Even after Chen Chen had helped Kazusa resolve the subsequent matters, the inner demon deeply rooted in her heart remained.
Chen Chen frowned, troubled. He could no longer use his divine sense to shield Kazusa's heartscape world from the Soul Gem's influence as he had before. To break through, she would have to rely solely on her own willpower. If Chen Chen were to truly assist her in breaking through the heartscape world, it would actually be detrimental to her.
"Breaking through the heartscape world," "transcending oneself," and "overcoming the inner demon" were merely different expressions or labels for the same fundamental truth: the cultivation of the heart, which could only be achieved through self-reliance.
For Kanzuki Kazusa, breaking through the heartscape with Chen Chen's help would mean her cultivation would be permanently limited, capping her potential for the rest of her life.
This was the principle of the heart: "If the heart's barrier remains unbroken for a single day, it will hinder you for a lifetime."
"It's up to you now, Kazusa. Believe in yourself. You must face your own weaknesses and truly become stronger. Don't lose yourself in vengeance and power," Chen Chen murmured, his gaze fixed on the scene reflected in the mirror. "You're more than just this kind of woman, aren't you?"
The mysterious sorcerer, who had been covertly watching Chen Chen from the side, let out an almost imperceptible, crisp hum of disapproval upon seeing him so intently focused on the Heart Mirror of Kanzuki Kazusa. He immediately stopped observing the other contestants, levitated into the air, settled into a cross-legged posture, and closed his eyes to meditate.
Back in the heartscape world, Kazusa continued to slaughter the black-clothed men. In her mind, they were all members of criminal gangs and violent syndicates—the very people she believed had killed Keiko, the ones who deserved to die.
Her silver greatsword slashed through their bodies without hesitation, sending sprays of blood flying. Yet Kazusa herself remained at the center of this bloody vortex, untouched by a single drop, like a dark elf dancing in the night—elegant and deadly.
As she raised her blade once more, ready to end a life steeped in sin, a faint, intermittent voice seemed to pierce through dimensional barriers and cross the absolute domain between hearts, whispering softly: "Kazusa, believe in yourself. You must confront your weaknesses. True strength lies not in being consumed by revenge and power."
"You're more than just the woman you are right now, aren't you?"
"Chen Chen?" Hearing this faint whisper that seemed to come from an immeasurable distance, a flicker of life returned to Kazusa's vacant, unfocused eyes. Suddenly, a flood of images flashed through her mind—all the moments she had shared with Chen Chen.
Their meeting in the dark of night, his completion of her vengeance, his resolution of her judgment, their dates, their countless "firsts"—these memories replayed before her eyes as if they were happening anew. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye and fell to the ground.
The distance between people, the connection between hearts—this has always been one of the world's miracles.
Though they came from different worlds, they could share such a fleeting moment of mutual understanding. Perhaps time and space separated them, but this silent resonance between them—wasn't that the most wondrous thing of all?
Chen Chen's words, whether spoken or not, might not have traveled through time and space, and what Kazusa received might not have been his true voice.
Yet in that moment, their hearts connected without a word exchanged.
At that instant, the black-clothed figures surrounding Kazusa, lurking in the shadows, and the corpses piled on the ground—already slain by Kazusa—seemed to sense the sprouting of some presence. They surged forward in a frenzy, revealing their grotesque forms and twisted faces as they charged toward her. Raised fists, feet, and weapons swung down toward the woman before them.
"You... vanish."
Kazusa lifted her delicate face, her narrow, cold phoenix eyes now blazing with a captivating, awe-inspiring light, a stark contrast to their previous numbness.
The Kanzuki Kazusa of this moment was no longer the same.
As her voice faded, the countless black-clothed figures and corpses burst into flames. Crimson flames consumed their bodies, and in moments, they dissolved into ashes, scattering like embers in the wind before even touching the ground.
*Ping! Whoosh! Whoosh!*
Three beams of moonlight poured down from the silver moon in the starry sky, like a celestial river.
Kazusa's heartscape world dissolved like melting snow.
Then, a blinding flash of light swept across her face, and her consciousness returned to Vermir's soul body.
*Crack!* The Heart Mirror shattered.
The first familiar face that came into view was Chen Chen's.
He leaned down, face-to-face with her, looking down from above. Seeing her eyes open, a smile immediately curled his lips, and he whispered, "Finally awake. I thought you'd keep sleeping, you dummy."
Hearing his familiar words, Kazusa felt an unexpected warmth. Without a word, she slowly stood up, straightened her posture, and then lowered her head to bury it in Chen Chen's chest, wrapping her arms around his back in silent embrace.
Chen Chen gently held her, his left hand slowly stroking her soft, long hair. He inhaled deeply, the scent of her morning freshness filling his senses.
"Ahem."
A deliberate cough suddenly came from behind them. Hoggus leaned over, his expression exasperated, and addressed Chen Chen and Kazusa:
"I know that feelings between young men and women like you can be quite intense these days, but you must also be mindful of your surroundings. We're still in an examination hall, and behavior like this is simply unacceptable!"
A torrent of lectures and rules poured from Hoggus's wide, tiger-like mouth, his righteous and stern tone scolding Chen Chen and Kazusa for their enviable yet outrageous public display of affection.
After finishing, he couldn't resist rolling his eyes at the couple again.
Chen Chen and Kazusa found Hoggus's demeanor quite amusing. After all, he had initially seemed so solemn. As the God of Order among the three ancient demon gods, one might expect him to be rigid and rule-bound. Yet upon getting to know him, they discovered he wasn't as imposing as they'd imagined. Apart from his occasional eccentricities and insatiable curiosity, he was surprisingly approachable.
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