Chapter 139: The Tsundere Orthodoxy Is Xia Na!

"Moxi moxi? Xia Na, are you okay?"

You know damn well!

Xia Na, curled up on the ground like a tiny shrimp, in too much pain to speak, could never possibly be okay.

"Better than ever!"

Then came the expected, stubbornly defiant reply.

Her "Saihōshana" was remarkably sturdy, living up to its status as a sacred treasure—its sharpness sufficient that Jia Ji had nearly thought his fist and entire arm would be sliced open; luckily, the hardest part of his whole body was his fingers, used to pierce secret acupoints, and at the moment of contact he neutralized part of the force with battle qi, allowing him to strike it back by gripping the blade with his fist.

Now, that "Saihōshana" had long been knocked from her hand and stood stubbornly upright, planted in the ground nearby.

"Let me be clear—I'm not against great swords, I'm against swordsmen like you who only use basic attacks."

Great sword? No good!

Swordsmen who summon cool blade-light? Fine!

He remembered he'd already told Xia Na all the Zizai Fa she'd learn later—including "Flying Flame," "Judgment," "Condemnation," "True Crimson," "Mercury Lamp"… oh, the last one was nonsense, something he'd made up just because it sounded good with "True Crimson," hoping she might somehow actually master it.

But judging by her current state, she seemed to know only one technique: "Wings of Flame." She hadn't even used the classic "Great Sword of Crimson Lotus." Do Flame Hazes really need to clarify their inner heart before unlocking new skills?

Jia Ji walked over, grabbed the girl—now reverted to her initial form—with one hand, then shook her twice; this attitude, as if she were a rug, further enraged the tiny Xia Na in his grip, who thrashed wildly with claws and teeth, but to no avail.

"Rusai rusai rusai!"

That voice—that tone!

Jia Ji shuddered at the scolding.

Slightly nasal, high-pitched, with a smooth, transparent timbre, unmistakably distinctive and carrying a unique charm—not only pleasant to hear, but unforgettable once heard, sinking deep into the marrow like a cancerous ice craving.

Compared to helping a female character run for student council president and getting yelled at, or risking your life to save her mother from centuries of imprisonment only to be kicked and punched, or washing her clothes, cooking meals, and serving as her familiar every day only to be whipped—this was the true, orthodox tsundere!

According to Jia Ji's advanced experience with Japanese light novels, Xia Na's level of tsundere was perfect—add one more ounce and it became annoying, subtract one and the addictiveness dropped too low!

"One more—cough cough." Jia Ji retracted his foolish remark, struggling to salvage what little dignity and image he had left; he grabbed the black cloak "Yekai," unique to the Flame Haze of "Heavenly Rift Flame" Alastor, spun around, and gently set Xia Na down on the ground.

He glanced enviously at the stylish black coat—its wings fused with Alastor's, synchronized with the user's will, capable of arbitrary transformation within the user's perception range, and endowed with defensive and storage functions—utterly versatile.

Jia Ji had traveled countless worlds, yet still lacked a "robe" he could use to rip off his clothes.

I have to say, Xia Na has really good taste in clothing.

White flames began burning across her body; the power of existence, the fundamental substance composing all things in this world, was easily manipulated by Flame Hazes who fought using it—repairing herself was simple.

But pain could not be avoided.

"Damn it!"

The girl, under one meter fifty tall—even shorter than Yan Zhu—had her youthful face flushed red with fierce resentment; her eyes, reddened from intense pain, held back tears, her striking brown irises blazing with determination—far more endearing than the cold, icy "Flame-Haired Burning-Eyed Killer" she'd been at first.

There was an urge to tease her some more.

"Yasaxi!"

Losing was already unbearable for Xia Na, whose competitive spirit was fierce; worse still, losing to her own despised group admin who abused his power daily—she was utterly miserable.

"By the way, why do you call my Flame Haze 'Xia Na'? Did you get it from 'Saihōshana'…? It actually sounds rather nice."

As a primordial deity of the Red World, having lived countless eons, Alastor was naturally well-traveled; though he had never encountered battle qi—a power rooted in the essence of life—he was not overly surprised, having heard from Xia Na that Jia Ji was a true outsider from a realm distinct from both the "Present World" and the "Red World."

More than his strength, Alastor cared about how Jia Ji addressed his Qiyuezhe.

"Yes, yes…" Jia Ji nodded instinctively, then realized his mistake.

"Wait, hold on—you've never told anyone else your name until now?"

After stammering for a moment, Xia Na narrowed her eyes, her face flushed with anger, and finally spat out: "It's none of your business!"

Having fought alone all this time, she had neither opportunity nor need to reveal her name—so neither the Red World's denizens nor the occasional Flame Haze, nor even Alastor, who had been by her side day and night, knew she had acquired such a name.

Just as everyone's impression of her was that her swordsmanship was incredibly strong, that she could even match powerful foes with pure physical prowess, no one knew her level of Zizai Fa was tragic; unless she volunteered her name, no one would ever know.

Her talent and capacity as a Flame Haze were truly unparalleled—but her personality? Also uniquely unparalleled…

"Stop posting in the group chat!!"

Swinging her fists, Xia Na, just recovered, charged at Jia Ji with gritted teeth, having forgotten to grab her sword.

This guy had publicly posted both her defeat and her loneliness in the group chat—wasn't that destroying her reliable image and status in Yan Zhu's eyes?!

Oh oh oh oh—the humiliation!

Even with a weapon she couldn't beat the villain Jia Ji; now unarmed, how could she possibly stand a chance? In the blink of an eye, she was pounded into a rug.

After the second round of nonsense, Jia Ji returned to his senses.

"So what exactly happened? What time is it now? What can I help with?"

He pressed urgently.

"Hmph, come with me and you'll see."

Dismissing the seal, Xia Na grabbed Jia Ji's collar with one hand and sprinted off toward a destination; behind her, a muscular man three times her size floated helplessly in the air like a doll.

Though nowhere near the absurd physical prowess of the Beidou Fist masters, Flame Hazes still possessed formidable muscle strength and wrist power.

(End of chapter)