"I've always said the guys who work in watch shops are mostly deaf," White Jack sighed. "Listening to a bunch of broken clocks go 'tick-tock' all day, how could they not lose their hearing? Do I need to repeat myself? From here on out, it's just Rain Crow and me. You can get lost."
Clock Maker thought nothing of it. He always maintained a mocking patience for insignificant nobodies, watching them the way one might watch a child throwing a tantrum.
"Finished with your last words?" he asked suddenly after a moment.
"Not yet." White Jack lowered its head and pulled out a slip of paper. "My last words aren't nearly that short. If I wrote them all out, they might circle the earth. Who knows, the corpse of every super-human species in the world might just show up at my funeral."
It paused. "In short... never question a madman's desire to express himself."
"You aren't a madman. You're just a clown putting on a show."
Clock Maker spoke nonchalantly, stepping toward the doll, but his gaze remained fixed solely on Rain Crow.
"I have the intel you want, Mr. Clock Maker," White Jack said faintly.
"Such as?"
White Jack thought for a moment. "Such as... who Blue Pigeon really is. You still don't know the identity of that poor little boy, do you? Or why Rain Crow values him so much?"
"What else?" Clock Maker suddenly smiled.
White Jack fell silent for a moment. "Or whether Blue Pigeon is even still alive. What if, right from the very beginning, the Blue Pigeon you saw was nothing but a puppet I fabricated?"
As its voice faded, absolute silence shrouded the factory street.
Clock Maker's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
Rain Crow stared blankly for a long time before weakly lifting his head, casting an astonished gaze at White Jack's back.
White Jack held up a single finger and wagged it, shattering the sudden silence:
"That's right, you've been played from the very start... You're just as stupid as our lovely Crow Man. Both of you were led around by the nose by an 'insignificant nobody' like me."
Clock Maker slowly raised his head, his face turning suddenly gloomy.
He said nothing, but a bewitching, quicksilver light rippled in his pupils.
"Oh, then your question should be... where is the real Blue Pigeon, right?" White Jack said with a shrug. "Pardon my bluntness, but while you were busy being played for a fool, the real Blue Pigeon was hiding in the factory, killing two of your children... Mini Girl and Dream Monk."
It paused. "And not only did you know nothing about it, you took a fake hostage and played back and forth with Rain Crow right here. It's like a young couple shopping for sex toys and accidentally grabbing a fake one..."
Clock Maker remained silent, his expression growing darker by the second.
"How can you prove you're telling the truth?"
White Jack shook its head. "That's for you to figure out. I doubt you'd want your beloved Rain Crow to discover right before his death that his arch-nemesis was an idiot, led around by the nose by a lowly grunt like me... Wouldn't that feel worse than just being killed outright?"
Clock Maker narrowed his eyes.
Rain Crow spoke in a hoarse voice: "A'Qing... is still alive?"
At that moment, White Jack suddenly moved both hands behind its back, still gripping its cane.
Silently, the head of the cane ignited with a ghostly blue flame. That wisp of fire slowly wrote out a line of text in the air:
—Mr. Rain Crow, we only have one chance to defeat Clock Maker. If we miss it, it's gone for good... From here on out, concentrate completely and watch for my signal.
Despite writing this, White Jack was secretly praying for its reinforcements to hurry up and reach them.
Even if that hope seemed entirely unrealistic.
...
...
Meanwhile, in another corner of St. Honghu Commercial Street, beside the abandoned factory.
[Game stage loaded — 'Tetris'.]
[Players participating in this game — 'Black Magic Hand', 'Heimeng', 'Pot-Lid Boy — Three-Eyed Nian'.]
Jiang Qingzi opened his eyes, looking out through the eyeholes of his owl mask.
What met his sight was an extremely narrow, cramped pixelated space. He, Heimeng, and Three-Eyed Nian had all transformed into 2D figures—flat pixel characters.
If an outsider were present, this battle would probably look like a child playing a 2D game on a retro console.
"Di-di-di, doo-doo-doo—"
The game's background music was the melody of the Russian folk song Korobeiniki (The Peddlers).
Amidst the lively sound effects, Heimeng hid in the corner, using the console to control Tetris blocks falling from the sky one after another. There were square blocks and long rectangular blocks, all in different colors. Yet, they were aimed at one single target: Three-Eyed Nian.
The boy with an iron pot over his head stood motionless in the corner of the flat space.
Three-Eyed Nian relied on telekinesis to perceive the world around him. Thus, the moment he entered this bizarre 2D space, his worldview was nearly upended.
He couldn't imagine a spatial structure like this existing in the world. His perception was completely scrambled.
It was as if a blind man relying on a guide dog had suddenly been thrown into outer space; he had lost all gravity, and the little dog he depended on for survival was floating away.
But Three-Eyed Nian still understood what constituted a threat.
He abruptly raised his right hand, using telekinesis to block the massive blocks falling from above while guarding against Heimeng and Black Magic Hand.
To be honest, Jiang Qingzi felt a little nauseous. This 2D space was simply too bizarre, giving him a suffocating feeling as though he had been flattened.
