Douluo Unrivaled: The Beginning Materializes the Black Abyss and White Flowers

Chapter 369 Möbius's Compassion

Although Jiang Nannan appeared slightly calmer than Xiao Xiao, her delicate brows were also furrowed, and her fingertips unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, revealing her inner struggle.

Although their strength is among the best of the younger generation, they are as insignificant as dust in the face of such a devastating war, and even their self-preservation is a problem.

Zhang Lexuan turned around, her long, jet-black hair swaying gently in the breeze.

Her gaze fell on Xiaoxiao and Jiang Nannan in turn, and she said gently, "Let's go together. If you stay here, you can't do anything, and you'll only distract them."

Her gaze shifted slightly, landing on the Servants who had been leisurely staying behind the two girls—it was none other than Aozaki and Matsuaki, who could be considered the kings and queens of slacking off in this Holy Grail War.

"Or……"

Zhang Lexuan's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible teasing, and the corners of her lips curved into a very shallow arc.

"You two, are you planning to take your Servants to participate in the battle over there?"

At this moment, Qingque pulled out a pair of lustrous and translucent jade pendants from somewhere and idly fiddled with them with her fingers, the surfaces of the pendants making a crisp, clear sound like a spring.

She hummed an off-key tune, tapping her toes lightly to the beat, as if the surrounding cataclysmic events and raging flames were merely background noise on a curtain, completely irrelevant to her.

Meanwhile, Song Que leaned against a relatively intact section of broken wall, arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed in rest.

Her breathing was even and deep, her expression serene, as if she were not on a battlefield, but taking a nap on a spring afternoon, exuding a transcendent air of tranquility and peace.

Since the start of the war, apart from casually dealing with a few clueless phantom soldiers during the initial chaos, these two have perfectly implemented the strategy of observing from the sidelines, firmly guarding their Masters' sides, and showing no intention of intervening in those earth-shattering battles.

Upon hearing Zhang Lexuan's words, Qingque immediately shook her head vigorously, her face clearly showing her reluctance.

"Fighting? I can't do that. Asking me to fight those monsters is like asking me to just kill myself."

As she spoke, she turned to Xiaoxiao, putting on a pitiful, tearful expression, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

"Yes, yes."

The pine sparrow quickly opened its eyes, nodding vigorously, determined to stand on the same side as the blue sparrow.

"He's a complete weakling. If we get involved in those extra-standard battles, we'll probably be reduced to dust."

She shrugged, looking completely nonchalant that fighting was out of the question and that she would never fight in her life.

Looking at these two Servants who were slacking off with such confidence and without any shame, Xiao Xiao was speechless. The hesitation and enthusiasm that had just surged in her heart were instantly extinguished.

Expecting them to fight? You might as well hope the sun rises in the west tomorrow.

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

"Xiaoxiao, Sister Lexuan is right. There's no point in us staying. It will only make Elder Xuan and the senior sisters worry. Let's leave first. We must believe that Elder Xuan and the others will definitely return safely."

Xiao Xiao glanced once more at the battlefield in the distance, which resembled a purgatory and was torn apart by turbulent energy currents, and then glanced at the two Servants beside her who seemed to have the word "slacking off" etched on their foreheads.

She finally deflated like a punctured balloon, her shoulders slumped, and she muttered softly:

“...Okay, then...I'll go with you.”

As Zhang Lexuan and the others left with Meng Hongchen and his companions, only Remian, Gu Yue, and Istaru remained by Lu Jingming's side, watching the battlefield unfold.

The fierce battle between the Holy Spirit Cult and Shrek Academy has finally come to a temporary end with the Holy Spirit Cult's sudden retreat.

Above the ruins, the deafening shouts and violent energy waves gradually receded, leaving only devastation in sight.

The billowing dust slowly settled, like a descending gray curtain, revealing the shattered streets, twisted and charred metal debris, and scattered flames that had not yet been completely extinguished.

The core area, which was originally filled with the collision of energies and constant roars, is now shrouded in a suffocating silence.

Yae Sakura leaned against a crumbling wall covered in spiderweb-like cracks, her body slowly sliding down to the ground.

