Duality of Shadows-Chapter 988: Die Now!

Alm and Bruno found themselves in a vast mountainous region of the planet. Everyone had been transported to a continent that seemed like a large island, filled with powerful beasts.

They were all left alone, scattered in different and distant directions from each other. However, it wasn’t hard to sense where Ruri was. The whole world seemed to converge toward her like she was the center, and just following that feeling would lead them to her.

Bruno, however, didn’t move right away. He needed to wait for the right moment.

’What do you plan?’ Alm asked mentally.

Bruno sighed lightly. ’It’s simple. I’m going to reignite the flame inside her. That way, she’ll be able to focus her will to the maximum again, without letting depression and self-blame consume her.’

Alm snorted; he had managed to get Ruri approved by the blade, at least preliminarily. But in exchange, Almia’s death had left her completely devastated.

The truth was that Ruri had connected with them very easily, even without memories, using a body of the same gender, or whatever random things they could come up with... she would still connect with them and want to stay as close as possible. That’s why she couldn’t accept that loss.

She wished to meet them again... she wished to grow strong enough to revive her... wishing and wishing, day after day, more and more. It wasn’t possible, so depression came.

The two saw all of this happen and could only watch painfully. Desires... living was always a constant struggle to keep them from consuming you. Just letting life flow naturally, and trying to be happy with what you had, was always so hard.

Bruno started moving calmly, picking up several spiritual crystals along the way. He could easily feel the movements everywhere and knew what was happening in every corner.

After twelve hours, he finally headed toward the place where Ruri was.

’The fish has fallen into the net.’

All the generals were gathering their armies slowly. They moved calmly while assembling their people and searching the area for crystals. That’s why it took twelve hours for the confrontation to break out.

Upon arrival, he found himself facing a cliché and predictable scene.

The woman named Civae had set up the situation to corner Huuya. Obviously, she planned to bury her there forever. The region, filled with dangerous beasts, was the perfect place for that.

Dying in this test wasn’t unusual. However, a general dying would be quite strange. But with no evidence against Civae, nothing could be done.

The other three generals might have known what was going on and could gather evidence, but they certainly didn’t interfere. Huuya was just an outsider, while Civae, born in the capital, had countless contacts and allies. Why would they go against her?

At the moment, Huuya’s army was almost complete, with just a few soldiers missing. They had formed a circular defensive position, but were surrounded by Civae’s army and fierce beasts.

To the right were all the beasts, to the left, the woman’s army. They hadn’t mixed, perhaps to make it easier to escape after killing them, and to avoid leaving too obvious traces behind.

These creatures, strangely, only attacked Huuya’s soldiers. It was a deadly trap, forcing the group to fight desperately against two enemies.

How Civae had manipulated the beasts was a mystery, but considering her contacts and the fact that this planet was her homeland, it wasn’t hard to imagine that she had the resources for it.

Since awakening the Blade of Devotion, Ruri hadn’t been able to use it freely. In fact, she hadn’t even been able to get close to summoning that ethereal blade again.

She fought like a regular cultivator, but her body radiated a white Yang light, originating from the Dao of the White Guardian God. She had perfectly completed the first stage, shortly after Almia’s death.

Bruno observed everything from a distance, analyzing the situation, until another army entered the battle.

"Lady Huuya, we’ve come to your aid!"

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A male general appeared like a savior. He was the other general born on that planet. But as he moved, secretly, he exchanged a quick glance with Civae.

’How pathetic,’ Alm murmured dryly. Then he realized he had seen that man before, he just didn’t know where.

It was obvious that those two were scheming together. The general intended to help Ruri at first, but once the two armies united, he would give the order to betray her, ensuring her complete defeat.

If Ruri were experienced, trained by them, she would immediately recognize this childish scheme and launch a brutal counterattack. But young Huuya was still naive.

Bruno snorted, then drew the spear that the body’s owner used.

Huuya, immersed in the battle, commanded while thinking about how to escape this situation. She wanted to use the magical power she had once awakened, but had no idea how to do so. When she heard the general’s voice coming to her aid, she felt something was wrong. However, seeing the relief in her allies’ eyes, she pushed that thought aside.

"Clear the way for Lord Innoa and his army!" She ordered, allowing the hungry wolves to innocently approach her.

That man called Innoa gave a slight smile and mocked in his mind. He and his army approached from the side where the woman’s army was. Everyone pretended they were fighting. Meanwhile, the beasts roared fiercely.

Then...

**BOOM!**

Suddenly, the entire continent shook, and a colossal explosion sent dust soaring into the sky. Everyone stopped, those who were flying moved far away. Others were thrown to the ground and rolled for thousands of meters.

