Controlled Lacey

It was this one sentence that pulled Ning Xuan back from the brink of an abyss.

Even she herself had finally fallen into despair, feeling that she had no value other than being a burden to Ning Yu.

But Ning Yu firmly chose her without the slightest hesitation.

Ning Xuan, whose eyes had lost their focus, seemed to reignite with a fiery determination.

Even if everything about her was a lie, at this moment, she truly existed here, and Ning Yu was the reason for her existence.

All the ideals and wishes that had just been shattered suddenly seemed within reach again.

"Well, since you put it that way, I guess there's no helping it," Ning Xuan said, smiling at Ning Yu more naturally and lightly than ever before.

Ning Yu knew that a new soul had been born at this very moment, and no one could ever deny her worth again.

She was her sister, without a doubt.

As Ning Yu helped Ning Xuan out of the container, a metal box rose from beneath it.

Inside was her final set of prosthetic equipment.

"Listen to me," Ning Yu said, helping Ning Xuan reassemble her prosthetics.

Soon, the prosthetic devices attached to Ning Xuan's body clicked into place, already shifting according to her will and entering combat mode.

The mechanical wings on her back began to glow, with blue flames faintly appearing at the key propulsion points, distorting the air with their heat.

"Conserve your strength. Don't join me in the fight."

"But, sister..."

How could Ning Xuan agree to such a request? She immediately wanted to protest.

She wanted to prove her worth, to contribute something to Ning Yu.

Ning Yu couldn't help but smile at this silly girl. If she ever fell in love, she would probably be the type to give everything and end up getting hurt badly.

"You have an important role to play for me, so you need to save your strength, understand?" Ning Yu said seriously and firmly.

"I... alright, sister."

Seeing the look in Ning Yu's eyes, Ning Xuan swallowed her words and nodded obediently.

Ning Xuan had already retreated to the edge of the wall, retracting part of her prosthetic equipment to conserve energy.

Leon had finished inscribing the contents of all the golden circles beneath his feet, and now they had completely disappeared.

At the same moment, all the walls and facilities in the surrounding underground space vanished, including the mural above. Only the yin-yang fish above his head continued to rotate.

Beyond that, there was no way to tell where they were anymore—only an endless void scattered with faint starlight.

A dim light suddenly descended from the yin-yang fish, enveloping Leon.

Bathed in this light, he slowly turned around, his calm eyes scrutinizing Ning Yu as she charged at him with Blood Kite.

"It's too late. I gave you a chance," Leon said.

"And you made a foolish choice that delighted me."

Ning Yu recognized the energy within that light—it was the unique resonance of the Soul Gem.

"How did you gather so much power so quickly? I destroyed so many altars..."

The sound of Blood Kite slicing through the air rang out as Ning Yu swung her blade at Leon, who was bathed in the light.

"Clang!"

A familiar blue-cracked greatsword emerged from the void, blocking Blood Kite in front of Leon.

"I have her to thank for that, my loyal servant," Leon said.

"The auxiliary purification technology she developed for the Soul Gem provided far more energy than I ever imagined."

Leon's figure retreated along with the yin-yang fish, and Lacy stepped out from the opened void.

Her ice-blue hair cascaded down, and her eyes held a gaze that seemed to freeze one's soul. She stared at Ning Yu expressionlessly.

"Lacy, have you forgotten your purpose? Wake up!"

Ning Yu couldn't help but call out to her true self, but Lacy remained completely unmoved.

"Must... eliminate..."

"Obey... orders..."

Blue light wings ignited behind her, burning with intense flames, making her look like an angel of destruction.

"Damn it."

Ning Yu finally understood why she couldn't contact Lacy. It seemed she had been completely controlled by Leon.

The exposure of Morning Star's plan must have alerted Leon.

"Clang!!"

"Clang!!"

Blood Kite and Lacy's cracked greatsword collided, sending sparks flying everywhere.

This familiar duel had last taken place on a rainy night at Tianshen Elementary School.

Ning Yu had no choice now, but she had grown much stronger since then. Her attributes had multiplied, and Blood Kite had become a legendary weapon.

Lacy's eyes hadn't changed color yet, and in her surface personality state, she was no match for Ning Yu.

But the pressure from the surroundings was steadily increasing. Ning Yu could feel the gray mist energy of the Moon Princess within her, restless and resisting.

Leon's ritual was still ongoing.

Lacy began to show signs of weakness under Ning Yu's fierce attacks, but she continued to strike emotionlessly. Finally, Ning Yu found an opening.

She dodged Lacy's horizontal slash and thrust Blood Kite directly into her side from the flank.

This time, Blood Kite pierced through the energy shield surrounding Lacy without resistance, plunging into her abdomen.

Yet, Lacy showed no reaction. As a fully mechanized being, she didn't need pain.

Ning Yu knew this, so she didn't stop with that strike.

Just as she was about to widen the wound, an astonishing burst of energy erupted from Lacy, forcing Ning Yu back.

Ning Yu looked up at Lacy. Her light wings fully extended, and two additional pairs of wings unfolded from beneath.

The cracks in her greatsword began to glow with intense white light, and then the weapon turned a bright red, surrounded by crackling red lightning.

Her hair began to shift from blue to a painful red, strand by strand.

Lacy's expression remained blank, but her appearance somehow conveyed an inexplicable sadness.

Her eyes still hadn't returned to their familiar golden color, and Ning Yu's last hope was finally dashed.

This was a form Ning Yu had never seen before.

Lacy swung her greatsword at Ning Yu from a distance, the motion causing her light wings to tremble.

A massive shockwave mixed with red lightning surged toward Ning Yu like a tidal wave.

Ning Yu tightened her grip on Blood Kite and called out a familiar name.

"Moon Princess!"