Chapter 120: The Vanishing Wind (Part II)

At this moment, Ye Ling climbed up the central tower. Despite centuries of relentless sea waves battering its dark walls, there was no sign of decay; the people of the fantasy city from hundreds of years ago had already begun creating miracles with their wisdom.

Ye Ling’s Songstress combat suit served her well, allowing her to scale the vertical walls with ease. She couldn’t help but think of Spider-Man. Though she felt a girl climbing walls like a spider might look awkward, she had no other choice now.

Determined, Ye Ling resolved to seek out Xie Liu later to learn how to use the mobility belt. But for now, she had to rely on her hands and feet, climbing nimbly like a gecko.

Above her, the wind howled fiercely, rushing outward in all directions. For the first time, Ye Ling experienced the overwhelming power of Nobunaga Oda’s ability—the devastating force was palpable even from a distance.

Is this the kind of monster Lin Yang has been fighting?

For the first time, Ye Ling felt the true essence of battle. In this moment, she was no longer a protected young lady hiding in the back, nor a powerless rookie fleeing in panic. She was a hunter now, with her own mission and duty.

The destructive wind roared above her head. Lin Yang was engaged in combat with the enemy. The gale whipped Ye Ling’s long hair wildly about, and she sensed the tower trembling slightly. With the wind blasting from the top, the surrounding floors collapsed layer by layer, leaving the already sparse buildings utterly devastated.

Lin Yang had exhausted all his resources. Every weapon was operating at maximum power. His speed had become too fast for the naked eye to track; only red glimmers flashed through the air like blooming roses, beautiful yet deadly.

His swift movements combined with teleportation made Lin Yang’s presence elusive, while Nobunaga Oda, constrained by his sight, found it difficult to counter him. Lin Yang knew, however, this state couldn’t last long. His equipment depended on energy blocks that would sustain only ten minutes of combat. If he failed to end the fight within that window, he would be mercilessly slaughtered once his energy depleted.

Both Lin Yang and Nobunaga Oda understood this. Oda deliberately prolonged the battle, knowing that while spatial ability users were tough opponents, most—except for Paul—lacked formidable offensive power.

Lin Yang was swept away by Oda’s wind blade but quickly threw a dozen steel needles. The needles vanished immediately after release. Oda stepped back hastily, only to see the needles reappear at the spot where he had just stood.

“Spatial transfer allows objects in hand to be moved to specific spatial positions. Whether it can displace existing matter depends on the material’s properties,” Oda said, watching the needles lose energy and drop. “Compared to our bodies, steel needles are quite hard. Do you intend to teleport them directly into me?”

Lin Yang put distance between them, flipping twice before landing nearby. White mist rose from his combat suit. He casually tossed down several battery-like objects and swapped in fresh ones from his pocket.

“How long will your energy blocks last?” Oda inquired, unphased by Lin Yang’s recharging, his confidence unwavering in the face of attack.

In contrast, Lin Yang grew anxious. In his mind, he called out, “Xie Liu, why haven’t you acted yet? Where’s your level seven bullet?”

“Waiting for Death Eye’s support?” Oda sneered, reading Lin Yang’s thoughts. “You’ll be disappointed. He likely perished in the earlier storm.”

Before he finished speaking, a powerful shock slammed against Oda’s wind shield from the left, nearly shattering its outer layer.

“Level five bullet!” Lin Yang’s gaze followed the pierced dust. Xie Liu stood on a fractured high-rise nearby, smirking coldly. Lin Yang finally relaxed and turned to Oda: “Looks like the fight isn’t over.”

Oda was slightly irritated. “You guys rely on tech gear to fight me. Without those, how could you stand a chance?”

“A bunch of weaklings depending on foreign tools,” Lin Yang admitted, nodding as he launched forward swiftly. “Yes, we are weak. That’s undeniable. But we recognize the truth.”

“Being weak isn’t frightening. What’s frightening is failing to acknowledge it. We are weak, the so-called incompetents you mock. But we have our own ways to fight.”

From a distance, Xie Liu changed sniper positions. Lin Yang’s voice came through the comms. Xie Liu nodded and aimed at Oda through his scope. “Power isn’t worthy of praise. Those without power but with fearless hearts deserve honor.”

“Too bad, Nobunaga Oda,” Xie Liu said. “You’ve been blinded by power; you’ve lost your way.” He flicked his fingers, loading a black bullet into his chamber.

“Level seven bullet!” Oda’s mind suddenly flashed a warning. Lin Yang moved abruptly; his lightsaber sliced through the air with a long hum, aiming straight for Oda’s neck.

