuring, gentle smile. "You know me—I never fight a battle I'm not sure of."

He deliberately adopted an easy tone, trying to divert her attention. At the same time, he tightened his grasp, warming her chilly hand in his palm.

But Zhang Lexuan wasn't so easily placated. She turned her hand to grip his back, eyes still locked on him as if to verify every minute detail of his condition.

"Don't try to fool me. I can tell how badly your mental strength is overdrawn—and your body too. I've never seen you this weak."

Her tone carried an unusual sternness, but even more of that thick, unshakable heartache.

She lifted her other hand, moonlight power cool and gentle at her fingertip, and carefully tapped his temple to soothe some of the stinging in his mind.

Lu Jingming obediently closed his eyes, feeling that cool, calming force seep into his sea of consciousness like rain upon parched earth.

He savored the moment of tenderness, leaning his body slightly toward Zhang Lexuan until their foreheads were nearly touching.

"To become stronger, a little risk is worth it."

He murmured, his voice close enough to feel.

"And… Sister Lexuan, the Holy Grail's power is getting fuller. It won't be long before you can be like me."

He opened his eyes. In his deep gaze—reflecting Zhang Lexuan's concerned face—his tone became solemn and expectant.

"Very soon, I'll be able to use this Holy Grail to condense your own 'Moon Goddess' godhood. Then you'll no longer be bound by planar laws—you'll have true eternal life and the strength to protect yourself."

Zhang Lexuan froze for a moment.

Moon Goddess godhood. Eternal life. Looking into Lu Jingming's eyes, she felt a wave of emotion.

But in the next instant, she shot him an exasperated glare, half amused, half annoyed. "Changing the subject again. Was I asking about godhoods? You know you're more important to me than that."

She lifted her hand and gently brushed his still-furrowed brow and slightly pale lips, her touch full of pity.

"Seeing you like this hurts a thousand times worse than being hurt myself. More than any godhood, I want the whole, smiling, teasing you."

Catching that ache deep in her eyes, the softest part of Lu Jingming's heart was pierced.

He sighed and opened his arms, gently pulling her into his embrace, resting his chin atop her fragrant hair.

"All right, Sister Lexuan. I promise—I won't take risks again."

His voice carried pampering warmth, with a hint of helplessness.

Nestled against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat and low voice, Zhang Lexuan's taut nerves slowly relaxed.

She knew that once Lu Jingming promised, he wouldn't do something as crazed as this again.

After all, for a mortal body to battle a God-King's divine sense was too reckless, too insane—even if Lu Jingming had a plan and many trump cards.

But everything fears that one-in-ten-thousand accident. Walk by the river long enough, and you're bound to get your shoes wet.

While Lu Jingming was soothing Zhang Lexuan, Meng Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen were leading the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy students, some civilians, and Xu Tianzhen toward their stronghold.

Meng Hongchen had been in contact with Lu Jingming and knew he could send civilians and students to a safe place. Only then did they head his way.

At that moment, Xiao Hongchen—rushing at top speed—suddenly paused.

He looked in disbelief at the back of his hand—where three bright red Command Seals had been clearly visible. Now they were fading as if erased by a rubber, then vanished completely, leaving only smooth skin.

Like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, he instantly understood what it meant.

"Bro…" he muttered, the usual pride and unruliness wiped from his face, replaced by raw shock and a deep, unexpected loss.

Though their time together had been short, he had clicked with that battle-mad executive from Snezhnaya. The man's boldness and pure love of combat had won his respect.

He hadn't even had a proper drink with him or discussed martial arts from another world—and now, so abruptly, came a final farewell… without even a formal goodbye.

A wave of inexpressible sadness surged up, leaving him momentarily hollow.

Beside him, Meng Hongchen keenly sensed his mood shift. Following his gaze, she immediately understood the reason.

She cast a worried glance at her brother's vacant profile, then unconsciously touched the still-bright triple Command Seals on the back of her own hand—the sign of an intact contract with her Servant, Miyabi. She secretly exhaled in relief, but also felt sorry for her brother.