A text Pop-up box appeared above his head: [Classmate Heimeng, couldn't you have chosen a better game stage?]
The girl in the hoodie shook her head, and a Pop-up box appeared above her:
[That's not for me to decide. But generally speaking... my esper ability analyzes the opponent and helps me select the optimal stage.]
Jiang Qingzi lay on the ground, dry heaving, but he recovered after a short while.
He raised his left arm, swirling his pitch-black cape behind him, and conjured magic wardrobes that surrounded Three-Eyed Nian.
Because this was a flat space, the wardrobes only visually appeared on the left and right sides of the pot-lid boy.
A second later, the wardrobes swung open simultaneously, shooting out chains that were nearly impossible to sever. The chains slithered frantically like iron snakes, creeping toward Three-Eyed Nian's body.
Seeing this, Three-Eyed Nian suddenly wrapped his arms around himself.
He used his telekinesis to form a circular barrier, repelling the iron chains and blue-flamed blades.
At the same time, the boy reached out, seizing Black Magic Hand by the throat with his telekinesis, attempting to crush it in a single grip.
The next instant, however, pixelated text Pop-up boxes suddenly sprouted one after another above Black Magic Hand's head.
[Notice: This attack missed—! Notice: This attack missed—! Notice: This attack missed—! ...]
"So strong." Heimeng was stunned. "He used up all my 'miss' chances in one go."
Three-Eyed Nian telekinetically deflected a Tetris block shaped like a crate, shifting his gaze to stare at the hoodie-wearing girl in the distance.
At that moment, he finally realized who the true master of this game space was.
But right then, a red exclamation mark popped up above Three-Eyed Nian's head.
The pot-lid boy froze for a second, then looked up, as if peering upward through the eyes painted on his iron pot.
He saw a massive red block. In this cramped 2D game space, it looked like a towering skyscraper crashing down on his head.
Three-Eyed Nian threw his head back and fiercely raised his hands, desperately using telekinesis to block the massive square. However, right at that moment, the magic wardrobe he had ignored swung open again.
A figure draped in a magic cape slipped silently behind the boy, drew a small knife, and drove it through the boy's back, piercing his heart.
"Doo-doo-doo, da-da-da—" Amidst the cheerful background music, blocky, pixelated blood seeped from the pixel boy's chest.
Jiang Qingzi didn't hesitate. He forcefully twisted the knife, mangling the boy's heart.
Soon, the blocky blood leaking from the boy's chest morphed into long, strip-like pixels of blood that splattered across the floor, ultimately pooling into an oval-shaped pixelated puddle.
Three-Eyed Nian slowly collapsed into the pool of blood. The pixelated iron pot dropped from his head, revealing a pixelated face still carrying traces of childishness.
The pixel resolution was terrible, but it was still apparent that in his final second, his expression was completely peaceful.
[GAME OVER!] A large red Pop-up box appeared above his head.
Soon, the Tetris blocks stopped falling from the sky, and another Pop-up floated up within the pixel space.
[The winning players of this game are — 'Black Magic Hand', 'Heimeng'. Returning to the real world in ten seconds.]
Jiang Qingzi glanced up at the Pop-up, then slowly crouched down, reaching out to close the pixel boy's eyes. He put the iron pot back on the boy's head before looking up at Heimeng.
[Him: How are things outside?]
[Her: I don't know yet.]
...
...
Amidst the torrential rain, the entire street was nearly covered in thorns, transforming into something resembling a primeval jungle. A supermarket signboard, its corner eroded by thorns and overgrown with wildflowers, flickered on and off.
"Looks like you aren't as tough as you claim," Thorn Girl smirked. Her red dress fluttered, and the earth split open, forming deep, gorge-like ravines.
Endless, thick thorns surged up from within them like the claws and fangs of the earth, converging to besiege Red Lotus in the sky.
Red Lotus turned slightly sideways, stepping on her Wind and Fire Wheels, streaking like a meteor between the thrashing thorns.
Her focus was razor-sharp. Thorn Girl's strength was roughly on par with her own; the slightest misstep and the thorns would drag her down. The ground was Thorn Girl's domain—once she fell there, Red Lotus would be met with certain death.
'Dragging this out isn't a solution... Might as well risk it.'
Red Lotus looked down at Thorn Girl, muttering inwardly.
The next second, she raised her right arm, whipping out the Huntian Ling wrapped around her shoulders.
With a swish, the fiery red ribbon danced alongside her in the air, only to abruptly change course halfway and fly in the opposite direction.
Thorn Girl faltered slightly at the sight.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to intercept Red Lotus or the fiery red silk.
Ultimately, Thorn Girl made the wrong decision, choosing to block Red Lotus. With a rumbling crash, she condensed a massive thorn large enough to pierce through a high-rise building and launched it directly at Red Lotus.
"Good, good, good, you took the bait..." Red Lotus's lips hooked into a smirk.
Having anticipated this, she hit the brakes on the Wind and Fire Wheels beneath her feet. The next moment, they shot her upward, cutting against the rain straight into the heavens!
She surged into the heart of the cumulonimbus clouds, completely evading that colossal, tower-like thorn.
