After days of traveling through heavy snow and fierce winds, the group finally arrived at the hideout near the capital.
Leone was the first to enter, throwing herself onto the couch in the corner of the room, sighing with relief. "Ah, nothing beats being back home!"
Tatsumi entered after her, carrying a bag full of supplies they had gathered during their journey. He looked around with a slight smile. "At least we didn't come back missing any limbs—just a few fractures here and there."
Mine couldn't resist teasing him. "That's coming from the only one who was sleeping in the middle of the battle while the others were fighting. Am I right, Zhang Yong?"
Zhang Yong was distracted, but her question brought him back to reality. "Ah, what? I wasn't listening. What did you say?"
"I said... never mind." Mine sighed in annoyance. "Are you alright?" she then asked, her brows furrowed with concern. "You've seemed distracted for days."
Zhang Yong slowly raised his head, his blue eyes meeting hers. "Just thinking about some things."
In the corner, Tatsumi rubbed his chin, contemplating the situation. "Maybe he needs some rest. I've got it—let's go to the hot springs."
"Hot springs?" Mine raised an eyebrow, but her eyes began to sparkle with faint interest. "After all that snow on the road? That's unusually a good decision"
"That sounds great," Leone said as she sat up. "Tatsumi, what do you say about bathing with your big sister?" She was clearly teasing him.
Tatsumi stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in panic as his ears turned red down to the roots. "B-Big sister! That's inappropriate!"
Leone laughed out loud, waving her hand dismissively. "Ah, you're still so shy. Don't worry, I was just messing with you."
"Can you stop teasing me?" Tatsumi then looked at Susanoo, who was standing silently as usual by the door. "What about you, Su?"
Susanoo closed his eyes for a moment, then shook his head. "I'll stay here to watch over the place. Besides, someone has to prepare dinner."
"Alright, let's go then!" Tatsumi said, raising his hand enthusiastically.
Zhang Yong smiled sarcastically and followed them anyway.
A few minutes later, Zhang Yong and Tatsumi arrived at the hideout's private hot springs, where steam rose into the still air and the dim light of stone lanterns reflected off the surface of the warm water.
Zhang Yong sat in one corner of the pool, his back against the smooth rocks, while Tatsumi submerged himself up to his shoulders, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth.
Silence reigned between them for a while, until Tatsumi broke the quiet with his calm voice.
"This atmosphere is really refreshing. I remember when we used to come here with my big brother, and he always used to act so weird," Tatsumi said, staring at the sky.
"Speaking of which, where is Lubbock?" Zhang Yong asked, looking around.
"Lubbock?" Tatsumi replied, turning his head toward Zhang Yong, a drop of water falling from a strand of his wet hair. "It's probably better that he didn't come. He would most likely have gone peeping."
Zhang Yong laughed lightly. "No joke—he definitely would have done that."
A mischievous smile appeared on Tatsumi's face for a moment. "Hey, Zhang Yong, I was wondering—what's your type? Your favorite kind of woman?"
Zhang Yong slowly raised an eyebrow, his blue eyes reflecting the rising steam. "My type?"
'Even back on Earth... did I ever have such a thing? Mental age makes this feel immoral.'
Zhang Yong stroked his chin. "The type that doesn't disturb others during their relaxation time."
Tatsumi laughed, splashing some water toward him. "That's not an answer! You always dodge questions. If Lubbock were here, he'd say, 'You're not a man if you don't have a favorite type,' or something like that."
Zhang Yong sighed, feeling refreshed—like an ordinary teenager engaging in nonsense instead of just a fighter. "Alright, alright, man. You're overreacting. Let's see... maybe... strong-willed, kind... I don't really care about looks, and... supportive, I suppose? I think that's it. I've never thought about it before."
Tatsumi nodded slowly, his eyes contemplating the shimmering water's surface. "That... makes sense for you." Then he suddenly turned toward Zhang Yong and whispered, "Someone like Mine?"
Zhang Yong's eyes opened wide, a sharp look in them "What?"
"Don't play innocent. I'm not blind," Tatsumi said, flipping his palms in the water, the sound of the liquid echoing in the quiet. "You were watching us every time we were together. Were you jealous?"
'No bullshit, this idiot really thought that....'
"You're wrong," Zhang Yong replied quickly, but his voice was sharper than usual.
"Maybe." Tatsumi turned his back, staring at the rising steam. "But with the risk of upcoming missions getting higher, don't waste time. I'm sure she's waiting for you. Hehe, I'll make sure to tease her properly then." Tatsumi smiled mischievously afterward, happy for the wrong reasons.
At that moment, Zhang Yong's eyes gleamed with realization. "That's it," he whispered to himself.
'It was me all along.i am the factor... In that case, I need to make Mine hate me. That's non-negotiable,' Zhang Yong thought internally.