She tugged lightly at Xiao Hongchen's sleeve and whispered, "Brother…"

Xiao Hongchen drew a deep breath, forced the churning emotions down, and when he raised his head again, his face had returned to normal—though a shadow lingered deep in his eyes.

He shook his head to say he was fine.

This wasn't the time for grief. First, get everyone safely to Lu Jingming. Along the way, they had encountered anti-matter legions, but the Sun and Moon Royal Soul Engineering Academy wasn't to be trifled with; they had plenty of Rank-9 soul engineers.

Even Trampler-class enemies they could handle. That was the confidence behind moving the students and civilians.

…

In a quiet corner hastily opened inside the stronghold, Lu Jingming had just calmed Zhang Lexuan and was preparing to meditate and recover when the protective soul tool at the entrance rippled slightly.

Footsteps—hurried yet rhythmic—approached from the distance.

What first entered view was Meng Hongchen's signature white hair. Her delicate face was visibly anxious; the moment she stepped in, her eyes searched urgently, finally locking onto Lu Jingming, sitting against the wall, still pale.

"Xiao Ming!"

She almost cried out, trotting over, completely ignoring her brother and the group of shaken, bedraggled academy students behind her.

"You're hurt?! I saw the commotion from afar… I was scared to death!"

Unlike Zhang Lexuan's restrained heartache, Meng Hongchen's concern was more overt and direct.

As she spoke, she couldn't help but give Lu Jingming's shoulder a light punch—more a spoiled, scolding tap than anything. "What's with you? Fighting that kind of opponent?"

Following her in, Xiao Hongchen glanced at his sister, then at Lu Jingming and Zhang Lexuan at his side. The corner of his mouth twitched; in the end, he simply sighed and quietly arranged for the surviving students and civilians to rest elsewhere, distributing water and food, pretending not to notice the delicate atmosphere.

Looking at the two women before him—both peerlessly beautiful, yet with entirely different styles—Lu Jingming felt a headache. One was gentle as moonlight, the other vivid as the aurora, both focused on him with worry and reproach.

Just as he was about to soothe Meng Hongchen, Zhang Lexuan moved first.

Finding an ally, she lifted her gaze to Meng Hongchen and gave a small nod, her tone tinged with the helplessness of shared exasperation.

"Sister Meng is right. He was reckless this time."

Then both pairs of eyes fixed on Lu Jingming—one gentle, one coquettishly stern—united for the first time.

Lu Jingming: "…"

He suddenly felt like his injuries had gotten worse.

Buoyed by Zhang Lexuan's support, Meng Hongchen grew bolder, indignantly saying, "Exactly! Sister Lexuan is right—you went off risking your life without thinking about our feelings. We can't let you off easy."

Zhang Lexuan nodded in firm agreement, her voice still soft but smiling. "Mm. Xiao Ming, you need to reflect properly. Sister Meng and I were both very worried."

As she spoke, she exchanged a look with Meng Hongchen.

In that instant, the two formed an alliance—ready to properly discipline this disobedient man who kept making them worry.

And so, Lu Jingming fell into an unprecedented "sweet interrogation."

They played off each other—one silent pressure, one relentless verbal assault—surprisingly in sync.

But Lu Jingming wasn't helpless. He reached out, taking both Zhang Lexuan's and Meng Hongchen's hands, placing their cool palms over his heart. His tone was sincere, with a hint of placation.

"All right, all right—I know I was wrong. I made you worry. That's on me. I promise I'll cherish my life more and think twice about everything, okay?"

Feeling the warmth of his palm and the strong heartbeat beneath, and hearing him soften and apologize, both women's hearts melted more than halfway.

Meng Hongchen sniffed and huffed, but didn't pull her hand back. "You're just good at saying sweet things to coax us…"

Zhang Lexuan gently squeezed his hand in return and said softly, "Remember what you said."

The joint interrogation ended—for now—under his practiced appeasement.

The two beauties guarded him on either side. Their approaches differed, but their deep care and love wrapped him in the warmest, most healing light, slowly nourishing his weary body and soul.

Not far away, Xiao Hongchen averted his gaze, feeling like he and the students were a bit superfluous.

The other students also kept their eyes on their noses and noses on their hearts, pretending to see and hear nothing.

