Chapter 921: Chapter Nine Hundred Eighteen: "She Stands in the Sunlight.
During Su Ming’an’s process of answering the questions, Chang Ge remained silent.
After finishing the questions, there were still more than twenty minutes left until the exam ended. Su Ming’an used a sheet of draft paper to communicate with Chang Ge.
"I’m an Adventurer Player, and there’s nothing particularly special about my life experiences. I usually just like to play the violin. I’m very interested in Mechanics and Artificial Intelligence, so I’ve watched your Ninth World clearance clips; I really like the Ninth World." Chang Ge said, "I was initially afraid of being matched with a very weak Player, but matching with you is truly wonderful."
...Is it really that wonderful?
Su Ming’an neither agreed nor disagreed.
—It’s indeed not very weak. Just... insane, and prone to dying. Moreover, the insanity is quite serious, and the deaths are numerous.
"I think a lot of viewers are jealous of me; they must be going crazy with jealousy. Being able to experience the Number One Player’s clearance journey firsthand is truly amazing." Chang Ge said with a bright smile, seemingly feeling very lucky.
...Is it really amazing?
Su Ming’an didn’t move his pen.
—In the times of restarting, Chang Ge’s experiences will indeed become very rich. I hope that each time he endures the pain of near-death, Chang Ge won’t regret it.
"I used to be very envious of your Judgment Skill when watching replays; it’s incredibly cool." Chang Ge continued to exclaim, "Being able to see you fight up close is such a blessing."
...Is it?
Su Ming’an’s gaze trembled slightly.
—The battles in the future will certainly be numerous and fierce. There will be so much blood it might make one nauseous, and the loss of life will be common, causing extreme pain and helplessness. It’s a guilt and agony you can’t escape from.
"Speaking of which, today’s execution time for the Demon Hunt Order is at twelve noon." Chang Ge noticed Su Ming’an didn’t seem to be smiling and changed the topic, "Mizushima Kawa Sora is truly insane, to propose such a policy..."
...
Zone 12, outskirts.
In front of the mechanical roulette, thousands of High Rank soldiers stood ready.
"Stop, please! Number One of the Dream Patrol Family! The Union Government just wants to invite you as a guest, there’s no need to come to the execution site in such a grand manner!" The leader, clad in heavy armor, was Stuart, a General Officer under Mizushima Kawa Sora, sent to block the Number One of the Dream Patrol Family.
If the Number One of the Dream Patrol Family really succeeded in kicking the Union Government’s authority, it would be a huge blow to their prestige.
The black-haired young man laughed twice, revealing a brilliantly radiant smile: "It’s better if you guys step aside. No matter what, I must save Yamada, and if we don’t stop this shit policy, be ready for me to kick you out."
Stuart shook his head and said, "Why do this? We are all in this for humanity. You clear the Dream Patrol game, and we maintain order in the human rear, it’s all interconnected. If we start fighting, wouldn’t it be a joke for those Old Day Church garbage to watch?"
"No, I think the Old Day Church is quite good." Shadow shrugged, "You want to execute my friend, the Vice Sect Hierarch of the Old Day Church helps me teach online trolls a lesson, it’s clear who’s better, why should I listen to you?"
Stuart didn’t expect the Number One of the Dream Patrol Family to be so unyielding and stubborn... Strangely, according to the psychological profiles, the Number One of the Dream Patrol Family’s personality shouldn’t be so jumpy. His prepared counterarguments had no effect on him at all.
"Number One of the Dream Patrol Family, please reconsider..." Another General Officer beside him tried to persuade.
"Alright, I have no patience left, time is running out, and the journey is far, I’ve been rushing all night." Shadow shook his head, smiling as he raised his right hand, spreading five fingers: "I’m giving you five seconds to get out of the way, or I’ll attack directly, and I won’t be responsible for the consequences. Five, four, three—"
With each word, a finger lowered, yet despite the smile, his tone carried immense pressure.
Stuart and Phoebe exchanged glances, knowing how strong the Number One of the Dream Patrol Family was, but they couldn’t let him pass.
When the count reached "one," Shadow acted immediately, and in an instant, the air was rippled with the waves of Spatial Vibration, expanding rapidly in a radial pattern.
"Matrix Orders—Mass Summons!"
"Matrix Orders—Wind Wall!"
"Matrix Orders—Dynamic Shift!"
In an instant, people exerted their strength, and the smell of burning yellow paper drifted in the air. Masses rose from the ground but turned to dust upon contact with the Spatial Vibration. The wind wall was like a paper-thin defense, unable to stop the intense vibration.