After silence fell between them once more, Zhang Yong slid deeper into the warm water until it covered his chin, his eyes half-closed as he contemplated Tatsumi's words.
Tatsumi, who was washing his face with water, suddenly turned toward Zhang Yong. "Did you hear something?"
Zhang Yong slowly raised his head. "No. Why?"
"For a moment... I thought you whispered something."
"Maybe it was the sound of the water."
"..."
Then Zhang Yong stood up from his spot, stretching. "I think that's enough for me today. I'm leaving."
"What? Oh, alright."
Zhang Yong got out of the hot springs, his body still emitting steam into the cold air. He grabbed the white towel hanging on the wall and wrapped it tightly around his waist.
After leaving, he changed his clothes and headed to the kitchen where Susanoo was, and simply drank some water.
Zhang Yong drank the last drop of water from the cup, then placed it slowly on the table.
"Zhang Yong, what do you think about starting your haircut now?" Susanoo asked in his deep voice.
Zhang Yong laughed sarcastically. "Does my hair bother you that much? Fine. I was planning to do that anyway."
Susanoo took out a sharp pair of scissors from one of the drawers, moving them deftly between his fingers. "Sit down."
Zhang Yong sat on the wooden chair, his back straight, as Susanoo began cutting his long locks with precise movements.
"I thought you didn't care about your appearance," Susanoo said as the blonde strands fell to the floor.
"I don't. But short hair is more comfortable than waiting for it to grow," Zhang Yong replied, his eyes closed.
The last strand of hair fell to the floor. Zhang Yong stood up, running his hand over his now-short hair. "Thank you. You're really highly capable—housework and even fighting. I wonder what you'll do after the Empire changes."
Susanoo began cleaning up. "I am simply a Teigu bio-weapon. I will stay with my master until the end."
"Even that is a choice," Zhang Yong replied simply, then turned toward the window where the night stars were beginning to appear in the sky. "I'm going out for a bit."
Susanoo didn't object, merely nodding as Zhang Yong left the kitchen with quiet steps.
Zhang Yong went out to the backyard, where the cold night air embraced his face. The stars twinkled in the clear sky. He stood there for a while, breathing deeply, then raised his hand and a small purple flame appeared, composed of Reincarnation Qi.
'Reincarnation Qi... I can still add improvements,' Zhang Yong smiled secretly as he activated the Heavenly Demon Eyes to absorb the essence of the moon.
According to legend, there are six paths of reincarnation. When consolidated with the laws of the elements, you obtain six elements surrounding life and death—or rather, they are Yin and Yang, and the six are the Law's of Water, Fire, Wind, Lightning, Wood, and Earth.
The Metal element was not included because it fell under the category of the Earth element.
Thanks to the Five Elements Technique, he could only possess four elements of the equation. If he possessed a cultivation technique with the Lightning and Wind elements, that would be enough to develop it into its true form.
The cultivation technique could be obtained from the Lightning Summit at the Purple Star Sect, but as for the Wind technique, he would most likely only find low-level techniques. If he wanted to succeed, he would need to find a technique at least of the Mysterious grade or higher.
After half an hour had passed, he had finished his daily training and decided to return to his room.
He quietly opened the door to his room, and when he looked, there was a figure lying on the bed. It was Mine.
'What is she doing here?'
"I understand your surprise," Belial suddenly appeared before Zhang Yong. "She was waiting for you for dual cultivation."
'Belial, what are you doing here? I thought you went back to your post.' Zhang Yong looked cautiously at Belial.
Belial sighed, stretching. "Oh yeah, I dumped my work on Asmodeus and came to watch the final battle."
Zhang Yong looked toward Mine and couldn't stop thinking: 'True, the final battle. So what's the point of having feelings when you know you'll lose them in the end?'
Then he stepped toward the bed and quietly pulled the blanket over her. There was no point.
Everyone he cared about or would care about, whether he loved them or not, they were all destined to end and die.
Even if he fell in love, even if he wanted to stay with someone forever, that was impossible. He could watch others smile, and he could watch them enjoy their lives.
But all he could ever become was just a ghost. Therefore, he did not pursue eternal life. Even if it was humanity's dream, it was meaningless. If you live forever? Then you are no longer human—just a wandering ghost. It would be nothing more than eternal suffering on earth.
Therefore, he had to change his fate. He had to break destiny. He wasn't fighting just to be with others—it was also to find his own peace.
He turned and quietly left the room, carrying an unreadable expression.
He climbed onto the roof of the hideout and began to meditate quietly.
---
The next day, Mine left Zhang Yong's room early in the morning, her disheveled hair and puffy eyes indicating that she hadn't slept much .
But as soon as she turned around, there were two people behind her.
"Oh~ What's this?" Leone appeared suddenly, her eyes sparkling with wicked curiosity. "Did you spend the night in Zhang Yong's room?"