Only Xu Tianzhen, seemingly recovered and lively again, looked at the trio with eager curiosity.

"Sister Lexuan, you and Meng and Xiao Hongchen should retreat together. The Holy Grail War is nearing its end. What comes next has nothing to do with you."

Lu Jingming squeezed Zhang Lexuan's hand lightly, his gaze sweeping over the core battlefield, where violent energy and divine might still raged. His tone was solemn.

His meaning was clear: once Jingliu completely dealt with the Sea God Tang San's divine sense avatar, it would all be over.

Zhang Lexuan nodded without hesitation. "Okay."

She knew her and Meng Hongchen's limits. Staying would not help; it would only burden and distract Lu Jingming.

Her eyes lingered gently on his face. "Be careful in everything. We'll wait for you in Haiyuan City."

Her decisiveness and understanding drew a faint smile from Lu Jingming. As expected, Zhang Lexuan was empathetic.

…

However, on the side, Xiao Xiao panicked at the news.

She and Jiang Nannan hadn't followed the main group through the space gate before, holding on to a sliver of hope—waiting for Elder Xuan and the other teachers, or seeing if they could help.

Hearing that Haiyuan City would fully evacuate, she was suddenly at a loss.

"Huh? We… we're leaving?"

Xiao Xiao instinctively clutched Jiang Nannan's sleeve, her face a mix of confusion and urgency.

"What about us? Elder Xuan and the others are still fighting out there. We… we can't just leave!"

Chapter 368: Mobius's Compassion

Though calmer than Xiao Xiao, Jiang Nannan's brows were tightly knit, her fingertips twisting her hem unconsciously—betraying her inner struggle.

Their strength might be outstanding among the younger generation, but in a war that could unmake the world, they were dust—hardly able to protect themselves.

Zhang Lexuan turned, her ink-black hair swaying lightly in the breeze.

Her gaze fell on Xiao Xiao and Jiang Nannan in turn, her tone gentle. "Come with us. Staying here, you can't do anything—and you'll only distract them."

Her eyes shifted slightly to the Servants who had been leisurely trailing behind the two girls—none other than the Sun and Moon War's master slackers, Qingque and Songque.

"Unless…"

Her tone carried a barely perceptible tease, the corner of her lips curving faintly.

"You two plan to take your Servants and join that fight?"

At the moment, Qingque had produced a set of translucent jade tiles from who-knew-where, idly clacking them together with a crisp, springlike sound.

She hummed an off-key tune, tapping a gentle rhythm with her toe, as if the apocalyptic chaos around them was just painted scenery, unrelated to her.

Songque, meanwhile, leaned against a relatively intact broken wall, arms folded, eyes closed in repose.

Her breathing was even, her expression tranquil—not a battlefield, but a lazy spring afternoon nap, radiating a serene "do not disturb my dream" aura.

Since the war began, aside from swatting a few blind phantom soldiers in the initial chaos, the two had faithfully adhered to a strict edge-watching policy, sticking to their Masters and showing no intention of joining the earthshaking fights.

At Zhang Lexuan's words, Qingque immediately shook her head like a rattle, "thanks but no thanks" written all over her face.

"Fight? Not me. Send me against those monsters and you might as well ask me to commit suicide. It'd be kinder."

She turned to Xiao Xiao, wearing a pitiful, teary-eyed look as though grievously wronged.

"Yeah, yeah."

Songque snapped her eyes open and nodded fervently, taking the same stance as Qingque.

"I'm a total combat five-dregs. In a fight of that caliber, if I jump in, there won't even be bone dust left, y'know?"

She spread her hands with a frank "fighting is impossible—this lifetime, absolutely impossible" air.

Watching the two Servants slack off so brazenly and guiltlessly, Xiao Xiao was speechless. Whatever hesitation or hot-bloodedness she'd felt was thoroughly doused.

Count on them to fight? Better to count on the sun rising in the west.

Jiang Nannan sighed helplessly and gently tugged Xiao Xiao's sleeve.

"Xiao Xiao, Sister Lexuan is right. Staying is meaningless; it'll only make Elder Xuan and the seniors worry. Let's retreat first—and trust they'll return safely."