Several seconds passed before the oppressive silence took over the place. When the dust settled, everyone stood up, trembling, wielding their weapons.

Then the scene revealed itself, and everyone’s eyes widened.

A crater dozens of meters wide was visible. Inside it, thousands of beast bodies were scattered in pieces, forming a pool of blood with a nauseating smell.

In the center stood a solitary figure with one hand extended, firmly gripping the handle of a spear stuck in the ground. With a slight movement, he pulled the spear out and then turned his gaze toward the crowd.

He emanated a dense and oppressive aura. Just looking at him made everyone feel suffocated. Staring directly into his eyes was even more terrifying, causing many to break into cold sweat and tremble.

"Hm? Wasn’t I supposed to help?" Brunon said, with a confused expression.

No one responded, but their hearts were beating out of control. Brunon had attacked and massacred all the beasts on one side in a single move. None of them survived, and his expression was as if he had just crushed a few ants.

"You came... Good, I was worried you wouldn’t show up and no one would find you," Huuya said calmly. However, her fluctuations were in chaos, and her eyes were locked on the young man with an average appearance.

Brunon nodded and then turned his attention to Civae’s army. The tip of his spear pointed directly at the woman and everyone on her side. The collective sound of many people swallowing nervously echoed across the place.

Fear and terror took over. Civae, with her face twisted in frustration, turned without looking back. Her body was enveloped by the laws of wind, and in an instant, she disappeared into the sky at an extreme speed. She simply fled, abandoning her entire army without hesitation.

All those left behind widened their eyes, quickly realizing that she didn’t care about their lives at all. They clenched their fists and ran, each in a different direction, without even thinking about regrouping.

With Civae’s army gone, Brunon turned back to the ones still facing him. Huuya’s side clearly showed a friendlier feeling toward him, while the other general’s side was full of hostility. However, there was also a trace of fear hidden in that hostility.

General Innoa stared at Brunon with dark, cold eyes, his battle intent growing by the second, signaling that he could attack at any moment.

Bruno smiled inwardly. Innoa was just an average Young Master; he could only think with his lower head, making him very easy to manipulate...

Alm observed that man and almost laughed upon recognizing his appearance. ’That’s exactly the same Young Master we killed in the past, when we were with Ruri in the Divinestone clan. He set his eyes on Ruri back then and negatively marked her. Now, he shows up here with a personality almost identical to his past one.’ (Chapter 31/32)

"Miss Huuya, I’m glad you’re okay," Innoa said, moving toward her with a slight smile. Everyone in her army stared at him coldly, especially the men, who could clearly feel his hidden intentions.

Ruri sighed: "Innoa, you..."

"You blue-eyed gorilla, how can you be so shameless? Also, with that appearance that even your grandparents couldn’t love, you’re really pursuing our beautiful fairy Huuya? You’re like a horse that doesn’t even know its face is long. Do you know what it’s like to feel shame?"

Innoa stopped walking and turned coldly to Brunon, who continued:

"You’ve never heard that animals of the same species should stick together? Why’d you leave your forest? The monastery workers aren’t doing their job right by letting an ugly gorilla like you in here."

Upon hearing him insult Innoa like that, the entire crowd was shocked. What exactly was this idiot made of?

Even though he was surprisingly powerful, he probably did what he did because he attacked by surprise using some explosive technique. That surely cost him a lot of resources. He probably wouldn’t be able to repeat it.

On the other hand, General Innoa mastered the sacred Dao, he had immense personal power. The difference was like night and day, and there was no surprise factor left.

Both factions looked at Innoa, whose face was dark with anger. His skin naturally wasn’t pale, but with that furious expression, some even started to notice that Brunon might have a point: the current Innoa really did resemble a gorilla.

"Brunon, don’t make trouble." Huuya was laughing internally but maintained a serious posture while quickly reprimanding him.

Brunon, however, turned to Innoa, whose face was contorted, and his gaze was full of pure contempt. Feeling this, Innoa seemed like he was about to convulse any second from so much anger.

"What’s wrong? You think I’m afraid of ugly faces? If you have something to say, say it. If not, just attack me... I’m not really one to waste time on discussions."

Brunon spat on the ground dryly, and Innoa flashed a grim smile. "A legit frog at the bottom of the well. You think you’re so brave, huh?"

"Blah, blah, blah... so boring. Did you learn the Sacred Dao, or did you just master the art of farting crap out of your mouth?"

Everyone gulped nervously, shocked. Brunon seemed to have no limits. Meanwhile, Innoa, seeing Brunon stare at him casually, as if he were just watching a play, completely lost control.