Where the Spatial Vibration spread, it was like a gigantic tsunami rushing towards the shore, and people were like villagers fleeing on the shoreline, utterly unable to resist.
Stuart, being a Fourth Rank Talisman Family member, cooperated with Phoebe to summon a Formation, attempting to stop Shadow’s actions. But Shadow, like a gust of wind, his spatially concealed figure like a ghost, directly bypassed their blockage.
—[Judgment] is for restraint, [Spatial Vibration] for damage, [Spatial Concealment] for swift movement.
With Su Ming’an’s current Skill configuration, it’s hard for ordinary people to compare.
Thus Shadow broke through line after line of defense. Mizushima Kawa Sora had placed many Talisman Family members along the way, with bizarre and elusive Matrix Orders. Even though Shadow didn’t fear their attacks, he was still delayed quite a bit.
"Time is too tight, can I make it by twelve noon? It doesn’t seem likely...?" Shadow glanced at the time, "Hmm... if I can’t save him, let’s hope Yamada survives the disaster; I can’t do anything more."
"Number One of the Dream Patrol Family, don’t go any further!" Another line of defense blocked his path, with people fixating on his silhouette.
Shadow looked up and chuckled.
...Of course, it’s just a joke.
He would certainly comply with the orders of the main body and would strive to do his utmost.
He took out the Amber Knife given by Su Ming’an, raised his hand, and a white Cross Light flashed around him.
In the next moment, it was as if a torrential downpour had come, blazing white light shot out, blasting towards the people.
...
Union Government, Zone 12, execution site.
Today was the first batch of executions under the Demon Hunt Order, besides Yamada Machiichi, hundreds of civilians would also be executed, and the execution hadn’t begun yet.
The Union Government’s Scripps, Evelyn, and Mizushima Kawa Sora sat in the upper seats, watching along with over a thousand others.
Yamada Machiichi had a Weakness Talisman attached to him, stumbling as he was pushed forward. He looked up, glanced at Mizushima Kawa Sora, and roared, "You’re a true madman."
Mizushima Kawa Sora’s eyes tightened, saying nothing.
Many Players also sat among the onlookers, including Lu, Rimu Sheng, Agnes, Eli, and others. Noel had already gone to the front lines due to relic excavation and wasn’t in the audience.
"Is now the time to take action to save people?" Rimu Sheng’s fingers were already touching the knife at his waist.
"No, look over there." Lu pointed to several armored figures standing by the venue: "Those people... at least Fourth Rank strength, and coupled with Mizushima Kawa Sora, if you act, it merely gives Mizushima Kawa Sora a reason to capture you."
"Has Mizushima Kawa Sora gone mad?" Agnes whispered. She thought she was already crazy enough, but when she saw Mizushima Kawa Sora, she realized there’s always someone crazier.
"No, she probably doesn’t intend to kill Yamada Machiichi. Bringing Yamada Machiichi to the forefront is most likely just to provoke Su Ming’an. She probably needs something from Su Ming’an and may have reached some kind of agreement with powers like the Old Day Church and the Holy Alliance Army, requiring the Number One Dream Patrol Family to come to such an occasion." Lu analyzed very meticulously: "As long as she can confirm the identity of the Number One Dream Patrol Family in the present world, the benefits are indeed immense. She would receive a lot of resources from various forces. So even if she bears the infamy, she would choose to do so. Even if it comes to the Final Moment, the sacrifice is merely the lives of tens of thousands of innocent civilians."
"What a person this is." Agnes couldn’t help but curse. Someone like Mizushima Kawa Sora, so decisive and treating lives as straw, she really couldn’t learn from. Perhaps only such people are more suited to the World Game.
"Standing from the Tenth World’s standpoint, you despise her. But from our standpoint, she kills civilians to increase the pass rate. Aside from targeting Su Ming’an, there’s nothing wrong with her methods. Because she indeed doesn’t have Su Ming’an’s ability, so she can only use more radical means to achieve her goals." Eli said in a low voice.
"Don’t disgust me, I get annoyed seeing such people, regardless." Agnes muttered.
Approaching the execution time, Mizushima Kawa Sora slowly stood up and walked towards the central platform of the execution site, under which were trembling civilians and blood-stained crosses.
Behind her followed a row of priests in red and white robes.
Mizushima Kawa Sora stood steadily on the high platform, all eyes gathered on her. She raised her hand, a large light screen appeared in the sky, displaying a sword and a necklace —
The sword in the light screen was like an angel’s wing, glowing with golden light.
The necklace in the light screen was like a devil’s eyeball, extremely sinister in appearance.
