The Earth Pig seemed prepared when his throat was grabbed.
He jerked his head back violently, slamming into Vermilion Bird’s chin. Despite reacting swiftly, faint blood streaks still marked his throat from the grip.
Without pause, the Earth Pig spun around and lashed out with his claws. Their fighting styles appeared similar—both relied on formidable finger strength and hardened nails to tear wounds into each other.
Vermilion Bird raised his arm to block, leaving shallow gashes on his forearm before counterattacking, shredding the Earth Pig’s chest into a mangled mess.
In mere seconds of combat, the Earth Pig had lost chunks of flesh, their strength and lethality clearly mismatched.
Only now did Zhou Mo believe that killing Vermilion Bird might be entirely different from killing Black Tortoise.
Though she didn’t know the details of Black Tortoise’s battle, as Vermilion Bird himself had said—because he lacked “Indestructibility,” he feared death more.
He would never give “participants” a chance to kill him. Whether it was a “flare” or the “Spirit Touch” the Earth Pig mentioned, Vermilion Bird would strike first at any perceived threat.
Under Vermilion Bird’s relentless assault, the Earth Pig staggered back—this outcome had been inevitable.
As a mere “Earth-level,” how could he alone contend with Vermilion Bird, the enforcer of “Zodiac violations”?
“Not even using ‘Divine Law,’ and you’re already crumbling,” Vermilion Bird taunted. “Little Pig, why not join me? Keep my ‘Divine Law’ a secret, and I’ll spare you. I’ll even smooth things over with Azure Dragon as if nothing happened.”
“Thanks, but no,” the Earth Pig spat. “Fighting for my comrades is what I’ve longed for—a true battlefield.”
“Why pretend to be heroic?” Vermilion Bird shook his head. “If you expose my trump card, everyone here dies. Bow and call me ‘Lord Vermilion Bird,’ and I’ll forget this ever happened.”
Zhou Mo blinked, realizing both Vermilion Bird and the Earth Pig shared a trait—they were both ridiculously chuunibyou.
Who actually enjoyed being called “Lord”?
“So, silencing witnesses, huh?” the Earth Pig retorted. “Too bad you won’t succeed.”
He turned to Zhou Mo, about to speak, but his mouth sealed shut as if filled with cement.
“Why won’t you listen…?” Vermilion Bird sighed. “Obedient children are so rare these days. Have I killed too many?”
Zhou Mo watched in horror as the Earth Pig’s lips moved in sync with Vermilion Bird’s, his expression twisting into contempt—clearly under the maddening effects of “Heart Snatcher.”
Vermilion Bird leisurely stroked his own chest.
“Don’t—!” Zhou Mo cried out.
The overpowering “Heart Snatcher” took hold. The Earth Pig slowly raised his hand, mimicking Vermilion Bird, and touched his own gory wound. Zhou Mo grabbed him, but couldn’t budge his rigid form.
Terror filled the Earth Pig’s eyes as his fingers plunged into his chest, twisting and tearing the wound wider. Blood cascaded down his torso like a crimson flood.
“This cut isn’t deep enough,” Vermilion Bird chuckled. “Good children torment themselves—it saves me the trouble.”
With a wave, he forced the Earth Pig to rip his own flesh further. Agony drenched the Earth Pig in sweat, but his sealed mouth only allowed muffled groans.
“Don’t fear… don’t fear…” Vermilion Bird cooed. “You’ll bleed out soon. Death ends all fear.”
“You monster…” Zhou Mo’s lips trembled, helpless.
Though she navigated between factions as a liaison, her combat skills were no match for a “Divine Beast,” even with a steel pipe.
Vermilion Bird was nothing like Black Tortoise or White Tiger.
He resembled Azure Dragon—both incarnations of despair.
“No one leaves alive today,” Vermilion Bird declared, scanning the room. The Earth Pig, still mirroring him, turned slowly. “A fun idea—since you’re a ‘Zodiac,’ you should be squeezed dry of every last drop of value.”
He floated forward, locking eyes with the blood-drenched Earth Pig. “Good child, I’ll steal your sanity. Kill them yourself until you bleed out. Consider it… light punishment. Sound fair?”
The Earth Pig’s gaze screamed horror. This wasn’t even a hard fight—once “Heart Snatcher” took hold, resistance was impossible.
He could accept death, but not a worthless one.
Vermilion Bird extended a hand, hovering before the Earth Pig’s face. “Eternal life… or eternal death. Choose.”
The Earth Pig couldn’t speak, only glare.
“Oh, I forgot,” Vermilion Bird feigned realization, smacking his forehead. “With wounds like these, you’ll never live again.”
As he activated “Heart Snatcher,” Zhou Mo snapped. She swung her pipe at Vermilion Bird’s skull with all her might.
The impact felt like striking stone—Vermilion Bird didn’t flinch, but the recoil numbed her arms.
Though unharmed, he turned, veins bulging beneath his smiling mask. Releasing the Earth Pig, he raised a hand toward Zhou Mo.
“Naughty—”
A grotesque tree erupted between them, forcibly separating the two. Before Vermilion Bird could react, a dagger-wielding hand shot from its trunk, stabbing his abdomen.
The blade barely scratched his hardened flesh before retracting into the wood.
“Sixth Sis!”
A man and woman sprinted over—”Shuttle” Cui Shisi and “Thicket” Liu Ershiyi.
Relief flickered in Zhou Mo, but their three “Echoes” still couldn’t overpower Vermilion Bird.
“We came as fast as we could,” Cui Shisi said, surveying the grim scene. “This is worse than expected.”
Normally, facing Vermilion Bird meant at least one “Earth-level” ally. But the Earth Pig was done—no way he could fight with that hemorrhage.
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