"If that’s what you want, then take one of my strikes!" he yelled coldly, channeling all the force in his body.

His presence radiated a pure white aura, while sparks of lightning curled around him. All the pure Yang fused with the lightning, and soon the powerful, thunderous law of pure Yang manifested.

"You got the guts? Or are you gonna hide behind her?" He spat, and Huuya’s expression twisted.

A ball of light started to slowly form in his hand. That sphere was fully condensed with the force of Yang thunder, emitting an overwhelming pressure.

Huuya sighed and drew her sword, but Brunon turned to her, smiling unconcerned. He took a quick step forward.

Seeing this, Innoa didn’t waste time. Holding the thunderous force ball, he immediately attacked.

"Watch out!" she yelled, trying to run and stop him, but realized she was a step too late. The two were already face to face, clashing.

She didn’t know what kind of movement they used, but somehow, both blinked suddenly, moving sharply and attacking.

Innoa crushed the thunder ball against Brunon, shouting coldly, "Kid, you can die now!"

But, to everyone’s surprise, Brunon was just grinning mockingly. They all saw he wasn’t even holding his spear, as if it wasn’t needed. Then, he simply threw a punch.

*BOOM!*

Bright lightning bolts shot out, blinding everyone around. When their eyes could see again, they saw something flying incredibly fast into the distance.

Everyone jumped when they recognized it was Brunon, being thrown back. His body seemed to be violently invaded, countless white lightning threads constantly tearing him apart and making terrifying sounds.

After being launched for hundreds of meters, he collided with the ground and spat out a large amount of blood. Terrified screams echoed through the crowd.

"Innoa, you bastard!" Huuya’s voice was filled with fury. But...

On the other side, Innoa was frozen in place, eyes wide and face pale.

*Crack*

Suddenly, everyone saw his body crack, numerous fissures appearing.

*Poft!*

Then, he exploded, scattering his blood and pieces of his innards everywhere in a grotesque display.

No one could believe it, much less understand how he had died. But soon, everyone turned when they heard Huuya’s quick steps heading toward Brunon. Nothing else mattered to her but him.

"Are you okay?" She supported him and asked worriedly, still feeling guilty for not acting fast enough.

Bruno smiled inwardly. "This is nothing... cough, cough..." He coughed up blood, making Huuya’s eyes widen. "For caring so much about me, do you see me in a new light?" he said with a slight mischievous smile.

She was surprised. Was he actually flirting with her? Immediately, the trace of guilt inside her disappeared without a trace. But she felt a warmth in her chest, though she didn’t quite understand why.

The powerful figure that seemed like a demon was just one side of him. The one with the mischievous smile, no doubt, was another side he was showing only to her.

"I’m older than you, and I’m your general. Are you asking for a beating?" she retorted, staring at him, trying to give him a disapproving look.

"Hehe, that’s exactly it; I like you more this way." Brunon chuckled lightly, blood dripping from his lips. "If you smiled more, you’d be even more beautiful."

"You shameless bastard. I’ll keep that in mind. Where I come from, strength is what matters, and I didn’t learn much about being sociable... Hey, wait! Who cares about what you like? You dare take advantage of me?" Huuya realized what he was doing and blurted out what she didn’t want to. Then, furious, she grabbed his collar.

"Hey, hey, hey, Miss Fairy, aren’t you ruining your image? Just now, I fought to save you twice with my life! In the blink of an eye, you want to get rid of me because I’m injured and useless? With such cruel treatment, aren’t you afraid everyone will abandon you?" Brunon said quickly, with an innocent expression.

She turned away, blushing, and only then realized that everyone was watching her in shock. She quickly let go of Brunon.

"Cough, cough... you fought well by my side. But time is short, and you should look for spiritual crystals... Everyone can leave now."

No one could react. They all froze for a few seconds. Suddenly, her gaze shifted, becoming a blade thirsty for blood, and she roared: "Disappear!"

After her shout, everyone jumped and started moving away hastily, leaving one by one. In the end, only the two of them remained.

Huuya sighed, staring at Brunon for a few seconds, but said nothing. Only then did she realize that she had exploded again in front of her soldiers. She had lost control of her emotions... those same emotions she thought she would never feel again...

She was completely confused by what she felt. Just a moment ago, she thought it wouldn’t matter if she was alive or dead. But now, since the moment she laid eyes on him, everything had changed. Why did that figure make her lose her composure so easily?

"What beauty acts so terrifyingly? Even my soul is trembling in fear..." Brunon murmured, with a slightly scared look.

Normally, being looked at by a beautiful woman was a kind of happiness, but her gaze now seemed to carry malicious intentions. Bruno clearly saw Alm’s shadow in her eyes. This was no blessing; it was a curse!