Oda roared in fury, swinging his sword wildly. “Get away!”

The howling wind surged upward. Lin Yang felt Death approaching, this time unleashed in Oda’s furious strike, with no mercy. Lin Yang’s lightsaber shattered instantly upon impact with the wind blade, followed by his suit and then his arm—his entire body was about to be torn apart.

Acting swiftly, Lin Yang threw his lightsaber aside, blocking with his left arm as a spatial shield deployed.

But he underestimated Oda’s wrath. The spatial shield shattered after a few seconds, taking Lin Yang’s left arm with it.

Lin Yang roared as Oda’s wind swept over him, instantly breaking all his defenses.

“Lin Yang!” Ye Ling watched everything unfold, shocked by the sudden turn. She saw Lin Yang’s agonized scream as his shattered gear tumbled off the tower into the dust below.

Ye Ling’s eyes widened. As Lin Yang disappeared in the dust, she felt helpless.

Suddenly, Oda turned sharply. Ye Ling’s startled cry alerted him. He hadn’t expected someone to approach from behind. Without hesitation, he swung his blade backward. The air rippled violently; Ye Ling’s body trembled, and before she could react, the wall in front of her crumbled to rubble.

Oda’s strike had sliced off a large section of the tower—this legendary structure was said to be impervious even to nuclear bombs.

One moment, Ye Ling had been worried for Lin Yang; the next, she was falling amid the crumbling walls, screaming in agony.

“You dare to climb up, a mere minor player?” Oda glanced at her fall but quickly turned his attention back to Xie Liu hidden in the dust.

After prolonged fighting, the dust was settling, visibility improving. Oda spotted Xie Liu atop a distant building.

Xie Liu had set up his weapon. Oda grinned derisively. “Fine, show me what makes your level seven bullet so special that the higher-ups warned me.”

...

Ye Ling fell from the tower, screaming, but before she hit the ground, the scene shifted, and she found herself standing solidly on the earth.

“Eh?” Not quite understanding, Ye Ling turned to see Lin Yang leaning against a wall. “Lin Yang, what happened to you?”

Lin Yang was in bad shape. His combat suit was tattered, and his entire left arm was gone. He looked like a broken puppet, weakly supporting himself on the ruined wall. Seeing Ye Ling safely teleported back, he gave a faint smile. “Not dead yet, but not much time left.”

“We underestimated a level ten powerhouse. Even without psychic support, a level ten remains invincible,” Lin Yang said weakly, pulling a metal sphere from his pocket. “But it’s not over yet.”

“Ye Ling, honestly, we didn’t expect you to help us. But now, I have to ask you.”

He lowered his right hand, exhausted, as if death was near.

Ye Ling straightened, her face solemn. “Tell me. I’ll do it.”

“Later, you must protect Xie Liu. I can’t guarantee killing Nobunaga Oda. Tell him, no matter what, that guy must be defeated.” Lin Yang coughed lightly. “This is our last chance.”

He looked ahead as the dust cleared, revealing Xie Liu poised with the final weapon, the End Bullet, ready to fire.

“Lin Yang, you...” Ye Ling was puzzled. Then she saw Lin Yang pick up the metal sphere again.

“Oda’s wind shield can’t be broken by us alone. Only two things might pierce it: Xie Liu’s level seven End Bullet, and this.”

“Power bomb,” Lin Yang stared at the small sphere for a long moment. “If detonated nearby, it can penetrate Oda’s wind shield. But...” He hesitated, then nodded bitterly.

“It’s extremely unstable. There’s almost no way to launch it remotely.”

Ye Ling quickly said, “Why not teleport it right next to Oda?”

Lin Yang shook his head. “The time from triggering to detonation can’t be predicted. If we teleport it recklessly and Oda reacts in time, it’s all for nothing. Our only chance is...”

“When Oda is busy blocking the level seven bullet, I teleport inside his wind shield with this bomb!”

Ye Ling was silent. She suddenly understood Lin Yang’s plan. Amid endless ruins and dust, she lifted her delicate face, her long hair messy and dust-streaked, yet beneath the grimy facade, her eyes shone like stars.

“But you’ll die,” she said firmly, shaking her head.

“Just once. No big deal. Besides, it’s not really death,” Lin Yang smiled like a child. “By the way, here’s a secret.”

“My space ability is good, but the side effect of awakening is terrible sense of direction. Space isn’t fixed to me anymore; it’s like a tangled ball of yarn my mom knitted when I was little, all knotted and dizzying.”