Her red and white shrine maiden outfit was now stained beyond recognition by congealed blood and filthy dust, the fabric torn and ripped in many places, revealing gruesome wounds all over her exposed skin, some even deep enough to expose bone.

She was breathing heavily, each breath accompanied by intense pain in her chest. Her long pink hair fell limply, the ends stained with ash and blood.

Those once clear and bright purple eyes were now unfocused and empty, their long eyelashes trembling as if they might close completely at any moment and never open again.

"Miss..."

A faint voice, like a candle flickering in the wind, rang in her ears.

His form had become so ethereal that it was almost transparent, leaving only a blurry outline, that Himeko struggled to lie on Yae Sakura's shoulder.

The small, warm flame trembled slightly, its voice filled with undisguised dejection and sorrow.

She knew what Yae Sakura's deepest desire was, and she had hoped that she could help her older sister find eternal peace and redemption of her soul in this strange journey to the Holy Grail in another world.

But reality is cruel enough to drive people to despair.

Their strength appears so small and insignificant on this grand stage filled with powerful figures.

To make matters worse, Yae Sakura's luck seemed to have hit rock bottom.

Summoned to this world, the Master encountered is a puppet controlled by others and devoid of self-awareness, and the faction they belong to is the sinister and bizarre Holy Spirit Cult, which runs counter to the light.

Yae Sakura's pure heart, which originated from a shrine maiden, and her unwavering beliefs were incompatible with the darkness and malice that permeated her surroundings. This made her isolated and rejected from the very beginning, like an alien who had accidentally strayed into the abyss, struggling to move forward.

Just like now, the Holy Spirit Cult retreated in panic, abandoning their armor and weapons, but no one looked back at her, let alone took her, their follower, with them.

Of course, even if you wanted to bring it, it probably wouldn't make a difference.

Yae Sakura's memory was on the verge of collapse. The only reason she could barely maintain her existence was because of a strong obsession that refused to dissipate.

"Huh? Look what I found... an abandoned, pitiful little fox... Hmm, this scent reminds me of an 'old friend'."

Suddenly, a female voice, carrying a hint of languid tenderness, a touch of playful mockery, and a subtle hint of cold danger, rang out behind Yae Sakura without warning.

The sound seemed to possess a strange magic, easily stirring the heartstrings while simultaneously instilling a sense of vigilance and chill from the depths of one's soul. "Whoa!"

Startled by the sudden sound, Himeko nearly fell off Yae Sakura's shoulder.

She instinctively felt a chill creep down her spine, but strangely, that lazy yet dangerous tone... seemed inexplicably familiar.

Yae Sakura showed no reaction to this; she had even exhausted the strength to lift her eyelids, and her consciousness lingered on the edge of complete darkness.

With subtle spatial fluctuations, a slender and alluring figure appeared silently as if solidifying from the shadows.

The newcomer was dressed in a bold, dark green outfit that perfectly accentuated her alluring curves. Her skin was so fair it was almost translucent, creating a striking contrast with her attire.

A head of dark green hair swayed and flowed gently behind her as if it had a life of its own.

Most striking were those vertical, snake-like eyes, as clear as the finest jade yet cold and inhuman, which were now scrutinizing the dying Yae Sakura and the faint, flickering flame on her shoulder with great interest.

When Himeko saw the person's face clearly, her pupils suddenly contracted, and she opened her mouth wide in shock, almost blurting out, "Mebius... Ah... Sister!"

Just as the taboo term "Auntie" was about to slip out, Mebius's eerie and bewitching snake eyes narrowed slightly, and a meaningful smile curved his lips. He exuded a faint yet deadly aura that was enough to freeze one's soul.

In that instant, Himeko's powerful survival instinct, honed through countless hardships, was unleashed to its fullest extent.

She abruptly swallowed the word "Auntie" that was already on the tip of her tongue, her tongue forming a knot in her mouth, and with lightning speed replaced it with an incredibly obedient and sickeningly sweet address—"Sister."

"Ha~"

Mebius seemed quite pleased with this timely change of heart, letting out a light, magnetic chuckle, and the dangerous aura that had permeated the surroundings receded quietly like a tide.