Xiao Xiao looked again toward the infernal battlefield where energy currents tore at the sky, then at the two Servants who seemed like they'd etch "slacker" on their foreheads if they could.

She finally deflated like a punctured ball, shoulders slumping, and muttered, "...Okay. I'll… I'll go with you."

With Zhang Lexuan leading Meng Hongchen and the others away, only Lemuen, Gu Yue, and Istaroth remained at Lu Jingming's side to watch the battle unfold.

The fierce battle between the Holy Spirit Sect and Shrek Academy, with the Holy Spirit Sect's sudden retreat, finally subsided.

On the ruins, the thunderous din of killing and surging energy faded, leaving devastation.

Drifting dust settled like a gray curtain, revealing shattered streets beneath, twisted, charred scraps of metal, and scattered embers not yet extinguished.

The core zone, once filled with roaring clashes and energy, was now shrouded in suffocating silence.

Yae Sakura slumped against a wall riddled with spiderweb cracks, slowly sliding to the ground.

Her red-and-white miko garb was so crusted with dried blood and grime that its original purity was unrecognizable. The fabric was torn in many places; the bared skin beneath was crisscrossed with ghastly wounds, some deep enough to see bone.

She panted faintly, each breath tugging painful spasms in her chest. Her pink hair hung limp, its ends caked with ash and blood.

The clear violet of her eyes had turned vacant and unfocused. Her long lashes trembled, ready to fall shut forever.

"Big sis…"

A voice, weak as a dying candle, flickered at her ear.

Higokumaru—her form so faint as to be nearly transparent, little more than a blur—lay feebly on Yae Sakura's shoulder.

That small, warm flame-body trembled, her tone full of undisguised sadness and dejection.

She knew what Yae Sakura most longed for deep inside. She had also hoped that in this strange cross-world Holy Grail journey she might help her big sister find eternal peace and salvation.

But reality was cruel to the point of despair.

Their power, on this grand stage teeming with the mighty, was tiny and insignificant.

Worse, Yae Sakura's luck seemed abysmal.

Summoned to this world, the Master she met was a puppet controlled by others, stripped of self. The faction she landed in—the sinister Holy Spirit Sect—ran counter to everything light and pure.

Yae Sakura's pure miko heart and steadfast faith clashed with the dark malice around her. From the start, she was isolated and rejected—an outsider who had strayed into an abyss, every step arduous.

Just like now: the Holy Spirit Sect fled in panic, armor and helmets discarded, and no one looked back at her—not to mention taking their Servant along.

Of course, even if they had, it wouldn't have mattered.

Yae Sakura's memory core was on the verge of collapse. The only reason she maintained a semblance of form was a fierce, stubborn will refusing to dissipate.

"Oh? What do we have here… a poor, abandoned little fox… Hm, this aura does remind me of an old 'acquaintance.'"

Suddenly, a woman's voice sounded behind Yae Sakura—languid and sultry, tinged with playful mockery and a faint, icy danger.

That voice seemed to carry a peculiar magic—easily plucking at heartstrings while stirring a primal wariness and chill from the soul.

"Wah!"

Startled, Higokumaru jolted, nearly tumbling from Yae Sakura's shoulder.

A cold dread crept up her spine by instinct. Yet strangely, that lazy, dangerous tone… felt oddly familiar?

Yae Sakura didn't react at all. She didn't even have the strength to lift her eyelids. Her consciousness drifted at the dark edge of oblivion.

With a subtle ripple in space, a graceful, bewitching figure condensed out of shadow.

She wore a daring, form-hugging outfit of deep green that traced her alluring curves. Her skin was pale to the point of translucence, a sharp contrast with her clothes.

A long mane of dark green hair flowed behind her as if alive.

Most striking of all were her serpent eyes—pupil-slit emeralds of the finest clarity, yet cold and inhuman—now studying the dying Yae Sakura and the wavering flame on her shoulder with keen interest.

When she saw the woman's face, Higokumaru's pupils shrank. Jaw dropping in shock, she blurted, "Aunt—Sister Mobius!"