"Like a fly..."
Thorn Girl said softly, raising her eyes toward the Huntian Ling.
The next moment, the fiery red silk pierced through the violent rain, threaded through the gaps of the overlapping thorns, and shot rapidly toward Thorn Girl. Then, with incomprehensible speed, it bound her limbs tightly.
From a distance, Thorn Girl looked as if she had been trussed up into a red cocoon.
Red Lotus had guessed correctly. Espers like Thorn Girl usually possessed weak physical bodies and were completely incapable of breaking free from the Huntian Ling.
She wasn't in a hurry to seize this momentary opening to attack. Instead, from high above the clouds, she hoisted her Fire-Tipped Spear above her head.
The girl with hair styled in twin buns took a deep breath, feeling the air currents surging through the clouds.
The torrential rain whipped up her dark red metallic trench coat, pattering against her face. In that instant, the sounds of the vast world seemed to all pour into her ears.
The next second, Red Lotus snapped her eyes open, her pupils glowing radiantly in the darkness.
Accompanied by a booming rumble, the lightning flashing through the rain clouds suddenly crashed down! The lightning ignited the spear tip and illuminated the dreary world. The entire sky was cast in blinding white, as bright as day.
Channeling the heavenly thunder, the girl descended from the sky. Her spear, wrapped in lightning and blazing fire, rippled out into an incandescent veil of interwoven gold and crimson.
Thorn Girl was dumbfounded. The figure illuminated by the lightning was reflected in her eyes. "This savage?"
Tilting her body, Red Lotus plummeted downward. She wielded her spear, vaporizing the rain and tearing apart swath after swath of the thorn jungle. Plummeting straight down the entire way, her spear ultimately skewered right through Thorn Girl's abdomen.
Shocked, Thorn Girl jerked her head up and spat out a mouthful of blood. Within moments, her internal organs were reduced to ash, rendering her unable to utter a single word.
"You're too strong. I originally planned to spare your life..." Red Lotus murmured, glancing over her shoulder at the girl hiding in the distant alleyway. "But there are kids nearby."
The lightning faded. The long street was once again cloaked in darkness, and absolute silence claimed the surroundings.
Red Lotus put away the Fire-Tipped Spear, releasing Thorn Girl's body. Looking around, she muttered, "Sigh... I wonder if those people from Death Crow are already dead. Why do they all love locking themselves in domains when they fight? Are these guys autistic or something?"
Soon, a gigantic pixelated game Pop-up appeared in the sky.
[Countdown finished. Returned to the real world.]
Immediately after, Heimeng and Jiang Qingzi reappeared on the street.
Cradling her Fire-Tipped Spear, Red Lotus turned to look at the two of them, asking in sheer displeasure, "Where's your leader? That stuffy Italian pretty-boy Godfather?"
Heimeng was expressionless and offered no reply.
Jiang Qingzi said softly, "It seems the boss is still dueling that stunted kid inside a domain."
"Perhaps the boss needs our help," Heimeng said.
"No. Since the opponent's ability is duplicating esper abilities... between identical powers, the boss definitely understands how to apply them better than him." Jiang Qingzi shook his head in certainty.
The very next instant, a melodious bell toll suddenly rippled out. The phantom image of a church materialized in midair before shattering, and finally, two figures appeared above the street.
Everyone looked up.
The first to catch their eyes was a hunched, rail-thin teenager. Panting heavily, he sat atop a floating cushion, his right hand still clutching a black Bible.
Directly opposite the teenager, a young man in black clergy robes watched him expressionlessly, his gaze calm and completely placid.
"See? The kid got beat up so badly he canceled the domain himself," Jiang Qingzi shrugged.
He knew Lorenzo's strength better than anyone. In this world, the number of people who could defeat the leader of Death Crow could be counted on one hand.
"Father..."
Rosenzi mumbled. Flipping through the Bible, he reached out his other hand and opened a wooden Door. It was Lorenzo's signature teleportation Door ability.
"Little brat, don't run!" Red Lotus snapped out of her daze. Her Wind and Fire Wheels spun rapidly, launching her straight at him.
However, she still failed to intercept him. Rosenzi's body passed through the wooden Door and vanished in an instant.
Red Lotus froze for a moment, turning back to the three from Death Crow to ask, "Where did he go?"
"To Clock Maker," Lorenzo said blankly. "No matter. We have to go meet Clock Maker sooner or later anyway." Speaking, he flipped open the Bible and summoned an almost identical wooden Door.
The teleportation Door stood amidst the rain curtain, slowly swinging open. On the other side of the Door lay St. Honghu Plaza. Under the clash between Rain Crow and Clock Maker, the plaza had already been reduced to ruins.
The torrential rain continued to fall, yet absolute silence reigned over the street.
Watching this scene, Red Lotus was dumbfounded. She hadn't expected the people from Death Crow to possess such a formidable ability.
Lorenzo and Heimeng were the first to step through the wooden Door, entering the world on the other side.
Jiang Qingzi, however, hesitated for a moment. He looked back at Red Lotus and asked, "Are you coming?"