Two Alms? No! Anything but that! He needed to bring out the side of Ruri that was more like him again!

"Your shamelessness is as vast as the heavens. Do you think every woman should be frivolous and submissive? Stop being pathetic and stop pretending to tremble," Huuya laughed at him, not moving away in the slightest. In fact, she got physically closer, as if magnetically attracted, without even noticing.

Brunon’s eyes widened, as if facing a predator: "What are you thinking?! I’m still pure! Let me make it clear right away, even if you take my body, you’ll never steal my heart!"

"You bastard!" she yelled, exploding, then grabbed him by the collar with enough force to almost rip his clothes. "Who do you think you are?! Do you really think I care about a scoundrel like you? What body? What heart? Get a grip on yourself!"

Now, so close, their faces were practically glued together. Though her face was twisted in fury, Bruno couldn’t help but find her cute.

Ruri had learned from him to have fun, tease, and say things that provoke others; this version of her, though, was much colder. A mischievous idea popped into his head – he wanted to tease her even more.

They both felt each other’s breath on their faces. He stared deeply at her and gave an amused smile. Soon, his eyes were drawn to below her face, and he caught sight of two high points above her neckline, subtly swaying.

"You...! You dare look at me with that lecherous smile? I should tear your eyes out!" she roared, but her own thoughts betrayed her. Her heart was beating so fast she could barely think straight. What was happening to her?

Huuya, overcome by embarrassment, shook Brunon by the collar as if trying to shake some sense into him. Suddenly, he closed his eyes and let his body go limp.

"Bastard! You’re provoking me like this, closing your eyes?! You think this will make me stop?"

"Urgh…" He coughed up a lot of blood, which splattered on her. Huuya froze, her ’anger’ vanishing instantly. His face was turning pale, almost cadaverous. Only then did she remember that he had been seriously injured.

"Sorry! Sorry! Open your eyes!" Huuya panicked, gently laying him on the ground.

Hearing her voice turn gentle, Bruno almost let out a laugh but kept his pale expression.

He opened his eyes slowly, looking at her with a fragile and dramatic expression. "Sister… I… cough… I’m a scoundrel, but I hope you can… forgive me..."

"You’re not going to die, got it?! I’m going to save you, so stay quiet!" She pulled pills from her spatial ring, desperately trying to get him to swallow them.

"I feel like I’m dying. I hope you can... forgive me, and let me go in peace," his aura became chaotic, his eyes unfocused.

She was startled. At first, she thought he was just acting, but now, using her Qi, she checked and was horrified to see that his internal organs were starting to fail. This couldn’t be faked. She was filled with panic.

Desperation took over her. "No! No! Don’t say that! I won’t let you die!"

Brunon shook his head weakly and said, "It’s useless… You should know... but thank you for staying with me in the end…"

"How can you be like this?! Fight! You can’t give up yet!" She gritted her teeth, her heart sinking.

Brunon started coughing intensely, his face reddening as if reaching his limit. Breathing became difficult, but he fought to murmur.

He coughed up more blood, intensifying the drama, his breathing getting heavier. With his weakened voice, he murmured: "I… cough…" He could only cough out one word. The rest was just his mouth snapping as he couldn’t speak.

His life was slowly fading away, like a candle flickering in the wind. Huuya, seeing his state, was on the verge of tears – but then something clicked. She looked at him, narrowing her eyes. Something didn’t seem right.

"Alright… since you’re about to die, I’ll let you say your last words." She got closer, slowly leaning over him, her face inches from his.

Her lips slowly neared his mouth. Brunon closed his eyes slowly... when suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his chest and couldn’t help but let out a scream.

"Ouch!" He opened his eyes and saw Huuya pinching his chest with an overwhelming force.

"You’re crazy?! What are you doing, pinching a man who’s almost dead?!" he shouted, but then realized he had given himself away.

"Oh, so the ’almost dead man’ came back to life, huh?" She spoke coldly, but the smile on her face was dangerously threatening.

"Er… Well… you know how it is, I thought that if I died, you’d be traumatized seeing such a beautiful corpse like mine, so I decided to live for you! When a man is motivated, not even the heavens can take him! I won’t die today!" He tried to smile innocently, but her gaze was merciless.

"Oh, really? Then I think it’d be better if you died right now!!"

She raised her fist and started hitting him. However, she didn’t use her Qi or any power. She only attacked with the strength of a woman, as if she were mortal. He didn’t feel anything, just a comforting warmth in his chest.

Inside Ruri, that apathy was no more. Her world was once again full of color and emotions.