“That’s why Xie Liu and the others always tease me for getting lost.”

Lin Yang smiled wryly, then his tone grew resolute.

“But although I often lose my way, my heart never wavers.”

“Finally, Ye Ling, I want to say: find your true path. We’re all waiting for you on the road to the future. Please face it bravely.”

Lin Yang’s smile was pure, a single light on this dusty battlefield.

Ye Ling felt something strike her heart—a feeling she couldn’t describe. At this moment, she wanted to take this boy more beautiful than any girl and run away to the ends of the earth, even if it meant wandering forever.

Lin Yang turned his head. “Ah, Xie Liu moved. Time to go.”

Dragging his weary body, he slowly rose and headed for the window, but suddenly felt his only right hand seized—soft, warm hands holding him back.

“Ye Ling?” Lin Yang was stunned, turning to see the girl bowing her head, gripping his hand.

“No... don’t go... please don’t go...” Her voice was small, trembling with tears, almost sobbing.

Is she crying? Lin Yang thought, gently smiling as he withdrew his hand. Ye Ling seemed to struggle to grasp it again, but he pressed his hand on her head. “It’s okay. I’ll be back soon.”

...

Xie Liu faced Nobunaga Oda across the vast sky, his gaze locked on his opponent. There was no obstacle between them. This was the only chance.

The End Bullet was ready.

Oda’s mind echoed with urgent warnings from the higher-ups to beware of the End Bullet. He dared not underestimate it.

The final confrontation was about to begin.

At that moment, Falani stood up on the platform, gripping the railing tightly. Simultaneously, Xie Liu’s expression shifted, a strange smile creeping onto his lips.

Suddenly, Falani’s voice echoed in Xie Liu’s mind: “Level seven bullet,” just eight words, but combined with her anxious tone, Xie Liu guessed the meaning. He smirked coldly. “Thanks, Falani. But it’s okay—I’m the bait. The hook is elsewhere.”

He pressed his finger on the trigger.

Oda raised his sword.

Then Xie Liu spun abruptly, aiming his gun backward.

“What’s happening?” Not just Oda, but spectators and higher-ups watching all stood in surprise.

Xie Liu fired; the muzzle aimed at the earth.

A tremendous explosion erupted—the ground vanished, leaving a black hole hundreds of meters wide.

The recoil hurled Xie Liu back so fast no one could see him.

“I know a level seven bullet can’t hurt a level ten, but I have to try. If Oda’s attention doesn’t shift, we have no chance.”

As he flew backward, Xie Liu drew his knife. Ahead was Oda’s wind—destroyer of all things.

The emblem on Xie Liu’s chest trembled violently as it struck Oda’s wind shield. He closed his eyes, whispering, “Mochizuki Sayo, please.”

He didn’t expect the emblem to shatter the shield, but even a small breach would suffice.

The emblem shattered, and at that instant, Xie Liu saw a crack in the wind shield. He thrust his knife through.

“You’re insane!” Oda roared, but Xie Liu closed the distance in less than a second, crashing through a building before him.

The wind shield faltered. Sayo’s emblem had disrupted it slightly, just enough.

Xie Liu’s knife pierced Oda’s shoulder. If Oda hadn’t dodged at the last moment, it would have pierced his heart.

“Argh!” Oda howled. Xie Liu pressed the attack; their collision smashed through walls like they were tofu, despite the building’s reputed nuclear-resistance.

Oda barely avoided becoming a meat pancake by shielding his back, but after crashing through multiple walls, he was badly wounded. If not for his external mech suit, he’d have spat blood.

They stopped at the seventh cracked wall, covered in spiderweb-like fractures.

Xie Liu’s eyes burned like jewels as he looked up, locking eyes closely with Oda. “I said I would challenge you.”

“Aargh!” Oda roared, unleashing a fierce gust. Countless wind blades shot forward, striking Xie Liu, who grunted and was flung like a meteor across the sky.

He flew over Ye Ling’s head, crashing into a nearly collapsed building. Dust billowed; the structure finally gave way.

“Xie Liu!” Ye Ling recalled Lin Yang’s orders. Could he survive this?

Oda clutched his shoulder and staggered forward. Xie Liu’s blade had been taken in his flight.

Oda felt his body torn by pain but was more furious about being wounded by two insignificant pests. Unforgivable.

He reached the edge of the shattered wall. Outside, the world was bathed in pale red; alarms blared as the battlefield’s protective shield was nearly breached by Xie Liu’s shot. Repairs were underway.