At the instant the taboo word "Auntie" was about to slip out, Mobius's eerie, enchanting serpent eyes narrowed slightly. Her lips curved into a meaningful, half-smile, and a faintly soul-freezing menace seeped into the air.

Higokumaru's hard-won survival instincts flared to the utmost.

She forcibly swallowed the "Auntie" at the tip of her tongue, knotted her words, and, at lightning speed, swapped in a syrupy, saccharine "sister."

"Heh~"

Mobius seemed quite satisfied with the timely correction. A low, velvety chuckle rolled from her throat, and the lurking danger ebbed like tidewater.

She walked closer with a catlike grace, her gaze flitting between the barely-alive Yae Sakura and a Higokumaru so nervous she was nearly snuffed out.

"You little thing are as… quick-witted as ever, aren't you."

Her perception was terrifyingly sharp. With a single glance, she understood Higokumaru's peculiar state.

Not an entirely independent being, but in a strange symbiosis with the dying fox-eared miko—her existence entirely dependent on the other.

Yet when her gaze returned to Yae Sakura's face—nearly identical to the one in her memories—an almost imperceptible flash of disappointment and realization flickered in Mobius's unfathomable eyes.

"But… what a pity."

She extended a slender, almost fragile finger, stopping a hair's breadth from Yae Sakura's blood-streaked, chilling cheek.

Her voice carried a faint sigh, as if lamenting an exquisite artwork marred by irreparable flaws.

"You look the same. Even your soul's aura is so similar… but in the end, you are not the 'Sakura' I knew."

Indeed. Though both were Sakuras, and this visage and aura were uncannily alike, she was not Mobius's colleague among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, "Goushinnso Mementot."

Just like the Yae Miko she'd met before: similar, yet entirely different blossoms.

And compared to this battered, vow-burdened miko Yae Sakura, that sly, elegant Yae Miko's temperament and character were worlds apart from Sakura's.

Higokumaru stiffened, her tiny, flickering form dimming at Mobius's words. Complex grief and longing welled in her eyes.

She insisted on calling this woman "big sis" over Yae Sakura's protests because she saw her beloved sister's shadow here.

But she had never treated Yae Sakura as a replacement—otherwise, she would have called her "sis," not "big sis."

Mobius regarded the candle-flame Yae Sakura with keen interest, her emerald serpent eyes gleaming with naked calculation and curiosity—evaluating an unexpected, damaged yet precious specimen.

"Well then…"

She elongated her tone, lazy and honeyed, like a carefully mixed sweet poison—deadly in its allure.

"Let's see… what to do with this cherry blossom that's about to wilt for good?"

Higokumaru's tiny flame trembled violently. She mustered all her strength, a quavering, broken plea spilling from her almost transparent form.

"Sister Mobius… please… please save big sis… she's… she's really going to disappear."

The little fire nuzzled Mobius's cool, gleaming fingertips, posture both humble and urgent.

"I know you can do it. You're amazing… omnipotent. If you'll save her, I'll do anything—even if… even if you use me for some experiment."

Mobius's golden serpent eyes shifted from Yae Sakura's pale face to the small flame burning itself away for another.

The corners of her lips—usually curled with mockery and play—pressed ever so slightly.

"Oh? Willing to sacrifice yourself for a shadow that isn't truly 'her'?"

Her voice remained languid, but with fewer barbs and a trace of something hard to name.

"How… foolish—and how nostalgic—that stubbornness is."

Her gaze returned to Yae Sakura.

That face—so like the one in her memories, yet now etched with pain and ruin—seemed to touch Mobius.

Perhaps it was the excessive resemblance. Perhaps Higokumaru's desperate pleading stirred a rare compassion. Or perhaps it was simply a scientist's pity for a rare sample about to be lost.

She fell silent for a moment; even the space around them seemed to still.

In the depths of those serpent eyes—accustomed to witnessing life's countless births and deaths—a faint, almost nonexistent emotion finally outweighed pure reason and calculation.

Her relationship with Higokumaru had never been "good." With her reputation, Higokumaru had used to avoid her.

But she was, after all, the sister of an old comrade. Mobius was not truly heartless.