The priest beside her introduced: "The sword in the light screen is called the ’Sword of Destiny’. The necklace is called the ’Eye of the Old Days’. Both of these items will invoke disaster, causing a crisis of genocide for humanity."
"Recently, Exotic Species riots and frequent natural disasters — precisely because these two items have reappeared in the world. Only by retrieving them can disasters be pacified."
The priest wanted to say more, but Mizushima Kawa Sora waved her hand, and the priest immediately retreated respectfully.
Mizushima Kawa Sora, meeting everyone’s gaze, loudly said:
"I’ll be straightforward."
"Now, the Union Government is forced to implement the ’Demon Hunt Order’ because the Exotic Species King is about to appear. We must eradicate the hidden Exotic Species among humans to ensure the stability of civilization."
"Seizing these two items can delay the appearance of the Exotic Species King. Therefore, if anyone has information about these two items, please report it to the Union Government immediately. Once we can obtain either one, the necessity of the ’Demon Hunt Order’ will be greatly reduced, and it won’t need to be implemented!"
"Everyone, for the continuation of your species, for the safety of your family and friends. Please provide bold evidence about the information of these two items!"
After Mizushima Kawa Sora’s speech, Bishop Nalfas of the Holy Alliance spoke for her, confirming that these statements were true.
In an instant, people thought of many things.
The Sword of Destiny... isn’t that the Sword of Destiny that the King of Huo Muli’er Nation, Hei Que, holds?
The Eye of the Old Days... in the Number One Dream Patrol Family’s live broadcast, the Number One Dream Patrol Family obtained the Eye of the Old Days from a tentacled monster by the sea.
Is Mizushima Kawa Sora forcing them to hand over these two items? This is a world broadcast, and Mizushima Kawa Sora’s words can be heard worldwide.
"What use is that broken eyeball? Su Ming’an got the Eye of the Old Days in the ’Louyue Nation’ game and can’t bring it to the present world." Agnes said.
"At least she can grab a Sword of Destiny, she might be thinking like that." Eli said.
"She definitely has a chain plan..." Lu contemplated.
Mizushima Kawa Sora waited for a moment, and no one spoke, as these two items were indeed not in their hands.
"Clang——!"
An ancient bell sound rang out, the priests on both sides raised the rings in their hands, and the soldiers stood ready with spears in hand, waiting attentively.
Twelve o’clock arrived, it was time for execution. And the Number One Dream Patrol Family still hadn’t appeared.
The first to be executed was Yamada Machiichi, because his identity was the highest among those to be executed.
Yamada Machiichi was bound to the central cross of the execution site, the cross facing the sky like jade-white porcelain stone, with stained blood spots on the ground that once witnessed countless judgments and deaths. The remaining civilians cowered to the side, like trembling lambs.
And Yamada Machiichi glanced over all the people’s eyes and met the gaze of Mizushima Kawa Sora on the high platform. Mizushima Kawa Sora held a long sword in her hand, once she swung it down, Yamada Machiichi’s head would fall.
The noon’s intense sunlight shone on them, one looked down from above, while the other looked up furiously.
The sunlight was too glaring, Yamada Machiichi couldn’t see Mizushima Kawa Sora’s features clearly.
He couldn’t see clearly.
He could only see her twin ponytails fluttering high in the air, favored by the warm and bright sunlight, as if deities were gently caressing and favoring her.
She was full of talk about the continuation of civilization and the morality of the species.
— She stood on the moral high ground, she stood in the sunlight.
And Yamada Machiichi gave a sneer, raised his head, and loudly said:
"There will always be hypocrites who dare to claim themselves as the leaders of light."
"There will always be madmen who dare to suppress pioneers and heroes."
"If deities have confused you, you still have a chance to leave them. If this is your true intention, then you are beyond saving."
"Mizushima Kawa Sora, lay down the sword in your hand, you are not an awakener. The leader of humanity should not be you."
Mizushima Kawa Sora’s gaze flickered, showing some unspeakable bitterness, yet she still did not abandon the sword.
No one stood from her perspective, all spectators were judging her, saying she had finally gone mad, that she was not even sane, saying she was the second after Edward. That she was just a temporary victorious villain, destined to be killed by Su Ming’an sooner or later.
Mizushima Kawa Sora’s lips seemed to twitch, yet seemed not to.
She seemed to smile, yet seemed not to.
"Mizushima Kawa Sora—" Yamada Machiichi wanted to persuade further.
"I heard you." Mizushima Kawa Sora said.
Her movements showed not the slightest hesitation.
Beneath the sunlight.
"Screech—!"
The woman swung her sword down, white light blazing as if it were daytime.