The battlefield was a ruin—collapsed buildings, wreckage everywhere, like a post-apocalyptic world.

“Death Eye... Doom Squad!” Oda growled, his rage peaking. “I want you dead!”

Since the battlefield was nearly destroyed, he decided to obliterate it all.

The wind came roaring again from all sides, preparing for a more violent outburst.

Ye Ling hurried to Xie Liu, who crawled from the ruins, battered but alive—a miracle. Before she could take two steps, she turned in shock.

On the last tower, a maelstrom of wind gathered, threatening to destroy the world next.

“How far from victory are we?” she wondered.

Oda’s rage was unstoppable. He raised both hands. “Destroy everything!”

Suddenly, a dagger pierced his chest.

“You!” Oda was stunned. Lin Yang’s figure appeared behind him, clutching the dagger with his remaining right arm, thrust into Oda’s chest.

He gripped Oda’s body tightly, sneering as he bit down on the round iron sphere, triggering the detonator.

Ye Ling sensed it, spun around, and saw a massive white light bloom atop the central tower—a white sun rising before her eyes, rapidly expanding with a thunderous roar.

Terrified, Ye Ling fled as the shockwave surged, lifting her fragile body into the air.

Thrown over ten meters, she crashed hard. Before she could rise, the blast’s outward force reversed, pulling everything back.

Ye Ling gasped, caught by the tremendous suction. Grabbing a steel pillar, she saw Xie Liu’s limp body being drawn from the rubble toward her. Quick as a flash, she caught him, and together they dangled at the edge of the pull.

Those few seconds felt like centuries to Ye Ling.

When calm returned, Ye Ling and Xie Liu rose from the ruins. The world before them was gone.

The battlefield’s center was a crater where nothing remained but glass-like sand—no building survived.

A small power bomb could destroy a city.

“Where’s Nobunaga Oda?” Ye Ling finally remembered. No signal showed the Doom Squad had fallen.

Xie Liu’s weak voice came: “Quick, to the explosion’s center.”

His voice was like a dying man’s.

“Concentration sword, wind energy—send us there!” he urged feebly.

Without hesitation, Ye Ling drew her sword, its green petals glowing as wind surged from the blade, lifting them skyward.

“Where is Oda?” Ye Ling asked anxiously, holding the half-conscious Xie Liu, eyes fixed on the explosion’s heart.

She saw Oda, barely human anymore.

“There!” she shouted, astonished that such an explosion hadn’t killed him. How could one defeat a level ten?

“He protected himself with the wind shield, but he’s done for,” Xie Liu said, opening his eyes.

He suddenly broke free of Ye Ling’s grasp and fell from the sky, his folding knife descending with him.

“Time to end this!” Xie Liu shouted hoarsely, plunging the knife into Oda’s chest.

They collapsed onto a bed of glass shards.

“You...” Oda’s burnt face stared at Xie Liu, disbelief and hatred in his eyes. “You actually... for a woman?”

He glanced at Ye Ling nearby. “For this woman?”

Ye Ling watched quietly, her dust-streaked face marked by weariness.

One day had felt like a lifetime.

Xie Liu’s eyes burned like red jewels as he locked gaze with Oda’s charred visage.

“Apologies,” Xie Liu said coldly.

Oda was briefly stunned. “You... just for this?”

“Yes...” Xie Liu’s trembling hand gripped the knife still embedded in Oda’s chest, barely able to stand. “Because we’re all fools...”

Oda’s pupils flickered. “Fools?” He seemed to mock himself, a faint smile breaking through. “Doom Squad, I acknowledge your strength. I apologize for what happened before.”

“I accept your apology,” Xie Liu nodded. “Now, please die.”

Gunfire rang out from the folding knife. The recoil spun the blade, slicing Oda’s body in two. His external mech dissipated into white mist, vanishing from the battlefield.

“Is it over?” Xie Liu lay on the ground. The wind faded. Was it truly finished?

“Xie Liu!” Ye Ling cried, running to him and embracing him.

She saw a tired smile on his face. “How do I look? Handsome?”

Ye Ling trembled, tears welling. “Yes, the most handsome in the world.”

The final battlefield—the fiercest wind had vanished. Only silence remained.

But...

“You miscalculated. The first place still belongs to our Doom Squad!” A cold voice came from behind.

Ye Ling spun around, startled, and saw a man standing there.

“Who are you?” she gasped.

“Doom Squad, Donghuang Taiyi,” the man said, battered but smiling victoriously—a smile that weighed heavily on Ye Ling’s heart.