Akame stared at the two with a question mark over her head.
Mine's face turned red down to her ears. "N-No! Nothing happened! We were just... it was just conversation!"
"In the middle of the night? In his room? Alone together?" Leone laughed, lightly slapping her shoulder. "Seems like things have heated up between you two."
"No! It's not what you think!" Mine shouted, her voice rising with each word. "I don't have anything for him! There's no way I'd choose someone like him, even if he were the last person on the planet!"
At that very moment, a tall figure stood behind them, having stopped abruptly upon hearing Mine's last words.
"Ah, hello," he said calmly, but his blue eyes were empty of any emotion.
Mine spun around suddenly, her eyes widening in panic as she noticed his presence. "Z-Zhang Yong! I... I didn't mean..."
But Zhang Yong didn't wait for her to finish. He shrugged indifferently. "Don't worry. I've suffered worse. And I know I'm difficult. I'm not really upset to hear that." A small smile appeared on his face.
And honestly, he wasn't upset. If anything, he would have been relieved if Mine actually meant what she said. It would have saved him a lot of trouble.
Mine felt a stab in her chest. She had said those words in a moment of anger, but she hadn't truly meant them. "Zhang Yong, I..."
But he had already turned away, walking off with steady steps. His broad back suddenly seemed very distant.
"Oh, the drama. It seems like a comedic situation, don't you agree? Like reading a sarcastic romance novel," Belial laughed mockingly.
'Spare me. I have no interest in this nonsense.' Zhang Yong rolled his eyes away from Belial.
"Yeah, you were never that type. So why don't you just relax and live quietly?" Belial said, waving his hand sarcastically.
Zhang Yong didn't reply. His blue eyes stared at the distant horizon, where the sun was rising in a bloody crimson color. "Screw you."
---
That night, Night Raid received direct orders from the army to eliminate a new group called Wild Hunt, who were wreaking havoc across the Empire.
Their mission was to wipe out the group and recover their Teigu if possible.
Night Raid moved out immediately to execute the order.
By leaping across the rooftops, the members of Night Raid headed to Wild Hunt's headquarters in the capital.
"The place is empty," Zhang Yong said as he released his spiritual sense around the area.
Then suddenly, Leone's cat ears twitched. "Hmm?" She looked around, trying to catch the sound. "There's a fight happening on the north side," she said, pointing toward the abandoned ruins on the outskirts of the capital.
The group headed toward the ruins. Only as they approached did the sounds Leone had heard become clearer.
"There!" Leone pointed as she leaped from one roof to another, her yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness.
They approached cautiously, only to be surprised by the sight of Kurome facing off against Cosmina and Enshin from Wild Hunt in fierce combat. On the other side, Ran was dueling with Champ.
"Kurome is here?!" Tatsumi whispered, his eyes widening in surprise. "Why are they fighting Wild Hunt? Aren't they on the same side?"
"It might be some kind of internal conflict," Susanoo said, raising his staff. "We need to eliminate the mission targets."
"Why the rush?" Zhang Yong smiled slyly. "Let's wait until both sides are exhausted, then we eliminate both."
Soon, the battle was nearing its end. Since Ran had taken heavy blows from Champ's Teigu, he seemed on the verge of victory.
Champ grabbed his fire-attribute Teigu sphere and hurled it toward Ran.
But Ran used his trump card Teigu, reversed the attack, and killed Champ instantly.
"Now!" Zhang Yong whispered.
At the same moment, Mine fired her shot and killed Cosmina.
Meanwhile, Tatsumi leaped and targeted Enshin together with Akame.
Zhang Yong and Susanoo charged toward Kurome and Ran injured from their fight.
Ran extended his arm and launched a barrage of feathers that flew rapidly toward them.
Zhang Yong waved his sword and deflected the feathers, while Susanoo allowed himself to be hit—he wouldn't die from it anyway.
Ran leaped, carrying Kurome, and began flying away.
"You're not getting away!" Mine stood at the forefront, raising her Pumpkin gun toward them.
She pulled the trigger—the bright pink energy beam shot out like lightning toward them in midair.
But suddenly, Ran's white wings spread wider and began glowing with a faint golden light.
His wings transformed into a semi-transparent shape, forming an energy shield that violently deflected Mine's beam, causing a massive explosion in the sky.
He then exploited the opportunity and flew away at breakneck speed, carrying Kurome in his arms.
In the end, they were beyond their attack range.
"They escaped. That's going to be troublesome," Leone said, putting her hands behind her head, secretly grumbling about not having participated in this fight.
"Well, the Teigu of those Wild Hunt members are still intact, and there are no witnesses, so let's get out of here," Lubbock said calmly.
"We'll take care of the rest next time," Tatsumi said, removing his Incursio armor.
Zhang Yong turned toward the group, his short hair swaying in the cool breeze. "Let's return to the hideout, then."