She approached slowly with graceful, cat-like steps, her gaze shifting between the dying Yae Sakura and the tense, almost dying Himeko.

"You little rascal, you're as clever as ever..."

Her observation skills were frighteningly sharp; with just a glance, she had already roughly understood Hishimaru's strange state at this moment.

She is not a completely independent individual, but rather has formed a peculiar symbiotic relationship with the dying fox-eared witch, her existence entirely dependent on the other.

However, when her gaze returned to Yae Sakura's exquisite face, which was almost identical to the one in her memory, a very faint, elusive look of disappointment and understanding flashed quickly in Mebius's deep, unfathomable snake eyes.

"But... what a pity."

She stretched out her slender, almost fragile fingers, nearly touching Yae Sakura's cold, blood-stained cheek, but stopped abruptly at the last second.

Her voice carried a faint sigh, as if lamenting that an exquisite work of art had been marred by an irreparable flaw.

"Although you look exactly the same, and even your souls are so similar... you are ultimately not the 'Sakura' I know."

Indeed, although both are Sakura, their appearances and auras are strikingly similar to the person she remembers, but they are ultimately not the same Sakura who was ranked eighth among the Thirteen Heroes of Chasing Fire.

Just like the Yae no Miko she had met before, they were all just similar yet completely different flowers.

Moreover, compared to the scarred and sorrowful shrine maiden Yae Sakura before them, the cunning and elegant Yae no Miko is completely different in temperament and personality from Sakura.

Upon hearing this, Himeko's already ethereal little body stiffened slightly, the flame-like light dimmed a bit, and her eyes revealed a complex and indescribable longing and sorrow.

Despite Yae Sakura's objections, she insisted on calling her "elder sister," perhaps because she saw the shadow of her beloved older sister in this shrine maiden.

But she never regarded Yae Sakura as a substitute, otherwise she would have called Yae Sakura "older sister" instead of "elder sister".

Mebius observed Yae Sakura, who was barely breathing and like a candle flickering in the wind, with great interest. His emerald snake eyes gleamed with undisguised calculation and inquiry, as if he were assessing a precious, damaged but still highly valuable research sample that he had acquired by chance.

"So……"

She deliberately dragged out her words, her voice languid and sweet, yet like a carefully concocted sweet poison, carrying a deadly allure and danger.

"Let me see what to do with you, this cherry blossom flower that's about to wither completely..."

The faint flame of Himeko trembled violently, and with all her might, she let out a broken, mournful cry from her almost transparent outline.

"Mebius... Sister, please... please, save our eldest sister, she... she's really going to disappear."

The tiny flame licked at Möbius's fingertips, which seemed to radiate a cold luster, with a humble yet urgent gesture.

"I know you must have a way. You're so amazing... you can do anything. As long as you're willing to save her, I'll do anything, even... even if you use me for some kind of experiment."

Mebius's golden snake eyes shifted slightly, his gaze moving from Yae Sakura's pale face to the small flame on her shoulder that was burning itself out for others.

Her lips, which always held a hint of amusement and sarcasm, seemed to purse almost imperceptibly.

"Oh? You're even willing to sacrifice yourself for a phantom that isn't 'her'?"

Her voice was still languid, but it had lost some of its usual sharpness and gained an indescribable complexity.

"What a foolish yet nostalgic obsession."

Her gaze returned to Yae Sakura's face.

That face, so similar to the one in his memory, yet now etched with brokenness and pain, seemed to touch Möbius.

Perhaps it was the strikingly similar shell, perhaps it was Himeko's desperate pleas that moved her to pity, or perhaps it was simply the scientist's instinctive regret for a rare specimen that was about to be completely destroyed.

She remained silent for a moment, and the surrounding space seemed to freeze.

Deep within those serpentine eyes that had seen through the birth and death of countless lives, a faint, almost non-existent emotion ultimately prevailed over pure reason and calculation.

Her relationship with Himeko wasn't exactly good; after all, given her reputation, Himeko used to avoid her.

But she was, after all, the sister of an old friend, and she wasn't truly cold-hearted.

(End of this chapter)